Computer Crimes
Cynthia Simmons began receiving unwanted communication from an unknown assailant. She did what the experts recommend: she changed her email address, instant messenger identity and other online identifiers, nothing stopped the computer harassment. She believes the offender to be her ex-boyfriend, Jacob Myers, but even searching her computer and comparing the offending emails to that of Jacob Myers, the evidence has not been sufficient to obtain a search warrant to search Jacob Myers' computer.
It appears that Ms. Simmons is the victim of cyberstalking. According the NCSL, "cyberstalking is the use of the Internet, email or other electronic communications to stalk, and generally refers to a pattern of threatening or malicious behaviors." She, Ms. Simmons, has been receiving calls to her home propositioning her for services and she found out that someone had placed her contact information on an escort service website. Stalking is a serious crime, whether done with…...
mlaReferences
Epley, C. (June 23, 2010). Cyber-Crimes: An Analysis of Cyber-extortion. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/cyber-crimes-part-one-cyber-extortion
Greenberg, P. (January 26, 2011). State Cyberstalking, Cyberharrasment and Cyberbullying Laws.
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Retrieved from http://www.ncls.org/IssuesResearch/TelecommunicationsInformationTechnology/CyberstalkingLaws.html.
Computer Crime
As computers and the Internet continue to grow in popularity and the world turns toward globalization, computer crime has quickly become a major concern for businesses, government agencies and individuals.
Computer crimes affect millions of people and cost millions of dollars every day (Wasik, 1990). The victims of computer crimes range from individuals and schools to corporate businesses and government agencies. In this day and age, it seems as though no one is safe from computer crime.
This paper aims to identify the different types of computer crimes and what can be done to prevent them. In addition, it will analyze the issue of child pornography, revealing whether or not pornographic images created on a computer are illegal.
Types of Computer Crime
In this modern information age, the innovation and power of technology tests the ethics of the average person, not just the criminal. As a result, computer crime is on the rise.
The…...
mlaBibliography
Associated Press. (1999, January 30). Court Upholds Child Pornography Law.
Cornwall, H. (1986). The Computer Hacker's Handbook. Boston: Century.
Dern, David. (1994). The Internet Guide for New Users. New York: McGraw Hill.
Griffin, Linda and Plato, JoAnn. Child Pornography on the Internet. Retrieved from Internet on 2/26/03 at http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/crime-2002/child.htm.
Cyber crime exerts threats to individuals, organizations & countries across the world. From the above provided descriptions it is comprehended that the computer crime is a serious crime that necessitates immediate attention of the law and of the law enforcement agencies. 0. There prevails no solution except to take strict measures to deal with cyber crimes against the speedy expansion of the communications & information technology and telecommunications networks.
eferences
Areheart, Bradley a. (2007) "egulating Cyberbullies through Notice-Based Liability" 117 Yale
L.J. Pocket Part 41, pp: 26-31.
Baggili, Ibrahim;
Effects of Anonymity and Pre- Employment Integrity." International Journal of Cyber Criminology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp: 536 -- 549.
Farsole, Ajinkya a; Kashikar, Amruta G; Zunzunwala, Apurva. (2010) "Ethical
Hacking." International Journal of Computer Applications, vol. 1, no. 10, pp: 11 -- 17.
Hinduja, Sameer. (2007) "Computer Crime Investigations in the United States: Leveraging
Knowledge from the Past to Address the Future." International Journal of Cyber Criminology, vol.…...
mlaReferences
Areheart, Bradley a. (2007) "Regulating Cyberbullies through Notice-Based Liability" 117 Yale
L.J. Pocket Part 41, pp: 26-31.
Baggili, Ibrahim;
Effects of Anonymity and Pre- Employment Integrity." International Journal of Cyber Criminology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp: 536 -- 549.
These attacks result in billions of dollars in damage to the United States and other global economies.
