Dangers Involved with Internet Usage Essays

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.

According to an online source regarding internet fraud, “tax identification numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, fingerprints, and similar private and confidential information are now more accessible than ever before” (Saunders). Identity theft is a matter of the lack of security that technology provides and the failure of people to use it safely. With social media at its peak, outsiders can stalk unsecured profiles online and know complete biographies in minutes. An estimated 40,000 people in the United States fall victim to crimes like identity theft every year (Saunders). This high number is most likely due to the lack of precautionary measures taken by people when using technology and the failure of the government to prevent such crimes.

Some of the most common cyber-crimes are cyberstalking, identity theft, spam and phishing among others. Cyber stalking has been classified as one of prevalent cybercrimes with many internet users falling victims of cyber bullying. Cyber stalkers meet their victims in different ways; mostly they normally have a relationship either in the real world or online world. Cyberstalking starts when this relationship ends. However, strangers who have collected information on the internet can also be cyber stalkers. The desire to control and even harm their victims is what motivates cyber stalkers. They may go to the measures of personifying their victims and post messages or controversial posts on the boards and chat rooms. In this real regard, cyberstalking is a real crime (Mansourabadi, 2014).

It is frightening to think of the number of ways your information can be stolen online. I am concerned about becoming a victim because I have been a victim three times. The first was a store clerk who copied my credit card number while I was making a purchase in a major department store. He then went on an internet shopping spree and bought computer games and online flowers. Fortunately for me he was stupid enough to have the games shipped to his house and the flowers to his mother. The second was when the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in Washington D.C. was hacked and my and my husband’s military and personal information was hacked from their servers. The last was by a fast food clerk in Korea who again decided to copy my credit card

2.don’t talk to strangers 3.don’t post anything inappropriate 4.don’t abuse you’re own power 5. If a stranger text you block them Appropriate online behavior 1.saying nice things 2.don’t act like you own the site 3. Don’t swear 4.don’t post inappropriate pictures 5. Don’t hack the website How to be safe online

There is further difficulty in defining cyberstalking because it is often a term that is interchangeable with cyberbullying and cyberharassment (Jameson, 2008, p.236). This wide array of internet criminal activity is defined along a continuum of cybercrime extending from purely in the physical world to purely in cyberspace (Gordon and Ford, 2006, p.15). The exclusionary definition of cyberstalking and distinguishing it from other similar cybercrimes helps with narrowing the definition of cyberstalking. Cyberbullying is the use of the internet to exhibit aggressive behavior aimed at intimidating or inducing fear

What is cyberstalking? Cyberstalking is defined as " the use of the Internet, email or other electronic communications to stalk, and generally refers to a pattern of threatening or malicious behaviors." Meaning it would be unlawful for anyone to threaten to cause bodily harm to any person, person's child, sibling, spouse, or dependent. This also includes extorting money or other valuables and threatening to cause any physical damages to a person's

Identity thieves send out letters, emails and SMS’s hoping to ‘phish’ information from you pretending to act on the behalf of a bank or other institution by creating spoof websites. The scammers also install programs onto your computer or other devices through software downloads such as apps which then track online activity of people and report the keystrokes used when on banking or online shopping websites where credit card information is entered. The perpetrators of these crimes also monitor social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and also job search sites to gather any personal details they can use to open financial services in your name, run up debt and apply for other various

Over the past few years the internet has become a tempting place for criminals to acquire identifying information, such as passwords and banking data. In criminal’s haste to explore the exciting features of the internet, many people respond to “spam” unsolicited emails that promise them benefits, but request identifying information, without recognizing that in many situations, the requester has no intention of keeping their promise. In some situations, criminals reportedly have exploited computer technology to acquire large amounts of personal information. With enough identifying data about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual’s identity to conduct a wide range of crimes: for example, false applications for loans, credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, acquiring other goods, or privileges which the criminal might deny if they were to use their real name. If the criminal takes steps to ensure that bills for the falsely acquired credit cards, or bank statements showing the unauthorized withdrawals are sent to another address other than the victims, the victim may not become aware of what’s happening until the criminal has already inflicted substantial damage on the victim’s assets, credit and reputation (Identity Theft).

In today's world the criminals come in different forms. One could say we live in the technological age and this means that threats are not only physical but virtual as well. Hackers can now steal your personal information from data being sent over cyberspace. If you are not careful and take necessary precautions then people with ill intent and computer intelligence can make your life miserable. Two ways hackers can accomplish this are called ping sweeps and port scans.

The internet connection and technology has brought great progress, prosperity, innovation, and life improvement of the society, along with these benefits laid the dark side of the connected world. Any organization or individuals when connected to the virtual world, stand risking harm from nefarious activities and characters who also roam the internet with malicious and self-benefiting intentions.

The internet can be an extremely useful tool for everyone, but instant messaging, chat rooms, emails, and social networking sites can also bring trouble from cyberbullying to more serious internet dangers, including exposure to sexual predators.

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.

The sheer availability of information and the ease of access to such information to even the most novice computer user is helping fuel the growth of this type of cybercrime. There are some ways to protect ourselves and our families.

There are many pitfalls and perils on the Internet. Some of them are easy to avoid while other are not so obvious. Some of the Pitfalls and perils are annoying, while others are deadly to your computer. Still others are humorous and entertaining. There are many dangers on the Internet. This paper will try to cover some of them.