Cybercrime Computer Crime, Privacy

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SCHOOL OF MATHEMETICS AND COMPUTING

COURSE: BACHELOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY


GROUP PREENTATION: SOCIAL ISSUES IN COMPUTING
LECTURER: Ms. NABAYINDA HARRIET
NAME REG.NO SIGNATURE

KANSIIME YOWERI 2020-08-01885

ARUHO ISAAC 2020-08-01316

MUHOOZI OWEN 2020-08-01678

TOPIC
Computer, cyber crimes and privacy

(KANSIIME YOWERI)
What is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime can be defined as “The illegal usage of any communication device to
commit or facilitate in committing any illegal act”.
A cybercrime is explained as a type of crime that targets or uses a computer or a
group of computers under one network for the purpose of harm.

Difference between computer crime and cyber crime.


Cyber crime is entirely based on a network and internet while computer crime takes
place even offline.

Who are The Cybercriminals?


A cybercriminal is a person who uses his skills in technology to do malicious acts
and illegal activities known as cybercrimes. They can be individuals or teams.
Cybercriminals are widely available in what is called the “Dark Web” where they
mostly provide their illegal services or products.
Not every hacker is a cybercriminal because hacking itself is not considered a crime
as it can be used to reveal vulnerabilities to report and batch them which is called a
“white hat hacker”.
However, hacking is considered a cybercrime when it has a malicious purpose of
conducting any harmful activities and we call this one “black hat hacker” or a cyber-
criminal.
It is not necessary for cybercriminals to have any hacking skills as not all cyber
crimes include hacking.
Cybercriminals can be individuals who are trading in illegal online content or
scammers or even drug dealers.

So here are some examples of cybercriminals:


- Black hat hackers
- Cyberstalks
- Cyber terrorists
- Scammers
How do Cybercrimes happen?
Cybercriminals take advantage of security holes and vulnerabilities found in systems
and exploit them in order to take a foothold inside the targeted environment.

The security holes can be a form of using weak authentication methods and
passwords, it can also happen for the lack of strict security models and policies and
misconfigurations.

Why are Cybercrimes Increasing?


The world is constantly developing new technologies, so now, it has a big reliance on
technology. Most smart devices are connected to the internet. Unfortunately, people
are continuously using these technologies without first deep understanding of how
they work.

High degree of internetworking. Computer networks allow people in cyberspace to


reach any connected part of the world in seconds.

Cybercrimes can have different laws and regulations from one country to another,
mentioning also that covering tracks is much easier when committing a cybercrime
rather than real crimes.

Availability of various open-source hacking tools online have given an advantage for
many people to get involved in cybercrime easily. These can even allow copy and
paste programming.

Communication speed. With the latest developments in bandwidth, high volume of


data can be moved in the shortest time possible. This means that can download a
pay load, usually developed by cut and paste offline very quickly and possibly leave
before detection
Motives to cybercrime.

Insider Threats
Individuals who have access to critical information or systems can easily choose to
misuse that access to the detriment of their organization. These threats can come
from internal employees, vendors, a contractor or a partner and are viewed as some
of the greatest cyber security threats to organizations.

Political motivation
It has become clear in recent years that cybercrime is increasingly being used as a
tool to achieve some or the other political goal. This can take the form of
manipulating elections or distributing ransomware.

Cyberwar
Cyberwar is becoming increasingly common. It refers to the use of digital attacks by
one country such as computer viruses and hacking to obstruct or destroy the critical
systems of another country with the goal of creating damage, death and destruction.

State Actors
State-sponsored actors receive funding and assistance from a nation-state. They are
specifically engaged in cyber crime to further their nation’s own interests.

Corporate Espionage
This is a form of cyber attack used to gain an advantage over a competing
organization.

Financial reasons
The primary motivation of a hacker is money, and getting it can be done with a
variety of methods. They could directly gain entry to a bank or investment account;
steal a password to your financial sites and then transfer the assets over to one of
their own; swindle an employee into completing a money transfer through a
complicated spear phishing technique, or conduct a ransomware attack on your
entire organization.