Although technology is becoming more secure, cybercrime has increased as Internet use has risen. In fact, according to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University, the number of cybersecurity incidents more than doubled to nearly 53,000 last year. In the first three months of 2002 alone, CERT counted nearly 27,000 incidents.
espite the sharp increase in malicious viruses and network break-ins, many offenders are not held accountable or punished for their crimes. Because the law in the Philippines did not criminalize the intentional release of computer viruses, the individual responsible for the "ILOVEYOU" virus, which caused an estimated $8 billion in damage, was never charged with any crime. Even in the United States, where cybercrime is subject to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, convicted cybercriminals often serve little…...
mlaDespite the sharp increase in malicious viruses and network break-ins, many offenders are not held accountable or punished for their crimes. Because the law in the Philippines did not criminalize the intentional release of computer viruses, the individual responsible for the "ILOVEYOU" virus, which caused an estimated $8 billion in damage, was never charged with any crime. Even in the United States, where cybercrime is subject to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, convicted cybercriminals often serve little or no prison time. Sentences for violations are determined by calculating the actual economic loss, difficult to establish accurately in the context of computer crime, and are limited to 10 years.
Taking cybercrime seriously is even more important in a post-September 11 world. Security experts warn that terrorist organizations and hostile nations may employ hackers to target U.S. commerce, telecommunications and utility grids. The potential consequences are perilous.
In order to curb cybercrime, lawmakers should consider more forceful deterrents. The Cyber Security Enhancement Act of 2002, now before the U.S. House of Representatives, addresses weaknesses in current law by directing the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend Federal computer crime sentencing guidelines. The bill empowers judges to issue appropriately tough sentences for computer crime by allowing them to consider intent, violations of privacy rights and the sophistication of the offense in addition to actual loss. Once enacted, the law will help deter cybercrime by subjecting hackers to real penalties for committing real crimes.
Phishing is another criminal technique used to cull bank account or credit card information. Lovet (2007) describes how simple and potentially lucrative phishing can be: "the total costs for sending out 100,000 phishing emails can be as little as $60. This kind of 'phishing trip' will uncover at least 20 bank accounts of varying cash balances, giving a 'market value' of $200 - $2,000 in e-gold." Most incidents of phishing and identity fraud are more easily carried out in countries with less lax laws regarding computer crime, fraud, embezzlement, and identity theft than in the United States (Lovet, 2007). However, one of the largest cases of consumer identity theft was carried out in the United States this year, when "at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards was stolen by hackers," (Swetenham, 2007).
Especially since September 11, law enforcement officials in the United States have been increasingly concerned about the…...
mlaReferences
BBC (2004). Hot topics: Computer viruses. November 2004. Retrieved April 18, 2007 at http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/computerviruses/crime.shtml
Lovet, G. (2007). How cybercrime operations work;; and how they make money. Retrieved April 18, 2007 at http://www.crime-research.org/analytics/2524/
McCormack, S. (2006). United States Joins Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. United States Department of State. Retrieved April 18, 2007 at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/73353.htm
Swetenham, R. (2007). Quick links. Retrieved April 18, 2007 at http://www.qlinks.net/quicklinks/comcrime.htm
computer related data on a forensic level. With new advances in technology, there are new opportunities for criminals to commit crimes online and through hacking into computer systems. These crimes committed are often very complex, and take special techniques in order to collect enough evidence to suggest a suspect or even the presence of a crime itself. The paper then goes on to discuss the sensitivity of electronic evidence and the process of collecting, documenting, examining, and packaging anything found in a scan of electronic devices by forensic investigators.
The computer age has brought with it a whole new host of problems for law enforcement. According to the research, "the Internet, computer networks, and automated data systems present enormous new opportunity for committing criminal activity," (U.S. Department of Justice, 2013, 6). Many electronic devices are becoming facilitators for electronic crime. Often, hackers and other criminals use computer systems and the…...
mlaReferences
Backus, W.D., & Chapian, M. (2000). Telling yourself the truth (20th ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.
Adams, J.E. (1986). How to help people change. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Ethical Considerations in Computer Crimes
The study is based on the topic of ethical consideration in computer crimes. The rapid expansion of computer technology has resulted in an extremely sensitive issue of computer crimes. The ethical standards that are applied in other fields cannot be applied to the field of computer technology therefore the paper has discussed various aspects that are crucial for the understanding of the topic.
