The Federal Laws Used To Prosecute Cybercrime

Cybercrime is on the rise in the U.S. and ended up costing Americans nearly $21 billion in 2025, a 26% increase in losses from the year prior, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reveals.

At the same time, demand for federal prosecutors who specialize in cybercrime is also growing to combat this threat.

Agencies like the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Attorney’s Offices increasingly want lawyers with the legal and technical expertise to bring these cases to court.

But what does a career in federal cybercrime prosecution actually involve?

For one, you need to master key federal statutes and understand the cybercrimes being prosecuted.

You also need to build and win cases even though perpetrators often now hide behind VPNs and cryptocurrency, which makes these some of the most complex legal challenges out there.

But for the right person, that’s what makes it such a rewarding career path.

The Core Statutes Prosecutors Rely on

Wire fraud cases surged to a record 1,304 cases by the end of 2023, according to the most recent federal prosecution data available, and that figure’s only set to rise.

Wire fraud is any scheme to defraud using electronic communications.

This is a broad definition that covers practically any and all types of cybercrime (as defined by 18 U.S. Code § 1343).

It’s one of the most reliable statutes available to federal prosecutors, and decades of cases have been won with it.

You’ll also often see money laundering go hand in hand with wire fraud.

Prosecutors use 18 U.S.C. § 1956 to pursue both charges together when crimes can be traced back through digital financial records.

Along with these, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) has long been a go-to statute for federal prosecutors as it criminalizes unauthorized computer/network access.

But it’s not as reliable as it once was.

In 2021, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Van Buren v. United States decided that people who access information they’re authorized to (even with improper intent) don’t violate the Act.

So today, prosecutors use the CFAA to prove a crime occurred and then rely on wire fraud and money laundering to actually bring the case.

From BEC to Ransomware: the Cases that Define Cybercrime Law

So what crimes are these statutes most used to prosecute?

Business email compromise is a big one.

In fact, BEC scams accounted for over 14% of all cybercrime losses in 2025.

BEC is when hackers impersonate a respected person and request fraudulent wire transfers.

They’ve also grown more sophisticated and harder to spot. Once hackers get inside an email account, they can create hidden inbox filters and suppress security alerts to avoid detection (all to steal money or sensitive information).

For this reason, BEC is increasingly about identity theft rather than just financial fraud.

Ransomware is another growing type of cybercrime in which attackers encrypt a victim’s computer or network and demand payment (almost always in crypto) to restore access.

Prosecutors work with the FBI and financial intelligence units to trace those payments through the blockchain back to the criminals.

Then, money laundering charges can be brought under 18 U.S.C. § 1956 to seize that money.

Ransomware cases, like BEC ones, typically combine CFAA charges for unauthorized access with both wire fraud and money laundering.

This makes them some of the most complex cases prosecutors take on.

Legal Success Despite Challenges

It’s easier than ever for perpetrators to hide their crimes using VPNs and encrypted messages, making it harder to link digital footprints to specific people.

Cryptocurrency payments also somewhat obscure the financial trail.

So prosecutors first have to establish who the perpetrator is and evidence of their crimes before a case can even begin.

But the good news is, federal prosecutors are still winning.

For example, just last year, the DOJ seized $2.8 million in stolen cryptocurrency from a perpetrator who used Zeppelin ransomware to target people worldwide.

Money laundering and computer fraud charges were successfully brought against him, and this is exactly the kind of high-stakes and complex case that defines this career.

Cyberthreats are on the rise, and there’s never been a better time to start a career in federal cybercrime prosecution.

It’s one of the most in-demand roles in the federal legal system, and you’ll find it one of the most rewarding, too.