An environmental scan of cybercrime measurement

Abstract

This report is an environmental scan of information on the types, definitions, and measurement of cybercrime and provides recommendations for potential revisions to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) that would broaden the NCVS’s ability to capture cybercrime victimization. The report presents research, evidence, and recommendations regarding (1) existing cybercrime
classifications/taxonomies, definitions, and measures (including state and federal laws and classifications from the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine); (2) the existing measurement of cybercrime in the NCVS and a detailed comparison to the comprehensive cybercrime classification system by K. Phillips and colleagues (2022); and (3) recommendations for revision to the measurement of cybercrime in the NCVS.