There are a number of issues that have appeared in the recent times due to the rapid expansion of computer technology and with it, the advancements made in the field of computer crimes. Computer Crimes have been a major threat to the development f the modern technologies and have resulted in a number of financial and security breaches. Financial frauds, phishing, spoofing, piracy, privacy breaches, and a number of other issues come under the domain of ethics concerning computer crimes. [footnoteef:1] [1: Williams, M.…...
mlaReferences:
Balkin, J., Grimmelmann, J., Katz, E., Kozlovski, N., Wagman, S. & Zarsky, T. Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment, New York University Press, New York. (2006)
Halder, D., & Jaishankar, K. Cyber crime and the Victimization of Women: Laws, Rights, and Regulations. Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global. (2011)
McQuade, S. (ed) The Encyclopedia of Cybercrime, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. (2009)
Williams, M. Virtually Criminal: Crime, Deviance and Regulation Online, Routledge, London. (2006)
DSS and Computer Crime
lthough there is no single definition for a DSS, in general, a DSS has been defined as follows:
Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information system that supports business and organizational decision-making activities. properly designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge, and/or business models to identify and solve problems and make decisions" [italics added] ("InformationBuilders.com," n.d.).
ccording to Gupta & Malik (2005), DSS is basically "a system that provides information for making semi-structured and unstructured decisions" (p. 184).
management information system ("MIS") is best defined as a "system or process that provides the information necessary to manage an organization effectively" (Comptroller of the Currency dministrator of National Banks, 1995, p. 2). Stated differently, MIS is a system or process that supports decisions involving quantitative, structured problems (Gupta & Malik, 2005).…...
mlaAs noted above, DSS is situation specific in that it does not dictate the outcome of a decision, as does MIS. Since DSS is quick and not based on a rigid format, it can be used to review data and identify trends and patterns to ascertain consumer behavior. Thus, for example, where MIS helps management decide how much raw material needs to be reordered at a specific time and in what quantities, DSS helps the decision-maker review the trends and patterns associated with the consumption of a particular product, which in turn helps the decision-maker better determine the amount of material to re-order -- material that if based purely on an MIS model, may result in unneeded costs.
Part 2.
Computer crime has declined somewhat between 2009 and 2010, although the overall levels of computer crime have been consistently rising. For example, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (2009), from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009, there were "336,655 complaint submissions. . . . [A] 22.3% increase as compared to 2008 . . . ." (p. 2). In 2010, however, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (2010) reported that the total amount of complaints of computer crime went down slightly to 303,809 complaint submissions, but that this was still the "second-highest number of complaints" (p. 4). The general rise in computer crime is likely a result of the increased availability and use of computers and electronic equipment in society. Moreover, because not everyone
search and seizure of computers in a criminal case. The paper discuses both the challenges and the instruments and approaches needed in gathering evidence from computers.
Gathering Evidence
Computer evidence is similar to most other kinds of evidence in several ways. Computer evidence is not that different from the evidence to be collected from a car impounded after a car-chase or the scene of crime in a murder case, in the sense that just like any other form of evidence, it ought to have been legally obtained, if it is to be admitted in court (Oppenheimer, n.d). For one, I will first have to get a search warrant before taking any computer evidence. In civil cases, there has to be consideration for procedures and policies. Many companies have their own incident-report plans that ought to be followed. The state and federal laws that are concerned with search and seizure also ought…...
mlaReferences
Boddington, R. (2015, March 17). Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology. The challenges of digital forensics. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from http://phys.org/news/2015-03-digital-forensics.html
Oppenheimer, P. (n.d.). Priscilla Oppenheimer. Computer Forensics: Seizing a Computer. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from http://www.priscilla.com/forensics/ComputerSeizure.html
Essay Topic Examples
1. The Evolution and Impact of Computer Viruses on Cybersecurity:
This essay explores the history of computer viruses, detailing their progression from simple self-replicating programs to complex malware that can cause significant damage to digital infrastructure, steal sensitive data, and compromise personal information. It discusses the impacts on individuals, businesses, and governments, and the growing importance of robust cybersecurity measures.
