10 Popular Computer Crimes

Computer crimes

Popular Computer Crimes

Eric Ziramba:

With the rise of computer crimes, computer security has become an important concern for system administrators. A computer crime is a criminal action or actions accomplished through the use of systems, especially with the intent to destroy, defraud, or make unauthorized use of computer system resources.

      Hacking: In computerese, is the obsessive use of the computers or the unauthorised access and use of networked computer system. Hackers can be insiders or company employees who use the internet or other networks to steal or damage data and programs. In hacking, the criminal uses a variety of software to enter a person’s computer and the person may not be aware that his computer is being accessed from a remote location.

        Cyber-Theft: This crime occurs when a person violates copyrights and downloads music, movies, games and software. There are even peer sharing websites which encourages software piracy. Cyber-theft as the stealing of information for criminal use or selling to competitors.

      Cyber Stalking: This is a kind of online harassment wherein the victim is subjected to a barrage of online messages and emails. Typically, these stalkers know their victims and instead of resorting to offline stalking, they use the Internet to stalk. However, if they notice that cyber stalking is not having the desired effect, they begin offline stalking along with cyber stalking to make the victims’ lives more miserable.

      Identity Theft: This has become a major problem with people using the Internet for cash transactions and banking services. In this cyber crime, a criminal accesses data about a person’s bank account, credit cards, Social Security, debit card and other sensitive information to siphon money or to buy things online in the victim’s name. It can result in major financial losses for the victim and even spoil the victim’s credit history.

Identity theft

      Malicious Software: These are Internet-based software or programs that are used to disrupt a network. The software is used to gain access to a system to steal sensitive information or data or causing damage to software present in the system. Malicious damage is possible where computer programs are tempered with to create the wrong information or destroy the information completely.

      Child soliciting and Abuse: The criminal will be using the internet to transmit child pornography. Criminals solicit minors via chat rooms for the purpose of child pornography.

      Cyber-terrorism: This is the leveraging of organizations or government’s computers and information, particularly via the internet, to cause physical, real-world harm or severe disruption of infrastructure. It can weaken a country’s economy, thereby denying it access vital resources and making more vulnerable to military attacks.

      Spoofing/Phishing: This is Unlawfully accessing a computer without authorization and sending multiple e-mails; resending multiple commercial email messages with the intent to deceive recipients; or falsifying header information in multiple email messages.

      Extortion or Blackmail: Using the Internet to threaten to cause damage with the intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value. Hackers threatening to expose damaging or embarrassing information in exchange for money.

      Accessing Stored Communications:  Intentionally accessing, without authorization, a facility though which an electronic communication service is provided. It’s getting into someone’s email account for the purposes of commercial advantage, malicious destruction, or in furtherance of any crime.