Incompetent hackers on the rise

12:41 28th October 2008

An increasing number of teenagers are becoming involved in cybercrime, according to online security experts.

The BBC has reported that many internet forums are now populated by young hackers swapping credit card numbers, phishing kits and malicious programmes.

However, the poor technical skills of many in this age range means that attempts to make money often come unstuck and they are very likely to get caught, which could result in a criminal conviction.

Chris Boyd, director of malware research at FaceTime security, explained that many young hackers are caught by their desire to win recognition for their crimes.

He told the BBC: "I see kids of 11 and 12 sharing credit card details and asking for hacks … They are obsessed with making videos of what they are doing … Some are quite crude, some are clever and some are stupid."

Last week, a study by the online payment firm, PayPal revealed that identity theft among UK web users is three times more likely in other European countries.