Turns out most cybercriminals are old enough to know better

"Middle-aged adults, not teenagers, now make up the biggest chunk of people getting busted. Offenders aged 35 to 44 account for 37 percent of cases, making it the largest single age group. Add in those aged 25 to 34, who make up another 30 percent, and nearly six in ten cases involve people between 25 and 44."

"The 'teenage hacker in a hoodie' stereotype makes for good Netflix, but the people actually ending up in handcuffs are far more likely to be juggling mortgages than homework. The arrest sheets tell a different story: the people repeatedly getting pinched for serious, money-making cybercrime tend to be well into adulthood."

"Among 18-24 year olds, activity is relatively diverse, with hacking accounting for 30 percent of cases. By the time offenders hit 25-34, the portfolio looks more focused, with selling stolen data rising to 21 percent and cyber extortion accounting for 14 percent. Then come the 35-44 year olds, where cyber extortion tops the list at 22 percent, followed by malware at 19 percent."

Analysis of 418 law enforcement actions from 2021 to mid-2025 reveals that cybercrime offenders are predominantly middle-aged adults rather than teenagers. The 35-44 age group represents the largest share at 37%, followed by 25-34 year-olds at 30%, together accounting for nearly 60% of cases. Teenagers aged 18-24 comprise only 21% of arrests, while those under 18 represent less than 5%. Crime patterns vary significantly by age: younger offenders engage in diverse activities including hacking and DDoS attacks, while older offenders focus on monetizable crimes like cyber extortion, malware deployment, and money laundering. This data challenges the popular media portrayal of cybercriminals as young hackers.

Read at Theregister