Crime is a mutual or a common term that people have always heard throughout the global period. It refers to any commission of an act that is prohibited by law, or violation of law.
Crime and criminality have been allied to an individual since long time ago. An offense is an enemy of development and growth. Thus, it contributes to negative impacts in terms of economic and social development (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011). Consequently, cyber crime is a type of delinquency that occurred during science and technology era, threatening to jeopardize computer operations. Its source can be drawn or traced to the growing reliance on computers in the contemporary life. It involves any criminal activity that may incorporate or deal with computers and computer networks. Computers can be used either as a tool or as a targeted victim (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011). They are considered targets when crime is directed to them, and they are considered cybercrime tools when individuals are the main targets.
Cyber crime that involves the interaction of computer networks is generally known as hacking. Hacking is the act of acquiring unauthorized right of entry into a network or within a computer system, and, in most cases, making illegal or unauthorized use of the access. It can also be referred to as the act, by which different forms of cyber crimes, such as terrorism, fraud, and money laundering, are committed (Hartel, Junger &Wieringa, 2011). This is an illegal intrusion into a computer system without the permission from the owner or user.
In the contemporary era, the world is moving towards a direction where everything, beginning from healthcare, banking, stock exchanges, telephones and electric power, traffic control, education, and welfare, depends on software. This exponential progress has increased the aptitude and accessibility of computers, which, in turn, have brought about innovative variations in every facet of human civilization, including crime. As an outcome, the improved and increased capacities of data systems in the present day come at the cost of amplified vulnerability. Information technology has created criminal prospects of a variety of the brightest cyber criminals (Kshetri, 2005).
According to Kshetri (2005), most countries are experiencing thousands of cyber crime cases, which increase day-by-day. There are numerous factors that lead to cyber crime. To start with, the aggressive growth and development of today’s technology make it quite hard for cyber crime to be detected. Law enforcement officials lack the necessary technical and practical expertise to curb or deal with criminal activities, where technology is concerned. Once criminal activity has been detected, most people tend to be reluctant to instigate a report since they are afraid of adverse publicity, investor loss, embarrassment, or economic repercussions (Kshetri, 2005). Therefore, owing to these factors, actual cyber crime cases tend to have no accurate records or go unpunished.
Cyber crimes can be classified into three different categories, which include crimes against an individual, property, or the government. Cyber crimes committed against individuals include transmission or broadcast of child-pornography and provocation of anyone with the employment of a computer, for instance, through e-mail. The dissemination, posting, trafficking, and distribution of explicit resources, including pornography and licentious exposure, are the most significant cyber crimes recognized nowadays. The latent damage of such an offense to humanity can barely be intensified. This is a sole cyber crime, which impends to damage the progression of the younger cohorts. Similarly, it leaves irreversible scars and harm towards the younger group if not stopped or controlled (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011).
Cyber crime can be carried out against all forms of property, which include computer vandalism and transmission of harmful programs to other computers that are connected to the Internet. For instance, the U.S. based Manufacturing Corporation lost a lot of money in the trade when the competing company industry manager stole the technical records from its workstations with the assistance of a corporate cyber spy (Kshetri, 2005). A different category of cyber crime is whereby the crime is committed against the government. Cyber terrorism is the most serious offense whereby government websites are hacked, particularly military sites. Through web jacking, hackers gain access as well as control over government allied operations.
Among the major cyber crimes, harassment, stalking, and bullying are the most rampant. The evolution of these malicious vices relishes expedition by the extensive availability and accessibility of social networks all over the world. They have remained a cause of anxiety among many youths, who are bullying other Internet users (Kshetri, 2005). Posting of unpleasant and explicit texts is the most common method of cyber bullying in social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Harassment takes place in the form of other individuals obtaining access to passwords, and then posting materials on behalf of the prey. This is a practice of impersonation. The Internet also functions as a podium, through which criminals stalk their targets. This happens when crooks get access to the data of the victim. It generates anxiety on the subject of the welfare among computer users.
Cyber harassment is a distinct offense. Numerous types of aggravation can and do happen in cyberspace, or through the Internet. Harassment can be religious, sexual, racial, or other. Persons propagating such provocation are guilty of cyber crimes. Cyber harassment, as an offense, also conveys individuals with an additional range of violation of confidentiality of citizens. Violation of privacy of connected people is a cyber crime of a weighty nature. Everyone has the right to enjoy his/her privacy. However, through the Internet, some people dare to threaten such a right (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011).
