Cybercrime And Its Effects On Our Nation 's Security And Economy

Times have changed what was known as organized crime has been replaced by Cybercrimes (Heists: Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley).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).

Criminals have always been around, but cybercrime is something new. It has only been around since the 60s, but it has grown exponentially. Why? Is cybercrime somehow different? Criminals engage in cybercrime for the simple reason that it is easier than conventional crime, there are no witnesses, and they can make more money faster. Cybercrime investigators are few and far between, and there is little cooperation among different jurisdictions. Nevertheless, as technology advances, so does the number of people who see that cybersecurity is a growing field and is needed to maintain the integrity of commerce locally and globally.

Technologies have affected people in all walks of life. Technological innovations have helped improve our lives and changed our standard of living. Due to advanced technologies, we are able to have fast computers, smartphones, more advanced medical instruments, etc. Although technologies tend to benefit us for the most part, it also has its negatives attached to it. In our society today, there are up rise in identity theft, frauds, and other unlawful criminal activity being committed. The growth of cybercrimes is possible due to our information being easily obtained in the online world. Moreover, technological innovations have helped schools, governments, commercials, private and other parts of modern life to improve the productivity and efficiency. However, on the other hand, technologies as a criminal tool has enhanced the criminal’s ability to perform, hide, or otherwise aid unlawful or unethical activities (Reith et. al, 2002). Furthermore, although the vast majority of people uses computers and other digital devices for a positive reason, there are criminals that use these technologies to perform unlawful and unethical things to individuals and companies to obtain personal information.

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

There are many countries where terrorist activities are simply a part of life and where criminal activities are commonplace. Even in well-developed countries there can be problems. One of the most insidious of these activities, however, is cybercrime. It may seem less dangerous because it is not physically damaging to the person who is being targeted, but gaining access toa person's private information can cause serious damage to that person's good name and reputation, along with his or her credit, ability to obtain employment, and other parts of life. Something has to be done, but by the time issues are corrected there are new issues appearing. It can feel like a losing battle. Because of constant technological change, new challenges are arising regarding information access and privacy.

An invisible war is raging between cybercriminals and those who wish to make the virtual world a safer place, but the laws that could change the tides of this war are being called into question. Cybercrimes are a virtual epidemic that is sweeping the online world with crimes constantly posing as a threat such as identity theft, hacking, cyberterrorism, and computer viruses. In order to combat cybercrime the U.S. government passed the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) that allowed prosecutors to charge cybercriminals for their cybercrimes. Cybercrimes laws implemented by the CFAA should be strengthened in order to deter harmful cybercrimes because cybercrime has effect corporations, people, and the government.

In recent years, Cybercrime has increased radically and it is becoming more vital for people to grant protection on their computers and data just as they do with anything else they deem needs to be secured. The improved rate for the need of security also applies to conceptual institutes of small businesses. Small businesses keep record of client, personal, product, and explicit company finance information and data. With this wealth of information and the increase in cybercrime, small businesses need an effective solution to defend their computer systems and data from cyber-attackers.

In these days, internet is more important than ever, and therefore, having security plans will, at least, make things challengeable for hackers. Dinicu (2014) claims that cyber criminals’ threats to the national security are the most dangerous and most recent ones. Also, she writes, hackers’ main focus is more on democratic countries and multinational organizations than the non-democratic countries (Dincu 2014). Fifty years ago, we would not have to worry about internet security because we would not have so much money and privacy depending on internet. But nowadays, our communication, money, traveling, etc. can be affected by one or more cyber criminals. We work and our money comes to us using direct-deposit; we call our loved ones

Cybercrime is a crime that is done using the internet (Burton, 2007). Cybercrime is growing as the internet has grown in popularity. We now use the internet to conduct business, to do banking, for our healthcare, and to communicate with our friends and family. The internet holds an amazing amount of information on people and businesses. The internet gives those who want to use this information for illegal purposes, a tool to access unlimited information. As the growth of the internet has exploded, so has cybercrime. Understanding how these crimes are committed, and how to protect information on the internet is vital.

Susan W. Brenner’s Cybercrime: Criminal Threats from Cyberspace is scary, exciting, and informative all in one book. It takes you on rollercoaster from start to finish as your eyes are opened to the realities of cybercrime and cybercriminals’ capabilities as our technologies have progressed. Brenner’s book is an excellent piece for those that are not savvy about technology terminology and cybercrime.

Computer-crime or commonly referred to as Cyber-Crime or ICT Crime (van der Merwe, 2008, p.61) is a new type of criminal activity which started showing its ugly head in the early 90 's as the internet became a common place for online users worldwide. This is due to the fact that computer criminals now have the opportunity to gain access to sensitive information if they possess the necessary know-how. This generally causes huge problems in the economic sphere and results in companies and individuals having to take costly steps to ensure their safety and reduction in commission of cyber-crime (Gordon, 2000, p.423). Cybercrime or also known as computer crime can be defined as any criminal activity that involves a computer and can be divided into two

Internet technology has bestowed upon society a new norm, one that brought about both social and economic benefits. Communication and informal relationships reached higher heights with persons connecting with distant and ‘long lost’ family and friends, through email and social media. Businesses themselves have also benefited from this technology. They saw their demographic expand overnight from local, to regional and international clientele. However in parallel to an increase in users using their fingers to communicate and do business online, so were Internet security threats on the rise. Internet users and governments face increased risks of being targets of cyber-attacks. The digital age have introduced a new type of criminal called, ‘cybercriminals’. A cybercriminal is a person or a group who focus on virtual theft of financial information, business espionage and accessing government information. The result of these activities has an open question: How are cybercriminals getting access to sensitive and private data? The answer is simple: Internet Security, lack of, unawareness and not following basic security protocols. Although companies are selling customers personal information to advertisers, internet users must be conscious of a website’s security when entering personal information online, because too many users fall victim to scams resulting in financial loss and identity theft. The significance of this research paper is educate

The cost of computer crime to business in the United States has ascended to $67 billion as per the 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey. Not a day passes by that a PC security adventure or fraud plan stands out as truly newsworthy. The effect too little and medium measured organizations is gigantic. These organizations have minimal measure of assets to use to shield against programmer assaults and they endure a percentage of the biggest net economic effects when defrauded by an assault. The uplifting news is that there are some basic things an entrepreneur can do to extraordinarily decrease the threats of being exploited by a data security failure. Instruction and attention to the most predominant threats to business data and regularly misused security holes can rapidly close the way to a security occurrence. Pretty much as with conventional robbery attempts, the computer anti-socials will first search for the easy way out when attempting to soften up to a

The article then goes on to discuss how dependent society is on cyberspace and how they have become more susceptible to cyberspace threats. It also talks about how dependent society is of the internet, “online banking travel, entertainment, and stock brokerage services” (25). With this increased activity makes the internet an enticing target with more opportunities and weaknesses for cyber crime. Criminals are learning new methods to perform cyber crimes more efficiently and effectively. However, these crimes are not just affecting individuals, businesses also fallen victim to these crimes every day.

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).