A National Security Threat : Cybercrime

The proficiency and efficacy of the cyberspace in its application in accounting, finance, system designs, manufacturing etc., cannot be denied nor neglected. The reality of the twenty-first century is simple; no organization can survive without the adoption and implementation of the mechanism of information technology to their area of business. On the contrary perspective, there are several challenges that are associated with the cyberspace, among which is majorly cyber security. Recently the hackers’ activity has really skyrocketed and has become a major concern for organizations, states and federal governments and even international organizations. Several regulatory schemes are put in place to mitigate the activities of hackers across the globe.

Cyber crimes from criminal organizations has risen over the past few years many of these have been located overseas and most of them have been based in Eastern Europe that hire and direct hackers on what they want done. The statement has been made that the battle lines between cyber attacks by organized crime reaches far wider than just an institution's firewalls. One such organized cybercrime unit is the Russian Business Network they are one of the more well known criminal organizations delving into the global networks of the financial institutions.

Hewes, J. A. (2016). Threat and Challenges of Cyber-Crime and the Response. SAM Advanced Management Journal (07497075), 81(2), 4-10.

In the United States, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including FBI, Department of Homeland Security, among others, have taken on roles to fight computer crimes and terrorism. The roles and responses of these law enforcement agencies concerning digital crime have created challenges that limit enforcement efforts against digital crime.

Times have changed what was known as organized crime has been replaced by Cybercrimes (Heists: Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley). Cybercrimes have risen dramatically in recent years and have become a major issue the United States and company’s face today jeopardizing as well as threatening the critical infrastructure of America (Cyberwar Threat, 2005). Sadly, the status quo of cyber security is very unstable with the advancements and growth which has put most individuals and businesses into an enormous threat (Agustina, 2015).

Over the past twenty years, the Internet’s role in our lives has grown to an everyday necessity. We rely on the Internet to communicate within the scope of our employment and social lives, to conduct our banking and bill paying, we even use it to track our personal property. There is hardly one area of our lives that we can not conduct over the Internet. While the Internet is a convenience that has made our lives easier, it has also opened the door in our lives to a vulnerability that is rapidly being exploited by cyber criminals. Cyber crimes are growing at an exponential rate in the United States and we, the consumers/end users are unaware of the liabilities a simple click on the wrong button can cause. This paper will

The Internet is undoubtedly one of the most provocative sociological and psychological phenomena. Often the Internet says that it links all those fallen communicators who cannot cope in the real world. Socializing and surfing online space does not pass without leaving a trace. Each user provides information about themselves, sometimes as a condition to be able to access the required application, when consciously accedes to it, sometimes exchanging information with other members of the network, unaware that the network "remembers everything", that data remains deposited even when its removed profile. However, more often we are faced with data theft and identity by criminal hacker groups. Cyber security is a challenge that will have to be resolved

The fourth spoke on the wheel of terrorism is “computer crime”. The use of computers can be used in a good way or can also be abused. Cyberattacks are a huge threat to our national security and technological infrastructure.

With the widespread use of technology becoming more prominent, acts of cyber terrorism pose an increased threat to safety. Cyber terrorists exploit the internet and its users to commit acts that can be increasingly detrimental to their targets. Some of the terrorist activities include large scale corruption of computer networks by using tools like computer viruses. Certain individuals even have the ability of creating severe damage to government systems, national security systems and even hospital servers. Most of the technology made today only has intentions of making life easier for people. However, skilled users can manipulate the cyber world for negative intentions. Staying informed when it comes to cyber terrorism and cybercrime is important to do because of the increased reliance on technology in society. Steps to improve cyber security before an attack ensures the safety of sensitive information. The topic of cyber security and cyber warfare are interesting topics to keep up to date with. Understanding these topics can be beneficial to my dream of being in the FBI, ensuring the safety of others by working to prevent acts of cyberterrorism.

New types of Internet-related crimes have emerged. threats to individuals, also called personal cyber-crime, is to illegally obtain the identity of electronic individuals, such as their e-mail and password, and also extend to e-impersonation. For example, dragging images and important files from the victim's device to threaten them and subject them to orders. Also, threat to Property This type of crime targets government, private and personal entities. For instance, destruction of important files or proprietary software, through malicious programs transmitted to the user's device in several ways, notably e-mails. Likewise, there are threats that target governments - hacker attacks on official government websites and network systems. To eliminate or destroy the infrastructure of the site or network system, these attacks are often politically targeted.in addition to that, Political threats that focus on targeting the military positions of some countries to steal information related to state security. To emphasize, Spyware by sending programs to the computer to obtain confidential military

Johannes Xingan Li of Tallin University indicts about the progression of computers and cyber crime history. The conception of this evaluation is that cyber crime and hackers have existed since the invention of computers. “The faster the speed of information processing is, the broader the network connection covers, the more users are engaged in the information industry, and the more dependent on information modern society becomes, the higher the risks and the more serious the threats people will have to face. Naturally, the number and gravity of cyber crime will also increase.” With this being said, no laws combating cyber crimes existed until they became more prominent. This source serves as a back bone explicating how the law is lacking in online crimes progressively since the beginning. To understand the progression of these crimes, you must understand how it all started. The author makes valid historical connections and gives detail to how cyber crimes are growing. He makes a point that there will be no end to online crimes but we can lead up to an “equilibrium” of laws regarding cyber crimes and the actual crime

The advancement of computer technology and networking has rapidly expanded communications but as we progress with the wage of the new world technology comes with it own costs. The same technology that provides useful services can be used against its users and benefit computer terrorist to get our information, take our identity and preview our personal lives without many of us knowing what has happened until it is too late. Continuous advancing technology provides criminals and terrorists with a variety of new tools and opportunities to conduct their agendas against current technology.

This paper will contain information on two theories based on criminology. It will contain the differences between Cyber Crime and Terrorism and how both of them are different and what types of crimes are committed with each one. It will also discuss the types of Terrorism and the types of Cyber Crimes. Comparisons between Terrorism and Cyber Crime will also be mentioned, Definitions will be included coming from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and The Department of Homeland Security. Two Crimes with Terrorism will be discussed including the 9/11 World Trade Center Attack that took place on September 11th, 2001 and resulted in thousands of people losing their lives due to the acts of a terrorist group known as Al-Qaeda. The second crime that will be discussed is the New York City Terror Attack that took place on October 31st, 2017. This attack was a heinous act by the terrorist group ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq) or otherwise known, as ISIS. The acts that took place in both of these events will be shared, as well as two cyber-crimes that have taken place.

Any effective cybercrime prevention plan has two major dimensions and this is no less true of law enforcement and/or military agencies like the Department of Defense. Those two dimensions are internal threats and external threats. Internal threats include internal negligence or incompetence as well as people on the inside including employees and contractors that have nefarious motives and intentions. External threats include "white hat" hackers, thieves and terrorists that just seek to disrupt vital systems like banks and utilities through their actions. Government agencies like the Department of the Defense are targets of both domestic hackers as well as foreign nation states and hackers that have some sort of grudge or motive against the United States.

Cybercrime has become a fast growing concern for the 21st century as businesses, institutions and individuals grow into an interconnected web of computer networks. Online business transactions, along with the sharing of personal information, are vulnerable to a host of disasters that can reap economic and social havoc. Some sources say that today, cybercrime costs more than $1.0 trillion to society--Global Industry Analysts, Inc. forecasted the world cyber security market to reach $80 billion by 2017 (Gale, 2011).