How cybercrime has evolved in Sweden over the last ten years : A literature review

Abstract: The number of recorded cybercrime incidents has skyrocketed over the last few years. A large part of this development is due to society’s increased reliance on the internet and the backbone that supports it. This in turn increases the profitability of cybercrime. Cybercrime has a broad definition, but in essence cybercrime are crimes that are assisted by technology, often taking place on the internet. The true impact cybercrime has on society is difficult to assess, since it has both financial and social impact, depending on what type of crime has been committed. This thesis examines how cybercrime and the Swedish police’s ability to combat cybercrime is portrayed by Swedish news media, as well as which demographics of the Swedish population are the most susceptible to cybercrime over the last ten years. This was achieved by performing a literature review, where both newspaper articles and reports from various law enforcement agencies were examined. A total of 54 news articles and 21 reports from various law enforcement agencies were used in the study. The included material was analyzed and divided into categories using thematic coding, and the results showed that news media does not always give an accurate depiction of the cybercrime landscape in Sweden. Cybercrime reporting in news articles was often found to be over-dramatized and shallow, which may negatively influence the reader's ability to understand the risks of cybercrime. The law enforcement's ability to combat cybercrime is portrayed as underfunded and in need of personnel with the expertise necessary to curb cybercrime. Although efforts to bolster the government's ability to fight cybercrime have been made during the last ten years, work still remains for law enforcement to catch up and keep pace with cybercriminals.