27 October 2008 15:31 GMT / By Katie Scott
Way back in May, a ring of prolific hackers were arrested in Spain, but why this story hit the national, and international headlines, was because some of those caught were teenagers.Now, it's become official.
Computer security experts are reporting that an increasing number of teenagers are taking to cyber crime as a new hobby, and visiting net forums to swap credit card numbers, phishing kits and hacking tips.
"I see kids of 11 and 12 sharing credit card details and asking for hacks," Chris Boyd, director of malware research at FaceTime Security, told the Beeb.
But it seems they're just doing it for the kicks - getting the same thrill from hacking as they would from playing games online, and, worringly, many don't realise the implications if they get caught.
And they do get caught.
"They do not even know enough to get a simple phishing or attack tool right," said Kevin Hogan, a senior manager Symantec Security Response.
"We have seen phishing sites that have broken images because the link, rather than reference the original webpage, is referencing a file on the C: drive that is not there," he said.
They are also being caught out because they brag of their antics, adds Chris Boyd from FaceTime.
"They are obsessed with making videos of what they are doing," he said. Software, Online, Websites, Hackers, Statistics
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