Cybercrime And Its Effects On Society

Cybercrime has experienced significant progress during recent years, as its advance is directly proportional with the advance of technology. In spite of the fact that the authorities devise new and better strategies to fight cybercrime, the fact that the number of people online is constantly increasing means that cybercrimes occur even more frequently. Dishonest people who seek opportunities have discovered how the internet stands as a perfect environment for them to commit crimes by taking as little risks as possible. Computer fraud generates a series of benefits for the person committing it, as he or she can either profit financially from the enterprise or can simply alter files in order for his or her image to be positively affected. Identity theft is a major form of cybercrime and it is essential for society to acknowledge the gravity of the matter in order to be able to effectively fight against criminals using it.

In the early days of computing, a hacker was primarily referred to as a computer guru, someone who is extremely technical with a high expertise in computer also known as “Expert Programmers”. Nevertheless, as technology is advancing at a face pace, hacking has adopted a completely different definition. The modern definition is someone who access a computer system primarily to steal or destroy information. Hacking has caused major harm in the realm of technology. Over the years, hackers have become much more lethal in their craft. They manage to break into complex information systems from entities such as banks, government agencies, and private businesses. Furthermore, they often manipulate their victims through social engineering in order to obtain financial benefits. Hackers hold different label such as: black hat hacker and white hat hacker in which all have their own motives.

They may penetrate computer systems through the internet or gaining access to internal computer networks (Fritsch et al, 2015). Also, outsiders may include domestic spies hired by corporate competitors, including foreign nationals hired by adversarial government’s intent on gaining a competitive advantage over American firms.

The word hacking, usually associated with information technology, is a term used for the development of creative solutions for a problem by someone in a non-professional environment. With the introduction of personal computers and the internet, anyone could create solutions to problems in computer science. This led to the emergence of “hacker culture”, leading to the decentralization of computer industry (Hicks, 2014).

Identity Theft: Identity theft is a major problem with people using the internet for banking services and cash transactions. It results in major financial losses for the victim where the criminal accesses data about a person’s personal information or sensitive information to siphon the

A computer hacker is someone who can break into your computer and steal whatever information you have in your system. All of your private information that you think is safe, is not safe anymore. These hackers can take the

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).

At the beginning of the second millennium, an era of information society, based on the increasing use of computers, computer technology, information technology, making available "everything to everyone, everywhere and always" very urgent problem of improving the legislation in the fight against various kinds of offenses in this area, and first of all crimes. Currently, computer crime, has acquired an international dimension, is already receiving an adequate assessment of the international community, in particular, is reflected in a special Convention on Cybercrime, signed in 2001 in Budapest, representatives of 30 countries, members of the Council of Europe. The scale of a virtual crime using the internet in the US can be seen from the following

What is cyber crime? Cyber crime is defined as any criminal activities carried out on some form of technology customarily a computer. These cases are currently running the U.S. judicial system and have been since the invention of computers. The cyber crimes are beginning to surmount the criminal justice system and justice needs to be served. Of the many suggestions people have regarding the criminal justice system, improvements to cyber crime penalization can be implemented by updating ways of accumulating various evidence and customizing a set of consequences to online crime, rather than treating it like customary crimes.

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.

The agencies employed by governments to police the web in order to protect the vulnerable have seen an increase in child pornography and online fraud. The speed at which information can be distributed and the number of people that can be reached attracts those that are intent on causing harm. The term “cybercrime” is becoming more widely used. The financial gains that can be made and the anonymity the internet can provide, make the virtual world of cyberspace a haven for criminals. Although the internet has huge benefits for information gathering and social networking, in the wrong hands it can cause harm to the vulnerable and criminals are able to vanish into the underground with the use of false identities that are hard to track online.

In the computer security context, a hacker is someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network (Wiki).

Cybercrime we have when a computer is the object of the crime like hacking, phishing, spamming or is used as a tool to commit an offense like the child pornography, hate crimes etc.

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).