Cybercrime encompasses various illegal activities involving computers, including hacking, spreading viruses, and exploiting personal information. Law enforcement agencies employ computer forensic specialists to investigate cybercrime, and the use of social networks has led to cases of cyber bullying and child exploitation.
The term “cybercrime” describes a wide range of criminal activities involving the use of computers. In general usage, it refers specifically to crimes committed through the Internet or other computer networks used by businesses or governments. Known forms of cybercrime include spreading viruses and hacking into networks to steal or disclose private information. Sharing copyrighted material has long been a controversial and illegal practice on the Internet. Criminals also use computers to stalk, harass or exploit others.
Crime existed long before computers, but since the technological revolution of the 20th century, many forms of crime have somehow involved the use of computers. Even if computers are not directly involved in the commission of the crime, the records relating to the crime can be stored in computers or computer networks. For this reason, investigators may seize computer equipment as evidence or request network providers to release documents or data that could be relevant to a criminal investigation. Most law enforcement agencies employ computer forensic specialists for cybercrime and cybercrime investigations.
The best known form of cybercrime involves “hacking”, the practice of breaking into private computer networks. Hackers were once considered harmless outlaws, but in the 21st century they can access vast amounts of private information about entire populations. Sometimes this information is used for identity theft; other times, the information is simply disclosed to public sites, where other criminals can exploit it. Sometimes governments are suspected of hacking into the websites of companies or other nations, a practice called “cyber warfare.”
Another well-known method of computer crime is the computer virus, a program designed to hack into a user’s computer, replicate itself and spread to other computers. Some viruses are called spyware because they send your private information to another location. “Scareware” describes ads or programs that claim to find a non-existent virus on a user’s computer, then direct the user to a site or program that actually contains a virus. The collective term for these programs is “malware,” short for “malicious software.” Another type of virus can effectively shut down a website by saturating its network with activity; this crime is known as a denial-of-service attack.
There are large amounts of personal information available on the Internet, especially since the advent of social networks. Criminals sometimes use this information to stalk or harass people. Child exploitation is a particularly striking example of this. Other criminal uses of social networks include “cyber bullying” or even contract killings, as in a well-publicized 2011 case in the United States. Any suspected case of cybercrime should be immediately reported to law enforcement and the relevant computer network administrators.
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