Understanding Server Crime: Types, Threats, and Prevention Strategies

Servers sit at the center of modern digital operations. They host applications, store corporate data, power online services, and connect global computer networks. Because of this central role, servers have become primary targets for cyber criminals seeking financial gain, espionage opportunities, or operational disruption.

Server security is a fundamental aspect of organizational resilience and is evolving in sophistication due to cybercrimes. Servers are involved in roughly 90% of security mishaps, making server crime one of the most critical concerns for cybersecurity professionals today.

Cybercrime and cyberattacks have continued to rise in the last years, with a cyberattack occurring every 39 seconds in 2023, equating to over 2,200 incidents per day. The World Economic Forum's 2023 Global Risks Report ranked cybercrime as one of the top 10 risks facing the world today and for the next 10 years.

Cyber threats have become a defining challenge of the digital era, with cyber crime and cyber attacks growing in both frequency and complexity. As more organizations and individuals rely on interconnected computer systems, the risks posed by cyber criminals have never been greater. Law enforcement agencies around the world are working tirelessly to combat cyber crime, but the sheer scale and sophistication of modern threats demand a collective effort.

Cyber criminals employ a wide range of tactics, from deploying malicious software and launching phishing attempts to orchestrating identity theft schemes designed to steal data and gain access to sensitive systems. These attacks can have serious consequences, including financial loss, reputational harm, and even threats to physical safety. The impact of a single cyber incident can ripple across entire organizations, affecting customers, partners, and critical infrastructure.

To effectively combat cyber crime, it is essential for everyone — businesses, government agencies, and individuals — to understand the evolving nature of cyber threats. Proactive measures such as employee training, robust security protocols, and rapid response plans are crucial in reducing risk. By staying informed and vigilant, organizations can better defend against attacks, protect valuable data, and minimize the potential for serious consequences.

Server crime refers to illegal activities that target or exploit servers, computer systems, and connected infrastructure. Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or networks.

Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm. They often identify and target potential victims who are most susceptible to their tactics, using digital platforms and technology to facilitate the victimization process.

Cybercriminals may exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm to individuals, organizations, and governments.

Common server crimes include ransomware, DDoS attacks, SQL injection, phishing, and insider threats. A DDoS attack often leverages botnets and IoT devices to overwhelm systems with traffic, and can sometimes serve as a distraction for other criminal activities. Common methods of attack on servers include ransomware, unauthorized access, malware injection, and phishing to steal credentials.

In phishing and unauthorized access attacks, cybercriminals frequently create fake websites, such as fake login portals or malware-laden pages, to deceive users and facilitate fraud or phishing attacks.

Attacks on servers can cause severe financial loss, operational downtime, and reputational damage. Financial and reputational damage includes high remediation costs, regulatory fines, and loss of client trust.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that close to $600 billion, nearly 1% of global GDP, is lost to cyber crime each year.

Modern cyber threats evolve constantly. Threat actors range from independent cybercriminals to organized crime groups and nation states.

Internationally, both state and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea continue to carry out cyber intrusions targeting U.S. victims. The United Nations plays a key role in facilitating international cooperation, classifying cybercrimes, and supporting the development of global cybersecurity policies.

Cybercriminals increasingly target essential services such as healthcare, energy, and transportation systems, causing widespread disruption and putting lives at risk.

Malware is a program inserted into a system to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data. Ransomware is a type of malware used in cyberextortion to restrict access to files, sometimes threatening permanent data erasure unless a ransom is paid.

Double extortion ransomware attacks involve cybercriminals encrypting a victim’s data and exfiltrating it, threatening to publish the data if the ransom is not paid.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks overwhelm a system or network by flooding it with excessive traffic from multiple sources. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with excessive traffic from many locations and sources.

Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) platforms on the dark web allow individuals to purchase ready-made tools and services for cybercrime, lowering the barrier to entry for attackers. Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) platforms allow anyone to purchase ready-made tools and services such as ransomware kits and phishing campaigns.

