"Cyber Crime Hits the Big Time in 2006"

The Washington Post (Brian Krebs, Dec. 22, 2006) has this survey of recent developments in "cyber crime." The article reports "an unprecedented spike in junk e-mail" -- a 60% increase in the last two months -- but otherwise gives a fairly anecdotal, but still informative, picture of criminal activity. Also interesting: Vincent Weafer, director of security response at Symantec, is quoted as saying: "The bulk of the fraud attacks we're seeing now are coming in Monday through Friday, in the 9-5 U.S.-workday timeframe[.] . . . For a great many online criminals these days, this is their day job: They're working full time now."