March - 13 - 2009 - Computer Crimes

According to Cybercrime, there are no precise statistics on the amount of computer crimes being committed by hackers every year. This is partly because most hacking activities go undetected by the victims and even if it is, it usually doesn’t get reported to the authorities. The economic losses from computer crimes are difficult to estimate. Nonetheless, there is a consensus among computer experts and law enforcement that both the number of computer crimes, and the sophistication of their techniques, is accelerating rapidly.

Robert Standler mentions that there are three major categories of computer activity involving computers including:

Unauthorized Use of the Computer

This may involve a stealing a person’s username and password, or accessing his computer through a backdoor. Unauthorized use can take the following forms: computer voyeur, changing data, deleting data, and denying access to authorized users. Voyeurs tend to copy confidential information from the computer, though the data and the computer remain unchanged. Changing data includes altering the grades on the school transcript or “adding” to a checking account.

Creating and Releasing Malicious Programs

In recent years, a large number of malware programs have been developed by computer hackers. These programs can be categorized into viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. The virus is one of the most dangerous programs in the computer system, because it infects executable files. Meanwhile, the worm is a malware that copies itself many times over and clogs the disk drive. The Trojan horse typically goes undetected, but in worst cases, a remote hacker can control the victim’s computer and collect his personal and financial information.

Harassment in Cyberspace

Another type of cybercrime is harassment. Generally, the harasser’s intention is to cause distress to the victim. Harassment can be as simple as sending continuous emails to a person who does not want to receive them. Harassment can also involve pejorative labels, threats, and sexual innuendos.

More Information

Legal Resources:

Cyber Crime Law

BitLaw

International Intellectual Property Alliance

Mishpat

FedLaw

To Report Cyber Terrorism:

Department of Homeland Security

Criminal Watch

Other Resources:

ScamFraudAlert

OnGuard Online