Computer Crimes come in a variety of names and can include hate crimes, telemarketing and internet fraud, identity theft and credit card account theft. These are considered to be cyber crimes when the illegal activities are committed through the use of a computer and the internet. It is very difficult to gauge the amount of damage and/or financial loss that has resulted from computer crimes. Many times the victim does not even know that they have been targeted or even that they are a victim. Those that do realize that they are a victim of a computer crime many times do not report it to the authorities or have no way of knowing what caused them to be a victim in the first place. There is a wide variety of computer crimes, many ways in which they work and how they affect both the computers and the lives of the people they have targeted. The Department of Justice categorizes computer crime in three ways: the computer as a target, the computer as a weapon and the computer as an accessory. The computer as a target involves attacking the computers of others. The home computer is the easiest and most common target for computer crime. Many people have high speed internet and leave their computers turned on all the time. This allows hackers to tune into the computer and figure out a way to not only get personal information such as credit card numbers and bank account information. As explained in an article by Armor2net, “…it's not just money-related information they're after. Intruders also want your computer's resources, meaning your hard disk space, your fast processor, and your Internet connection. They use these resources to attack other computers on the Internet. In fact, the more computers an intruder uses, the harder it is for law enforcement to figure out where the attack is really coming from.” (para 2) Many people think they are safe if they do not have personal financial information on their computer, they do not realize that their computer is being used to target hundreds of others and then those hundreds of others’ computers are being used to target hundreds more. One of the quickest ways to target a computer is using a virus. Wikipedia defines a computer virus as, “A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user.
Cybercrimes and Cyber Protection in Canada Whenever a new technological advancements are made, laws and agencies must be implemented and amendments must be crafted to protect its users. As personal computers became available to Canada’s population, information became more accessible than ever before, and personal information such as a person’s address was easier to obtain. The computer and new technological advancements led to a new branch of criminality; cybercrimes. Cybercrimes are computer-related crimes defined by the Council of Europe (2001) as offences against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer data and systems as well as computer-related and content-related offences.
Computer Crime In The 1990's We're being ushered into the digital frontier. It's a cyberland with incredible promise and untold dangers. Are we prepared? It's a battle between modern-day computer cops and digital hackers.
There are different types of computer crimes that many people become victims of every day. Computer crime is any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target ("Computer Crime: Chapter 2: What Are the Crimes? ", n.d.) - " Crimes such as data diddling, pump and dump, social engineering and spoofing are computer crimes. Even though these crimes are difficult due to privacy issues, the new technology has made investigations and prosecutions well organized and effective.
Computers are main technological features that allow criminals to step into unsuspecting victims lives. With a simple piggy-backing program hackers are able to track every keystroke made by the victim. One such program is called spyware, not to be confused with adware, which is often referred to interchangeably with spyware, but is potentially harmless (Louis 15). Spyware, hidden within downloaded software, implants itself deep within a computer’s hard drive, allowing it to track every move made by the user (Louis 16). Once inside a system, spyware can gather e-mail addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers.
Computer crime is defined as, “Criminal activity directly related to the use of computers, specifically illegal trespass into the computer system or database of another, manipulation or theft of stored or on-line data, or sabotage of equipment and data.”(1). This includes both crimes using computers and crimes against computers.
In today’s society technology is used for everything. With the invention of computers and the internet this open doors to the cyber world. Today you can do almost anything without having to leave your home. The internet gives us the opportunity of shopping online, ordering food online, working from home and video chatting with friends and family across the world. Everyone has a computer and internet access in their homes. While the internet is really convenient it also opens doors for cybercrimes, loss of privacy and the need for computer security.
If a crime doesn't result in actual physical damage or loss, can it be considered a crime? Or is any act that leaves a victim feeling violated a punishable crime? One way to look at the issue is through the approach that yes, cyber rape and other crimes are punishable. This can be argued through the fact that these crimes effect "real" life and stir up "real" emotion. It is a punishable violation because it involves actual victims and makes them feel violated. Another position is that because these violations can be avoided by the press of a button or the click of a mouse, they are in no way punishable and are more of a game than anything. The internet is something that effects most people, and anyone who logs onto it can become a victim to cyber crime. If found in the situation, users should know what exactly is at stake. In this essay I will examine both sides of the argument, and explain why I personally feel that cyber crimes cannot be prosecuted as actual crimes.
