A Look into Cybercrime

What is Cybercrime?

Computer crime is any criminal activity that involves computers. In such crimes, the computer is used as a means to carry out the crime. Net-crime is abusing the internet for criminal means. Cybercrime is a combination of both, and is generally defined as immoral acts, which target an individual or a group of individuals with a criminal intention to destroy the individual’s reputation, inflict mental turmoil or cause physical harm. This may be achieved directly or indirectly with the help of modern communication methods including email, chat rooms, social media networks and mobile phone communication.

To simplify the definition, cybercrime includes any unlawful activity, which makes the use of a computer as the means to perpetrate it. The U.S. Department of Justice has amended the definition to include any unlawful activity that employs a computer for storing evidence. Cybercrimesreferstounlawfuluse of data, copyright infringement, unauthorized access, fraud,cyber-stalkingand child pornography. The term cybercrime covers an expanse of attacks made against individuals and organizations alike. These crimes may be meant to attack a person’s financial standing, emotional state or even a country’s national security.

Cybercrime and Society

Cybercrime can be classified into two sub-categories based on the definition. The first one includes crimes where the computer is the target, malware, viruses or denying service attacks. The other category is crimes that use computer devices or networks as a means of facilitation. Examples are cyber-stalking,identity-theft, fraud, phishing, extortion and stealing classified information.

The scale ofcybercrimeall over the world is alarming. Norton compiled a report on cybercrime, which revealed that 431 million men and women were thetargetof cybercrime in 2011. Computer-related crime is increasing at a worrying rate. Norton also reported that financial cost incurred by global cybercrime was $338 billion. This surpasses the financial cost of marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined, which is estimated to be $288 million. If cybercrime continues to grow at the current rate, then it will soon exceed the entire international market of drug trafficking which generates $411 billion per annum.  

Battling Cybercrime

Cybercrime now includes activities whose repercussions ripple across international borders, and which can be described as a global epidemic. The international legal system has laws to protect victims ofcybercrimeand hold the criminals accountable in the International Criminal Court. Law enforcement authorities face many challenges and unnecessary complications when trying to uncover the face behind the anonymous username. They have trouble collecting evidence, dealing with separate judiciaries and undoing the damage done by false reporting.

In most cases, the victims ofcybercrimesare reluctant to seek help and report the illegal activity to the relevant authorities. Sometimes the victim does not even realize they are being targeted by acyber-criminal. There have been major improvements made in the facilities that cater to cybercrime reports yet victims continue to hold back because they are embarrassed.

The importance of international cooperation cannot be stressed enough for finding a solution and effectively responding to global cybercrime. Every nation cannot stand alone in this fight. Most computer-related crimes are started “off-shore” which complicates the problem as the territory does not lie within a nation. Agencies from all over the world should band together to draw up a plan to locate and follow the criminal eventually leading to an arrest and prosecution.