Why We Should Be Held Responsible For Computer Crimes

Computer crimes and crimes involving the use of computers have become a fact in our world today. Crimes no longer involve just hackers seeking to make a name for themselves. We now store critical information for our lives on our computers, cell phones and tablets. Just as the average home user uses their computers for more and more of their daily activities, the same can be said of criminals. On our computers are our finances, schedules, contacts, addresses, pictures and videos, phone numbers, medical information, research and internet history. According to a 2014 McAfee report, their extrapolated, estimated annual cost to the global economy as a result of cybercrime is over $400 billion. (CSIS & McAfee, 2014) Additionally, crime does not just

Ex: Hacking is a digital crime, whether it be for status quo, pleasure or criminal intent, all aspects of hacking is considered a digital crime. Most hackers, hack for status quo or pleasure, and feel as if they are not committing a crime as no harm is done. While some computer and of digital communication intrusion is caught, there are much that goes un-noticed, and unpunished. Leaving Hackers in the mindset that their criminal acts are acceptable and correct, as their needs are satisfied, and their criminal acts go unpunished.

The goal is to inform the public of the facts about hackers and the influences from pop culture and mainstream media that have changed society’s perception of hackers over time. I will also discuss statistical data about society’s fear of hackers and how it has changed the perception of hackers. If I can convince the readers that hackers are responsible for many of the technological innovations over the last 50 years, it will help me argue my point and hopefully persuade people to reconsider their opinions of hackers. The ultimate goal is to persuade people to redefine their definition of hackers and hope that society will use the correct classifications when reporting about them or describing their character in pop culture, but I would be satisfied if I could just create a platform for the next step on the road to change. One thing that absolutely amazed me was the amount of new information that is created and distributed every year. I learned that it is important to make sure that the message is strong and loud so it will not be lost amongst all the other information. An argument must be clear and maintain focus so that the audience will not become disinterested or

Computers are one of the world’s greatest inventions, and sadly, one of the worst. Thanks to computers, there are so many things we can do from the comfort of our own home. We can do our banking online, pay our bills, go to school, look for jobs, and so on. Computers have made us all lazy. They have also made us unconcerned, at least up until recently, with our privacy. We all know there are bad people in this world, but it seems to be that we have forgotten that there are some very, very smart people in this world as well. It took a very smart person to invent the computer, to figure out the inner workings. But if one person can do this many can do this. Enter the computer hacker.

The article "The Internet: A Clear and Present Danger?" written by Cathleen Cleaver is a clear claim of the necessity of government regulation to control what is being shown on the Internet. To support her claim, Cleaver gives the pornographic web sites as an example. She argues that the regulations used to control the selling of pornography applied to porn stores, magazines, and television should also be applied to the Internet. The reason for such necessity is that it is impossible to control who is actually accessing such web sites. Following this reason, Cleaver's main claim in the article is that children can access pornographic web sites on the Internet. This claim is clearly stated by

With the dramatic development in the technology of computers and communications, the entire world has certainly benefited a great deal, but the purchase price of computers might also be very expensive. Computer crimes are now becoming very serious problems that are costing as much as billions of dollars. Also, computer crimes are threatening the continuing future of communication, confidentiality, and even the integrity of businesses and organizations.

Hackers have caused the government billions of dollars in damage over time and leaking tens of thousands of sensitive documents, most for sport. Although not all hackers are out there to cause damage; the Hacktavist group Anonymous is a group that strives to protect the users of the Internet. When many people think of hackers they automatically think they are doing it for nefarious reasons, they are unaware that most hackers actually help protect and improve the everyday life we have through the internet by not only strengthening the sites we use everyday, but also taking down known black hat sites and even protecting civil right by allowing us to see the vital information withheld from us by the government.

When you begin to examine how the internet and crime are related, you must first examine exactly what the internet is and how it works. The internet is a global system of computers and networks that are interconnected and service billions of users at any given time. This could be considered a cybercriminals’ playground. Because billions of computers are connected via a vast array of private and public networks including many government agencies, it is easy to see how a cybercriminal could obtain valuable information or unleash denial of service attacks that could cripple many of these systems.

Despite the numerous arrest and prosecutions of members of their networks, the hacktivists continued to be an integral internet activist within the international system.The state and other interested powers are keen to keep secrets of social injustice and hide the truth that may turn the masses against them. In this view, (Beck 3) observes that the widely supported legislative actions seeking to limit the operations and create a prosecution framework for hacktivists. On the same note,(Kelly) confirms that the despite the considerable use of the internet by individuals; it is still dominated by corporations. The internet is seen to provide a convenient meeting point for activists pushing for different interests to converge and come up with ways to fight against the government and influential businesses. Hacktivism provides a safe space for activists to breed and carry out their activities to the disadvantage of the state. As (Li 310) highlights, there are currently over forty statutes created for computer crimes. Principally, these legislations are

“We cannot defend ourselves with a weapon…but we can do this with their cars, homes, bars, brothels and everything else in their possession. It won’t be difficult; we all know who they are and where they are located.” Quoted from an Anonymous member. (Schiller, A.6.) Computer hacking began in the 1950s with an individual looking out for his own personal gains; like free phone calls for instance. The perception of hackers ever since has become very negative. Hacking has evolved over time, with many modern hackers following their own set of values that they believe are, arguably positive motives.

Cyber-crimes committed against individual people are both horrific and inhumane, yet on the larger scale of things, it is not a national danger as that of a cyber terrorist attack. When an individual’s information is hacked or tampered with, the repercussions are inconvenient, yet at the same time they are manageable and can be dealt with accordingly. A terrorist attack via the web, on the other hand, can potentially have major implications on humanity. “When industrial control systems are connected to the Internet, they can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. At risk are energy sources and electric grids, water and sewer systems, manufacturing, banks, transportation and communication networks, and other systems that may be targeted by hackers, terrorists, or enemy states seeking to wreak economic havoc”. (Brenner, 2013) Terrorist attacks on the internet can cause turmoil to an entire nation and completely shut it down. Say that Nasa or the FBI were to experience an attack, the entire nation would be at risk. It comes as a shock however, that with all the advancements and tools available nowadays, we are not fully successful in countering these attacks. The United States has a track-record of being offensive instead of defensive regarding attacks. It is clearly not an easy feat and U.S. officials are constantly on the case saying, “Cyber-attacks and cyber-espionage pose a greater potential danger to

Hackers can also be prosecuted if they deliberately deliver, communicate or transmit any sensitive data to a person other than the rightful owner.

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.

As the world becomes more and more reliant on computers the computer hacking industry is greatly rising. With people such as Kevin Mitnick, who is known as a "computer terrorist" (Kjochaiche 1), computerized information isn't safe any more. Kevin is known as "the most high-profiled computer criminal and responsible for more havoc in the computer world today."(1) He considered this a fun and easy task. He got caught and thrown into prison, but once he got out nothing changed. Kevin stated that as long as the technology is there it just calls to people to break into it. Computer hackers usually start off young, thinking that it is nothing but a little harmless fun. But as they get older, they realize it has turned into

Cybercrime and internet hacking has been an ongoing issue in contemporary life. “Internet hacking is the practice of modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal considered to be outside of the creator’s original objective.” (Merriam-Webster). Any individual, business, or even government with a computer is not safe from these computer criminals. So, the main question is: How do we fix this cybercrime that does millions of dollars in damage, and should we implement “ethical hacking” to improve the security of the internet?