The thought of learning new techniques, curiosity to seek knowledge and others
want to perfect their skills.

Seeking revenge.
This can also be in form of a technical challenge to some one who earlier harmed
you or your organization.
Testing system security and
resilience
Technical primacy is one of the most
important answers to the question
“what do hackers
hack for?” The common sense
knowledge about the attacks is that
hackers identify aws in sys-
tems or software,
ARUHO ISAAC)

Classifications of Cybercrimes
Cybercrimes in general can be classified into four categories:

Individual Cyber Crimes: This type is targeting individuals. It includes phishing,


spoofing, spam, cyberstalking, and more.

Organisation Cyber Crimes: The main target here is organizations. Usually, this type
of crime is done by teams of criminals including malware attacks and denial of
service attacks.

Property Cybercrimes: This type targets property like credit cards or even intellectual
property rights.

Society Cybercrimes: This is the most dangerous form of cybercrime as it includes


cyber-terrorism.
Most Common computer Crimes
 Input manipulation: this is changing of the real inputs given to Input clerks
commonly transactions.
 Cyber loafing: this is also known as theft of computer time and this in volves the
use of organization computers for person al work.
 Alteration of data in the database.
 Program alteration: excellent programmers can alter the normal functioning of
organization programs.

Most Common Cyber Crimes


Now that you understand what cybercrimes are, let’s discuss some common
cybercrimes.
Phishing and Scam:
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that targets the user and tricks them
by sending fake messages and emails to get sensitive information about the user or
trying to download malicious software and exploit it on the target system.

Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when a cybercriminal uses another person’s personal data like
credit card numbers or personal pictures without their permission to commit a fraud
or a crime.
Ransomware Attack
Ransomware attacks are a very common type of cybercrime. It is a type of malware
that has the capability to prevent users from accessing all of their personal data on
the system by encrypting them and then asking for a ransom in order to give access
to the encrypted data.
Hacking
This term refers to the crime of unauthorized access to private computers or
networks and misuse of it either by shutting it down or tampering with the data stored
or other illegal approaches.
Internet Fraud
Internet fraud is a type of cybercrimes that makes use of the internet and it can be
considered a general term that groups all of the crimes that happen over the internet
like spam, banking frauds, theft of service, etc.
Cyber Bullying
It is also known as online or internet bullying. It includes sending or sharing harmful
and humiliating content about someone else which causes embarrassment and can
be a reason for the occurrence of psychological problems. It became very common
lately, especially among teenagers.
Cyber Stalking
Cyberstalking can be defined as unwanted persistent content from someone
targeting other individuals online with the aim of controlling and intimidating like
unwanted continued calls and messages.
Software Piracy
Software piracy is the illegal use or copy of paid software with violation of copyrights
or license restrictions.

An example of software piracy is when you download a fresh non-activated copy of


windows and use what is known as “Cracks” to obtain a valid license for windows
activation. This is considered software piracy.

Not only software can be pirated but also music, movies, or pictures.
Social Media Frauds
The use of social media fake accounts to perform any kind of harmful activities like
impersonating other users or sending intimidating or threatening messages. And one
of the easiest and most common social media frauds is Email spam.
Online Drug Trafficking
With the big rise of cryptocurrency technology, it became easy to transfer money in a
secured private way and complete drug deals without drawing the attention of law
enforcement. This led to a rise in drug marketing on the internet.

Illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or marijuana are commonly sold and traded
online, especially on what is known as the "Dark Web".
Electronic Money Laundering
Also known as transaction laundering. It is based on unknown companies or online
business that makes approvable payment methods and credit card transactions but
with incomplete or inconsistent payment information for buying unknown products.

It is by far one of the most common and easy money laundering methods.
Cyber Extortion
Cyber extortion is the demand for money by cybercriminals to give back some
important data they've stolen or stop doing malicious activities such as denial of
service attacks.
Intellectual-property Infringements
It is the violation or breach of any protected intellectual-property rights such as
copyrights and industrial design.
Online Recruitment Fraud
One of the less common cybercrimes that are also growing to become more popular
is the fake job opportunities released by fake companies for the purpose of obtaining
a financial benefit from applicants or even making use of their personal data.

