CYBERCRIME Australia’s economic prosperity and high adoption of technology mean we will remain an attractive target for cybercriminals in coming years. Cybercriminals are constantly adapting and evolving their techniques to exploit new technologies and defeat network defences. This tests the capacity of law enforcement agencies to adapt and respond. Australia will remain vigilant to the changing cybercrime threat environment in order to safeguard our economic interests. As the volume and sophistication of cybercrime continues to grow, so too do its costs. It has been estimated that up to US$1.02 trillion in global economic growth will not be realised if we allow cybercrime to undermine public confidence in the digital domain. Addressing cybercrime in our region will create a safer commercial environment in which businesses can grow. CYBERCRIME Cybercrime is a low-risk, high-return criminal enterprise in which individuals and groups of actors leverage cyberspace for financial gain or other malicious ends. In Australia, the term cybercrime refers to crimes directed at computers, such as illegally modifying electronic data or seeking a ransom to unlock a computer affected by malicious software. It also includes crimes where computers facilitate an existing offence, such as online fraud or online child sex offences. 33