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.
  • 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.