If there’s still a perception that cybercrime is the domain of teenage collectives and rogue actors, it’s time to scrap that notion. According to McAfee, the Internet-security firm, well-organized gangs are using “KGB-style” strategies to recruit collegiate computer-science students.
Just as the Russian intelligence agency sought out skilled students during the Cold War, savvy Internet gangs are trawling for underpaid college-goers who can engage in some effective virus-writing, reports The New Zealand Herald. Some groups have even identified promising students in other disciplines, convinced them to take computer-science courses, and then planted those students in businesses as “sleepers,” says the McAfee report.
According to McAfee, cybercrime is especially lucrative and tempting in the eastern part of Europe — where students may see hacking and online money-laundering as viable alternatives to low-paying jobs. —Brock Read