Fraud stands out as an additional harmful manifestation of cyber crime. Fraudulent individuals threaten to extract online financial trades or transactions. Cyber criminals frequently get right of entry to personal financial information through hacking and get over to the existing funds. Moreover, they labor to access website’s records and to obtain consumers’ security numbers, which can be employed to take out credit cards or loans (Kshetri, 2005). The criminal deed established by such engagements is known as identity theft.
Proceeds from frauds are employed to disguise the illegal origin of dirty money, thus enabling these criminals to enjoy their profits without threatening their source. For example, online sale of illegal arms, drug trafficking, embezzlement, bribery, computer frauds, and many more schemes can be used to produce large profits and generate the enticement to “legitimize” the ill-attained gains through cybercrime (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011). When these criminal activities generate substantial incomes, the group or individuals involved find a system to control these funds without attracting attention to their underlying illegal activities and the people involved (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011). Thus, they tend to disguise the sources of money by altering the form or transferring the assets to places where no attention is attracted. Criminals want their illegal assets legalized because they can then transfer their money through the public easily and freely, without distress that the funds may be traced to their illegal acts. In addition, fraud thwarts the capitals from being confiscated by the law enforcement agency (Hartel, Junger & Wieringa, 2011).
Identity theft, generally known as ID theft, is a different example of cyber crime. It occurs when a criminal obtains key pieces of personal or private information, for instance, driver’s license or security number. There are different types of ID theft, which include real name theft or account takeover. In the former, the criminal uses personal information to open various accounts, while the latter is whereby an imposter employs the stolen personal information to gain access to someone’s existing accounts or information (Satish, Dayananda & Harish, 2011). Thus, it is advisable for people not to write down their PIN (personal identification number) or their passwords, and never to disclose personal information (Satish, Dayananda & Harish, 2011).
Storing illegal information is also considered cybercrime. In most cases, criminals tend to use the Internet to gain access and transfer illegal images, which may include criminally obscene context or images featuring acts of extreme violence or sexual activities (Perumal, 2008). It is important to report such cases to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in order to curb cybercrime and bring the responsible persons to justice.
Moreover, spamming, another extensive cyber crime, disturbs almost every person. Spams are unauthorized emails, which are directed to many email service users (Perumal, 2008). They intend to lure individuals into giving private information. Various spam messages are known to transmit computer viruses and worms. The spam messages that impend to devastate online communication through emails for countless people are extremely irritating. A computer virus is also an example of cyber crime. It is a trivial software program that spreads from one computer to another and interferes with the general operation within a computer. Computer virus is quite vital since it can delete or corrupt data or crash the hard disk (Perumal, 2008). Therefore, the use of or e-mail program to spread the virus to other computers is considered a cybercrime. Computer viruses are mostly spread by attachments in email messages or by downloading information from the Internet. They can also be hidden in pirated software or in other programs; therefore, one should be cautious of the information to download.
In conclusion, computers have made peoples’ lives tranquil. On the other hand, there are people who employ them to impose harm to others. Owing to the nature of cyber crime together with the threat possibilities it transmits, it is substantial to take maximum attention to it. The determinations instigated by governments and computer security corporations can only be enhanced and stressed adequately if the cyber crime is to be suppressed.
References
Hartel, P., Junger, M., &Wieringa, R. (2011). Cyber-crime Science = Crime Science + Information Security. Information Security, (TR-CTIT-10-34), 1-55. Center for Telematics and Information Technology, University of Twente. Retrieved from http://eprints.eemcs.utwente.nl/18500/03/0_19_CCS.pdf
Kshetri, N. (2005). Pattern of global cyber war and crime: A conceptual framework. Journal of International Management.
Perumal, S. A. (2008). Impact of cyber crime on virtual banking. SSRN Electronic Journal. SSRN. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/paper=1289190
Satish, N. T., Dayananda, R. & Harish, S. (2011). Cyber crime – A review. Medico-Legal Update, 11 (1), 34-37. Dr. R.K. Sharma. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246749/horr75-summary.pdf
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