Developing a more rounded understanding of cybercrime is key to enhancing the ways in which we respond to it. This task has often been associated with the process of definition, though options here remain far from satisfactory. But defining cybercrime is one thing, attaching meaning to these definitions is another. In this paper I review some possible ways forward for adding greater depth and substance to what we mean we talk about cybercrime. I consider the role of data collection, theory and analysis in this context and question how helpful these have been in furthering our understanding of digital offending. I then uate what seems to be a third, promising option – the modelling of cybercrime activity, whether formally or informally. I suggest this provides a useful synthesis of theory, analysis and available evidence, as well as providing the basis for a more dynamic sense of cybercrime ‘in action’. I conclude by setting out details of a recent research project where an economic model of cybercrime was developed. Some implications of this model for our understanding of cybercrime are outlined and reflections offered on the extent to which modelling might provide a useful way forward.