Cyber crime includes fraud, identity theft, online harassment, illegal items sold online, and attacks against corporate or government infrastructure.

The White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates that malicious cyber activity cost the U.S. economy between $57 billion and $109 billion in 2016.

67% of companies experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months, with many reporting an increase in cyber incidents compared to the previous year. Nearly 47% of affected businesses struggled to attract new customers due to the impact of cyberattacks, while 43% lost existing customers.

Cybercrime disrupts business and government operations and causes reputational harm.

Corporate Account Takeover (CATO) is a business entity theft where cyber thieves impersonate the business and send unauthorized wire and ACH transactions. Account Takeover (ATO) occurs when stolen credentials are used to hijack administrative accounts.

Cybersex trafficking is the transportation of victims for coerced prostitution or the live streaming of coerced sexual acts on webcam.

Law enforcement agencies play a central role in combating server crime and cyber threats.

The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks and intrusions in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are key agencies in the United States that combat cybercrime. The Secret Service also plays a significant role in investigating cyber threats, training law enforcement professionals, and collaborating with other organizations at both national and international levels.

The FBI works to share actionable threat intelligence with the public and private sectors to combat cyber threats. Information sharing is central to combating cyber threats, and organizations should disseminate actionable threat intelligence.

The FBI has trained agents and analysts in cybercrime placed in their field offices and headquarters across the United States.

The United States lacks coordination and sufficient resources to effectively counter growing cybercrime threats, according to a 2023 GAO report.

International cooperation also plays a major role. The European Union adopted cybercrime directive 2013/40/EU, which was elaborated upon in the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.

In Australia, legislation to combat cybercrime includes the Criminal Code Act 1995, the Telecommunications Act 1997, and the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015.

A cyber incident occurs when systems experience unauthorized access, malware infection, data exposure, or service disruption.

Phishing involves tricking individuals into revealing sensitive or personal information through deceptive emails or messages. Phishing is a form of social engineering that involves tricking individuals into revealing sensitive or personal information.

Phishing attempts often use fake websites, spam emails, or suspicious requests designed to trick recipients into revealing credentials or confidential information.

SQL injection involves injecting malicious code into a database query to steal or alter sensitive data.

Effective cyber incident response includes:

The FBI encourages victims of cyber-enabled crime to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible.

Identity theft occurs when someone unlawfully obtains another individual's personal information and uses it to commit theft or fraud.

Cyber criminals frequently steal data from infected computers and compromised online devices to conduct identity fraud, internet fraud, and financial crimes.

Best practices include:

Identity theft remains one of the fastest growing forms of computer crime affecting both personal computers and enterprise networks.

Critical infrastructure systems are prime targets because disruption creates immediate national impact.

Cybercriminals increasingly target essential services such as healthcare, energy, and transportation systems, causing widespread disruption and putting lives at risk.

Critical infrastructure operators must maintain strict security protocols required to protect data integrity and comply with regulations.

Proactive cybersecurity is needed to protect against sophisticated, often international, criminal networks.

Encrypting network traffic is a critical preventative measure against server crimes.

Computer crime includes malware attacks, unauthorized use of systems, denial of service attacks, intellectual property theft, and fraud conducted through computer networks.

Servers host valuable corporate data and sensitive information, making them attractive targets for malicious cyber activity.

Insider threats are malicious actions by employees or individuals with authorized access.

Employee training is necessary for staff to recognize phishing scams and social engineering attempts.

Patch management involves keeping software, operating systems, and applications updated to fix vulnerabilities.

Keeping your software and operating system up to date ensures that you benefit from the latest security patches to protect your computer.

Technical defenses against server crimes include deploying firewalls, antivirus software, and virtual private networks (VPNs).

Using anti-virus software and keeping it updated is a smart way to protect your system from attacks.