2. Cyber Fraud and Its Effect on the Global Economy:
The focus of this essay is the prevalence and variety of cyber fraud, including phishing, identity theft, and financial scams, analyzing how these crimes undermine trust in digital transactions. It examines the economic ramifications for both consumers and organizations, highlighting the need for greater awareness and prevention strategies.
3. The Ethical Implications of Computer Hacking:
This topic invites discussion around the moral considerations of hacking, distinguishing between different motivations such as 'black hat', 'white hat', and 'grey hat' hackers. The essay would delve…...
mlaPrimary Sources
United States. National Institute of Justice. \"Cybercrime: Public and Private Entities Face Challenges in Addressing Cyber Threats.\" Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2007. Print.
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. \"Internet Crime Report.\" IC3 Annual Report. Washington, D.C., 2021. Web.European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). \"Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA).\" The Hague, Netherlands: Europol, 2020. Web.United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. \"Law Enforcement Tools and Technologies for Investigating Cyber Attacks: A Report to Congress from the Attorney General.\" Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2003. Print.United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. \"Hearing on Cyber Crimes and the Law: Updating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.\" 113th Cong., 1st sess. H. Hrg. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2013. Web.
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act was enacted into law in 1986 to deal with the hacking of computer systems operated by the American government and certain financial institutions. Through its enactment, the legislation made it a federal offense to access a protected computer without authorization or to an extent that is beyond the authorized access. However, since it was passed into law, the act has been amended severally in attempts to expand its scope and penalties. In addition, the act has developed to be an important legislation since it's used widely not only by the government to prosecute hackers but it's also used by private corporations to help protect their trade secrets and other proprietary information.
Penalties and Fines in the Law:
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is considered as one of the most essential computer-crime laws because it was the first significant federal legislation to offer some protection against computer-based…...
mlaReferences:
Easttom, C. & Taylor, D.J. (2011). Computer Crime, Investigation, and the Law. Boston, MA:
Cengage Learning.
"United States v. Morris -- Bloomberg Law." (n.d.). Case Briefs. Retrieved December 3, 2012,
Knowledge of e-crime from the perspective of crime science is insufficient in devolution of the problem, which cuts across various sections of social interaction through computers. There is a limitation in the forensic and social / legal exploration of information technology aspects and that is the possible cause of the limitations of the jurisdictions of the computer crime legislation, creating the insufficiency in the fulfillment of its purpose (Tonry 2009 p. 20-350).
The legislation approaches the infringement of the social precepts of technology without any consideration of social remedies. The use of police in regulation of operations is limiting because they may not have the capacity for gauging the extent of computer damage. It is logical considering the sensitivity of pro-social individuals, and their possibility of taking up their responsibilities. Social norms revolve around consideration of others and create a sense of mindfulness and consideration of activities (Humphreys 2007 p.…...
mlaReferences
'a Comparative Study of Cyberattacks' 2012, Communications of the ACM, 55, 3, pp. 66-73, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 20 August 2012.
Assange, J., & Dreyufus, S. (2011). Underground tales of hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontier. Edinburgh, Canongate. 56. Print.
Assange, J., & Dreyufus, S. (2011). Underground. North Sydney, N.S.W., Random House Australia. 23-150. Print.
Foltz, C, & Renwick, J 2011, 'Information Systems Security and Computer Crime in the IS Curriculum: A Detailed Examination', Journal of Education for Business, 86, 2, pp. 119-125, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 20 August 2012.
computer is a device that accepts information in the form of digitalized data and manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed. Used the right way, computers can be an enormous personal and business productivity tool for automating numerous routine tasks and increasing information storage, retrieval and exchange. Unfortunately, computers also facilitate and expand crime.
Computer crime pertains to any intentional or unintentional harm done to or with information and/or hardware that may result in losses of, or injury to, property, services, and people. Many crimes involving computers are no different from crimes without computers. Some examples include:
Using a computer and peripherals for forgery or counterfeiting is the same crime as using an old-fashioned printing press with ink.