Just as traditional criminal activities, cybercrime can take many forms and occur virtually anytime and anywhere. Criminals committing cybercrime use very different methods, depending on their abilities and goals. This should not surprise anyone after all cybercrime is merely an activity "criminal" to the ingredient that adds a computer or an electronic network for its commission.
The biggest case of cyber crimes are cases of fraud. “Online fraud comes in many forms. It ranges from viruses that attack computers with the goal of retrieving personal information, to email schemes that lure victims into wiring money to fraudulent sources” (What is “online fraud”). When browsing the internet, people will often stumble upon free trial websites. Some of these websites are real, but many are fake. Real examples can include ones like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. The fake websites, such as one offering to great of a deal to imagine are often attempts of fraud, to gain access to credit card information.
These types of crimes have become a matter of importance for the consumers as well the business firms because it involves large eviction of the amount in terms of money. In these types of crimes, computer and Internet are the primary factor (Spinello, 2000). A high percentage of population is using computers in the Australia, United States as well as other developed nations. These people are much more connected with the world by the use of internet. They are using the computer for fun, business, e-commerce, e-marketing, etc.; thus, it has become an essential part of life and daily routine (Wall, 2008).
...ntial information from a user. Luckily, there are reliable ways of defending against them. The most reliable way is to install strong security software that has the capacity to defend against the multifaceted forms of threats. Avoiding P2P file sharing sites and scanning email attachments before downloading them are also a surefire way of protecting a computer against malware threats. Basic acts like using an updated browser and allowing Windows updates to install and update themselves are also necessary to keep a machine safe. Furthermore, checking validity of individual website addresses and installing authenticated software can also help a computer user remain safe from potential data theft and possible damage of useful programs. It may also pay good dividends to backup files. In case of a lethal malware attack, backed-up files can always be recovered easily.
In most instances, victims are not aware or do not know the perpetrator of the crimes. In some instances, this may include the perpetration of crime and actually committing the crime. With the advancement in technology, there seems to be a new way to commit cyber crime each day and a great number of unsuspecting individuals eventually becomes victims. There are various types of cybercrimes that can be committed with the common ones being Computer Viruses and identity theft which can have damaging effects on individuals and businesses (Search security, 2008). Some of these crimes such as the computer viruses have crushed main servers of companies and thus crippling these kinds of companies since some of them lose important data and information which they have stored electronically. Everyone who makes use of the computer seems to be at risk of becoming a victim to cyber crime if not on the lookout. As a matter of fact most perpetrators of such crimes are not caught since technology seems to be too advanced and the various crimes seems to be taking place rapidly making it almost impossible to catch the perpetrators of the crime. The home users are the most likely group to be targeted since they are less likely to have any security measures in place. A major way to deal with cyber crime at an individual level is to install antivirus software’s, firewalls and make use of intrusion detection system (Web Root, 2015).
Even though the internet leaves innocent people a potential victim for these crimes I think that having the internet and the advantages it brings is most certainly worth the risk. Some people may not agree as people can be robbed of their money or even killed with children as predominant targets. But what are these crimes and how can this affect me.
...ng to many individuals who have suffered from hacking, phishing, scams, identity theft, fraud etc. Computer crime describes a very broad category of offenses, which include anything that requires an electronic device or the Internet. Cybercrime is now a global issue and it has a major impact on every individual or business that interacts with technology and the World Wide Web. When important information is stolen, not only are individuals at risk of becoming part of greater crimes but it can also affect an entire country when its national secrets are stolen. In the end I may conclude that computer crime is a dangerous crime that all individuals should be aware of due to the many devastating results it can cause. Cybercrime cannot be stopped due to the high levels it has reached, but immunity can be used to keep safe from it or at least keep individuals less at risk.
The advantages of technology and the internet have led more criminals to use cyberspace to commit crimes. The threat of cybercrime is increasing as globalization continues to spread across the world. While the impact of globalization has led to amazing, new discoveries throughout the world, Internet connectivity has also made cybercrime easier. America and the rest of the world have become more reliant on technology and use it in more aspects of their lives, technology-users make themselves more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Globalization and the growing use of computers in the world have given people a motive to learn more about computing and become more knowledgeable as programmers. As these people learn more, there is a risk that they will use their new intelligence to commit cybercrimes.