Cybercrime is criminal activity that involves computers, networks, or the internet. When someone hacks into a company's computer system to steal credit card numbers, that's cybercrime. When criminals send fake emails pretending to be your bank to trick you into revealing your password, that's cybercrime too.

Cybercrimes range from stealing personal information and money to spreading computer viruses that damage systems. Some cybercrimes target individuals, like when someone creates a fake website to collect people's personal data. Other cybercrimes target businesses or governments, like when hackers break into secure networks to steal secrets or cause disruption.

What makes cybercrime different from traditional crime is that criminals can operate from anywhere in the world, sometimes attacking thousands of victims at once without ever meeting them. A cybercriminal in one country might steal information from a business in another country while sitting at a computer in their bedroom.

Common forms of cybercrime include identity theft (stealing someone's personal information to pretend to be them), phishing (tricking people into giving away passwords or financial information), and ransomware (locking someone's computer files and demanding money to unlock them). As more of our lives move online, police departments and governments have created special units dedicated to investigating and preventing cybercrime.