Stealing a laptop computer with proprietary information is the same crime as stealing a briefcase that contains papers with proprietary…...
mlaBibliography
Eder, Karen. Defining Computer Crime and Technology Misuse." Technology Studies in Education Research Portal. 23 Nov. 2003. http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/crime/definition.htm.
Standler, Ronald B. "Computer Crime." 2002.
23 Nov. 2003. http://www.rbs2.com/ccrime.htm .
TechTarget. 23 Nov. 2003. http://searchwin2000.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,sid1_gci211829,00.html .
computer used by the employee has either been compromised physically with a password cracking software (EC-Council,2010;Beaver & McClure,2010) or it has bee compromised remotely with the help of a keylogging software.A keylogger is noted by APWG (2006) as a special crimeware code that is designed with the sole intention of collecting information from the end-user terminal. The stolen information includes every strike of the keyboard which it captures.The most sensitive of the captured information are the user's credentials. Keylogger may also be used to refer to the hardware used for this purpose. The employee's password could also have been shoulder-surfed by his immediate neighbor at the workplace. This could be his coworker who manages to peek and see over his shoulder as he types in sensitive authentication information (password)
Strategy to address the issue as well as the necessary steps for resolving the issue
The strategy for addressing this threat is…...
mlaReferences
Anti-Phising Working Group (2006). Phishing Activity Trends Report
http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/apwg_report_feb_06.pdf
Bem, D and Huebner, E (2007).Computer Forensic Analysis in a Virtual Environment. International Journal of Digital Evidence .Fall 2007, Volume 6 (2)
This is what creates the continual need to share literally everything going on in their lives, as each post releases a significant dopamine rush (Charman-Anderson, 17, 18).
Dopamine is also the reason why the many forms of computer addiction are so difficult to treat. ith anonymity comes the opportunity to create multiple identities or personas online (Soule, 66, 67). This is what leads employees who have Internet addictions to create many different online identities, giving them ethical and moral leeway they would never give themselves. This aspect of personas and the forgiven unethicacy of conduct of personas is a key factor in online crimes committed by employees during company hours (Nykodym, Ariss, Kurtz, 82, 83). The personas of the addicted computer addicts are orchestrated for specific dopamine-driven production to fuel and feed habitual behaviors online
(Quinn 180). These strategies to ensure a steady supply of dopamine may not even be obvious…...
mlaWorks Cited
Charman-Anderson, Suw. "Seeking Addiction: The Role of Dopamine in Social Media." Computer Weekly (2009): 16-23.
Neumann, Peter G. "Are Computers Addictive?" Association for Computing Machinery.Communications of the ACM 41.3 (1998): 128-135.
Nykodym, Nick, Sonny Ariss, and Katarina Kurtz. "Computer Addiction and Cyber Crime." Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics (2008): 78-85. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Quinn, Brian. "The Medicalisation of Online Behaviour." Online Information Review 25.3 (2001): 173-80.
1. The ethics of using artificial intelligence in cyberattacks
2. The impact of deepfake technology on online fraud and deception
3. The ethical implications of governments using cyber espionage for national security purposes
4. The role of social media platforms in enabling cyberbullying and online harassment
5. The ethical considerations of hacking as a form of activism or protest
6. The relationship between cybercrime and environmental sustainability
7. The ethical dilemmas of using ransomware as a means of financial gain
8. The ethics of using cyber warfare tactics in conflict resolution
9. The implications of the dark web for cybercrime and illicit activities
10. The moral responsibility of tech....
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Cybercrime: Ethical Considerations
Introduction:
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed various aspects of our lives, including the realm of computer crime. The integration of AI into cybercrime tools and techniques has raised pressing ethical concerns, necessitating a fresh approach to understanding and addressing these evolving threats. This essay aims to explore the ethical implications of AI-driven cybercrime and propose strategies for mitigating its potential harm.
AI's Impact on Computer Crime:
AI has significantly enhanced the capabilities of cybercriminals. Machine learning algorithms enable the automation of complex tasks, such as malware creation, phishing email campaigns, and....
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