He was eventually arrested and jailed, but others were inspired to similar feats of cybercrime. He served a year in jail. Banking-fraud specialists have warned that Russian hackers are the greatest single threat to security at European banks. Crime has become institutionalized in Moscow's outdoor markets and street kiosks, where about 90 per cent of the computer software is pirated. The widespread acceptance of piracy has made it easier for hackers to ignore the law.
Pirate software is for sale everywhere.
People get used to the idea that piracy is normal. Computer crimes aren't seen as very serious. The police have so many other problems on their hands. A lost credit card is seen as nothing, compared to murder and all the other crimes in this country. Because of the shortage of high-paying computer jobs in Russia, even skilled specialists can be limited to salaries of just a few hundred dollars a month.