Cyber crimes are one of
the fastest-growing criminal activities in the world. It ranges from financial
scams, computer hacking, pornography, virus attacks, and stalking, among
others. It is defined as the use of any computer network for crime. Here’s a
list of several cyber crimes and their basic definitions:
1. Hacking- refers to
activities of computer geniuses who challenge the IT systems of governments and
big corporations by hacking them. The “love-bug” virus for example crippled at
least 45 million computers worldwide, and caused billions of dollars in damage.
2. Fraud and Extortion- some
hackers break into the computer systems of banks or businesses to steal money
or credit card information. There are also scams by cyber-criminals wherein
they set up fake companies on the Internet and tempt unsuspecting buyers with
low prices. Once credit card details are supplied, the site suddenly
disappears.
Online auction sites
also provide opportunities for fraud since money can just be pocketed without
the goods being delivered. As long as the website is credible-looking, there is
no way of checking if the site owner is legitimate.
3. Identity Theft- criminals
check public databases or social networking sites for information such as date
of birth, social security number and addresses. They then use these data to
apply for credit cards.
4. Pornography- the
availability of pornography on the Internet is mind-boggling. Pedophiles use
the Internet to exchange pornographic images of children, and there are
hundreds of thousands of obscene images on the Web. Be careful not to
mistakenly access these sites especially that web browsing
histories can be viewed.
5. Piracy- be it
gaming, music, movie, or software piracy, it all means a loss of potential
revenue to certain companies/individuals. There are a lot of websites where
movies or albums can be downloaded, which in turn are burned into CD-ROMs to be
sold. The MP3 format has also made it easier to distribute music files over the
Internet.
6. Gambling- virtual
casinos operate in cyber space, and they are oftentimes based in countries that
do not regulate them.
7. Cyber-stalking- unwanted
e-mail from a persistent sender can amount to harassment, and it gets difficult
to catch the culprit if he or she manages to conceal his or her identity.
Stalkers often try their best to obtain personal information about their
victims online.
Here are some additional
reading on cyber stalking:
- Is
cyberstalking illegal? What about cyberharassment?
- What
can you do to avoid becoming a victim of cyberstalking/harassment?
- What
is a quick list of safety tips to avoid cyberstalking/harassment?
8. Hate Sites- there are
websites run by extremists to promote racial or religious hatred. Sometimes,
even just publishing someone’s name and address on the Internet can constitute
to a threat in their safety.
Sources:
“Cybercrime.”
from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2001/life_of_crime/cybercriminals.stm
“Cyberstalking and harassment FAQ.” from
http://wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment/index.html
“How to report cyberabuse using our tiplines.” from
http://wiredsafety.org/911/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2001/life_of_crime/cybercriminals.stm
“Cyberstalking and harassment FAQ.” from
http://wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment/index.html
“How to report cyberabuse using our tiplines.” from
http://wiredsafety.org/911/index.html
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