Cases by Year Opened
A historical perspective on cyber crime enforcement and state-sponsored espionage investigations across two decades.
Key Facts
- Cases span from 2004 to 2024.
- Peak case volume occurred in 2024 with 17 major indictments and disclosures.
- Reflects historical evolution from early credit card scraping to nation-state supply chain compromises.
Case Volume by Year
| Year | Case Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 cases |
| 2007 | 1 cases |
| 2008 | 1 cases |
| 2010 | 1 cases |
| 2011 | 1 cases |
| 2012 | 1 cases |
| 2014 | 8 cases |
| 2015 | 5 cases |
| 2016 | 1 cases |
| 2017 | 7 cases |
| 2018 | 8 cases |
| 2019 | 3 cases |
| 2020 | 12 cases |
| 2021 | 6 cases |
| 2022 | 6 cases |
| 2023 | 17 cases |
| 2024 | 17 cases |
Two Decades of Cyber Prosecution & Regulatory Evolution
2004 - 2015: Payment Carding & Early Botnets
Early federal indictments centered on underground payment card marketplaces (ShadowCrew, CardersMarket, Track2), ATM cash-out rings, retail POS malware (TJX, Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus), and financial Trojans such as GameOver Zeus. Prosecutors relied heavily on 18 U.S.C. § 1029 access device fraud and § 1030 CFAA charges.
2016 - 2020: Nation-State Attribution & Wipers
Department of Justice indictments expanded dramatically to name uniformed military intelligence officers in Russia (GRU Unit 26165 and Unit 74455), China (PLA Unit 61398 and MSS affiliates), Iran, and North Korea for destructive wipers (NotPetya, Shamoon), defense IP theft, and election interference.
2021 - 2026: Ransomware Seizures & SEC Disclosures
Modern enforcement pairs criminal indictments with rapid cryptocurrency forfeiture warrants (Colonial Pipeline, Netwalker, Bitfinex), international infrastructure dismantlement (Operation Cronos, Duck Hunt), DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud False Claims Act recoveries, and mandatory SEC Form 8-K Item 1.05 material breach filings.