Computer Crime
Computer Crime
Computer Crime
Definition and Types
- Computer crime, also known as cybercrime, involves activities that are illegal and carried out by people with an intent to harm others or for their personal gain, often financial.
- Computer crimes can be broadly categorised into unauthorised access, data theft, cyberstalking, phishing, denial of service attacks, and malware.
Unauthorised Access
- Unauthorised access refers to somebody gaining access to a computer system without the permission of the owner.
- People who carry out this activity are often known as hackers. They exploit vulnerabilities in software or use techniques such as brute force attacks to gain access.
Data Theft
- Data theft is when private or confidential information is stolen from a computer system.
- This could be personal information such as bank details, or company secrets like product blueprints or confidential employee information.
Cyberstalking
- Cyberstalking is a form of harassment where the perpetrator uses electronic communications to stalk a victim.
- This could involve sending threatening emails, spreading rumours online, or even tracking a victim’s online activities.
Phishing
- Phishing is a method used by criminals to trick people into giving away sensitive information, like passwords or credit card numbers.
- Typically, this involves sending fake emails that look like they come from a reputable company, but actually lead the victim to malicious websites.
Denial of Service Attacks
- Denial of service attacks (DoS) are aimed at making a computer system or network unavailable to its intended users.
- This is often done by flooding the network or system with excessive requests to overload it, preventing legitimate access.
Malware
- Malware is a type of software that is designed to damage or disrupt a computer system.
- This can include viruses, worms, and ransomware. They can delete files, steal information, or even encrypt data and demand a ransom for its release.
Prevention Measures
- Measures to prevent computer crime include strong passwords, firewalls, anti-virus software, and regular system updates.
- Individuals and companies should also ensure they are educated about social engineering techniques such as phishing, so they don’t fall victim to them.
- Backups are also essential to help recover from incidents, especially those involving ransomware.
Legal Consequences
- In the UK, computer crimes are covered under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
- This law covers unauthorised access, modifying computer material without permission, and committing any act with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of a computer.
- Breaking these laws can result in heavy fines and prison sentences, highlighting the seriousness of computer crime.