As the digital world continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly necessary to understand the ever-changing threat landscape that shadows it. Cyber criminals are constantly innovating, developing new strategies and methods to commit digital crimes that disrupt our digital lives and cause untold damage. Gaining an in-depth knowledge of the top 5 cyber crimes impacting cybersecurity today can help individuals, organizations, and nations better prepare and protect against these potential threats. Let's delve into what are the top 5 cyber crimes.

1. Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that effectively holds a user's data hostage until a ransom is paid to the attacker. Over the past few years, ransomware attacks have surged, often focusing on health institutions, government agencies, and corporations. The consequences are severe, with the potential to cripple necessary infrastructure and cost millions of dollars in losses, both from the ransom payments themselves and from the downtime and lost productivity. Mitigating ransomware threats requires robust backup systems, solid security practices, frequent employee education, and ideally, advanced threat intelligence and tracking.

2. Phishing Attacks

Phishing often ranks among the most prevalent and damaging cyber crimes. Here, attackers impersonate legitimate institutions, often via email, to trick victims into providing their personal information or login credentials. Phishing poses a significant threat due to its simplicity and effectiveness, allowing cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive data and systems. It stands to underline the pressing need for ongoing cyber education and awareness to enable users to identify and avoid these attacks.

3. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

These attacks flood a system, network, or website with more traffic than it can handle, rendering it inaccessible to its intended users. DDoS attacks, although not as physically disruptive as other types of cybercrime, can prove devastating to companies both big and small, causing significant downtime, revenue loss, and damage to reputation. Properly configured, up-to-date security systems, along with the services of a good DDoS protection provider, can combat and mitigate the effect of DDoS attacks.

4. Insider Threats

Often overlooked, insider threats - be they from disgruntled employees, negligent associates, or even ill-informed staff—pose a significant risk to an organization's cybersecurity. Because they originate from within the organization, these threats bypass most traditional security measures. They emphasize the importance of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes employee training, strict privilege definitions, and robust data access protocols.

5. Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are long-term targeted attacks where cybercriminals infiltrate a network to steal data over a prolonged period. Typically, state-sponsored or criminal organizations initiate APTs, making them highly sophisticated and highly disruptive. Stopping APTs necessitates robust security measures, continuous system monitoring, and immediate response to any detected breaches.

In conclusion, knowing what are the top 5 cyber crimes and staying informed about their mechanisms, implications, and the best strategies to mitigate their impact is essential to maintaining robust cybersecurity. The digital landscape may be fraught with risks, but with knowledge comes power, and understanding these prevalent threats is the first step in protecting your digital domain.