Free Essay On Computer Crime Categories

Computer, digital or cybercrime refers to criminal activity that emphasizes the role of technology (computers or computer networks) in its commission. Computer crimes can be divided into the following four broad categories: crimes that target computers; crimes that use computers as an instrument; crimes where a computer is incidental to the crime; and crimes associated with the prevalence of computers.
Hacking or the unauthorized access of a computer of network is the classic example of crimes that target computers. The criminal aspect of these crimes is that the computer, in essence, is the victim of the crime; it suffers damage, misuse, impairment or actions it otherwise was not originally required to do. A botnet refers to a group of connected computers that work in unison to attack other computers, spread computer viruses or engage in other criminal activity. A botnet is a perfect illustration of a crime that uses computers as an instrument because provides the necessary tool in which to commit the crime. But for the botnet, the crime would be impossible. Credit card fraud is a common crime that can also be categorized as a computer crime. To be sure, credit card fraud occurred before computers were common but computers have made credit card fraud increasingly easier to commit by allowing perpetrators to steal, sell or use greater numbers of credit card numbers. Accordingly, credit card fraud is increasingly classified as a crime where a computer is incidental to its commission. Software piracy illustrates the final category of computer crimes. As the world increasingly moves online, software will needed to power the applications that allow us to work, study, and play online. The theft of that software therefore represents a crime that would not exist if there were no computers.
While relatively new, computer crime is considered a growth area in criminal activity. Some of the more common challenges to fighting computer crime include difficultly in attribution; lack of direct eye-witness evidence, its transnational character that gives it global reach and the complexity of security tools for everyday common users. One of the fundamental ways that can be used to increase resistance in educating the public about the threats and risk of computer crime and the simple steps, such as using passwords and different passwords for each device, they can and should take to protect themselves

References

Kerr, O. (2009). Computer Crime Law. St. Paul, MN: West.