Organizations should also:

Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an important aspect of authentication and access.

Increasingly, organizations are shifting toward identity-centered access models. Solutions like EveryKey passwordless authentication and its Bluetooth-based multi-factor authentication device help organizations confirm user presence through proximity and continuous authentication, aligning with Zero Trust principles while keeping access simple and human-centered, and are especially valuable as MFA solutions for remote workers. By authenticating the person rather than relying only on login credentials, organizations reduce unauthorized use without adding friction to daily workflows.

Homeland security initiatives coordinate public and private sector defense efforts against cyber threats.

Government agencies collaborate with cybersecurity professionals, private sector networks, and international partners to combat cyber crime across several countries.

Information sharing between homeland security teams, law enforcement, and corporate security teams strengthens national cyber resilience.

Law enforcement organizations investigate cyber incidents ranging from ransomware attacks to child pornography distribution networks and financial fraud schemes.

Cybercrime generates billions of dollars annually for criminal activity groups.

Law enforcement cooperation across borders remains essential due to the global nature of cybercrime.

Field offices across multiple regions coordinate investigations involving nation states, organized criminal groups, and individual threat actors.

Cybersecurity professionals play a defensive role against server crime by implementing layered protections across operating systems, applications, and networks, drawing on comprehensive cybersecurity strategies and digital protection best practices.

Core responsibilities include:

Strong passwords, access monitoring, and identity and access management verification remain foundational defenses.

Server security strategies increasingly combine technology, training, and governance.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation maintains specialized cyber divisions focused on combating cyber crime.

The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks and intrusions in the United States. The FBI has trained agents and analysts in cybercrime placed in their field offices and headquarters across the United States.

These teams collaborate with international partners, government agencies, and private sector organizations to combat cyber crime globally.

Denial of service attacks remain among the most common server crimes.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks overwhelm a system or network by flooding it with excessive traffic from multiple sources.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with excessive traffic from many locations and sources.

Organizations must deploy traffic filtering, rate limiting, and scalable infrastructure protections to mitigate denial of service threats.

Servers sit at the heart of digital business operations. Protecting them requires continuous improvement, collaboration, and awareness.

Key defensive principles include:

Common server crimes include ransomware, DDoS attacks, SQL injection, phishing, and insider threats.

Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm.

Organizations that prioritize access visibility, identity validation, and proactive cybersecurity reduce risk while enabling productivity.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, defending against server crime requires constant vigilance, innovation, and collaboration. The landscape of cyber crime is always shifting, with cyber criminals developing new techniques to bypass security measures and exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and private sector networks. Ransomware attacks, phishing attempts, and other forms of malicious cyber activity will remain persistent threats, targeting both critical infrastructure and confidential information.

Looking ahead, the fight to combat cyber crime will depend on the ability of law enforcement agencies, government bodies, and the private sector to work together. International cooperation, information sharing, and the development of new legislation will be essential in tracking threat actors across several countries and holding them accountable. At the same time, advancements in technology — such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and next-generation anti virus software — will play a key role in detecting and preventing cyber attacks.

Organizations must continue to invest in cybersecurity professionals, strengthen their cyber incident response capabilities, and foster a culture of security awareness. By prioritizing strong passwords, regular software updates, and robust access controls, businesses can reduce the risk of unauthorized use and data breaches. Ultimately, building resilience against server crime is an ongoing process — one that requires adaptability, education, and a commitment to staying ahead of similar threats in an ever-changing digital world.

Server crime refers to illegal activities targeting servers or computer networks, including ransomware, phishing, malware attacks, and unauthorized access.

Servers store corporate data, intellectual property, and sensitive information. Compromising a server often gives attackers broad system access.

Law enforcement agencies such as the FBI investigate cyber incidents, coordinate international cooperation, and share threat intelligence with organizations.

A cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds globally, with thousands of incidents reported daily.

The FBI encourages victims of cyber-enabled crime to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible.