This is the first comprehensive encyclopedia to examine all aspects of the mysterious world of cybercrime.There are today no more compelling sets of crime and security threats facing nations, communities, organisations, groups, families and individuals than those encompassed by cybercrime. For over fifty years crime enabled by computing and telecommunications technologies have increasingly threatened societies as they have become reliant on information systems for sustaining modernized living. Cybercrime is not a new phenomenon, rather an evolving one with respect to adoption of information technology (IT) for abusive and criminal purposes. Further, by virtue of the myriad ways in which IT is abused, it represents a technological shift in the nature of crime rather than a new form of criminal behaviour.This work is the first comprehensive encyclopedia to address cybercrime. Topical articles address all key areas of concern and specifically those related to: terminology, definitions and social constructs of crime; national infrastructure security vulnerabilities and capabilities; types of attacks to computers and information systems; computer abusers and cybercriminals; criminological, sociological, psychological and technological theoretical underpinnings of cybercrime; social and economic impacts of crime enabled with information technology (IT) inclusive of harms experienced by victims of cybercrimes and computer abuse; emerging and controversial issues such as online pornography, the computer hacking subculture and potential negative effects of electronic gaming and so-called 'computer addiction'; and computer forensics as well as general investigation and prosecution of high tech crimes and attendant challenges around the world.