The Hollywood image of criminal hackers being largely teenage ne’er do wells is due for an update. That’s because profit-seeking career criminals — often approaching middle age — make up the largest cohort of today’s cybercriminals, according to an analysis of criminal cases carried out by Orange Cyberdefence. The Orange Group’s cybersecurity unit analysed 418 publicly announced law enforcement activities conducted between 2021 and mid-2025, finding that cyber offenders’ engagement in crime peaks between the ages of 35 and 44, with this demographic accounting for 37% of all the cybercrime cases reviewed. Collectively, the combined age groups of from 25 to 44 make up well over half (58%) of a...