( MUHOOZI OWEN)

How to protect yourself against cybercrime

Given its prevalence, you may be wondering how to stop cybercrime? Here are
some sensible tips to protect your computer and your personal data from cybercrime:

Keep software and operating system updated

Keeping your software and operating system up to date ensures that you benefit
from the latest security patches to protect your computer.

Use anti-virus software and keep it updated

Using anti-virus or a comprehensive internet security solution like Kaspersky Total


Security is a smart way to protect your system from attacks. Anti-virus software
allows you to scan, detect and remove threats before they become a problem.
Updating your anti-virus will enable anti-virus signature database to be able detect
new developed viruses.
Use strong passwords

Be sure to use strong passwords that people will not guess and do not record them
anywhere. Or use a reputable password manager to generate strong passwords
randomly to make this easier.
Never open attachments in spam emails
A classic way that computers get infected by malware attacks and other forms of
cybercrime is via email attachments in spam emails. Never open an attachment from
a sender you do not know.

Do not click on links in spam emails or untrusted websites

Another way people become victims of cybercrime is by clicking on links in spam


emails or other messages, or unfamiliar websites. Avoid doing this to stay safe
online.

Do not give out personal information unless secure

Never give out personal data over the phone or via email unless you are completely
sure the line or email is secure. Make certain that you are speaking to the person
you think you are.

Contact companies directly about suspicious requests

If you are asked for personal information or data from a company who has called
you, hang up. Call them back using the number on their official website to ensure
you are speaking to them and not a cybercriminal. Ideally, use a different phone
because cybercriminals can hold the line open. When you think you’ve re-dailed,
they can pretend to be from the bank or other organization that you think you are
speaking to.

Educate your children about the risks of internet usage and keep monitoring their
activities.

Always be ready to make an immediate reaction when falling victim to cybercrimes


by referring to the police.

Privacy
Privacy is the ability for individuals to keep certain information, activities, and
communications away from public view or unauthorized access. It involves control
over personal information, freedom from surveillance and intrusion, and the ability to
make personal decisions and choices free from outside influence or manipulation.

Four states of privacy

• Solitude – individual separated form the group and freed form the observation of
other persons

• Intimacy – individual is part of a small unit

• Anonymity – individual in public but still seeks and finds freedom from identification
and surveillance

• Reserve – the creation of a psychological barrier against unwanted intrusion -


holding back communication

Attributes of privacy.

Personal identity. Personal identity is so precious since it endows personal privacy.

Social relationships: in societies where marriages are arranged, parents of both


sides or even the people going to get married collect as much information as
possible about the opposite side before committing their son or daughter to
marriage.

Autonomy: humans need to feel they are in control of their destiny. The less
personal information people have on someone the more autonomous that individual
can be especially in decision making.
Forms of privacy violation

Spying and Snooping

When you are online, you are spied by a number of trackers for various
purposes. Trackers keep a record of your search history and track all your online
activities through various means. This provides them a clear picture of who you are
and your interests, which is a breach of online privacy policy and makes you a public
property. Most of the time, this tracking is for advertisement purposes only and it
allows advertisers to show ads according to your taste and interests. But sometimes
this information is used by cybercriminals to carry out unauthorized and illegal
activities risking your online existence.

Information Mishandling

There are various sites on the internet that need your personal information to get
access to their services. These sites often store cookies and save your personal
information and later use it for various purposes. Most of the time this information is
not encrypted and can be accessed by anyone. This mishandling of personal
information may lead to serious consequences. The modern trend of e-banking and
e-business portals have multiplied the risks associated with online privacy. By
sharing your bank details and crucial files on the internet, you are paving ways for
burglars and making yourself vulnerable to cybercriminals.

Interception of information. This occurs when a third-party gains access to the


content of communication between two third parties.

Intrusion: This is unlawful access to someone’s information for example through


hacking.

Impacts of interferences with privacy

Interferences with an individual’s privacy can result in many different types of harm
for an individual such as:
 Reputational damage
 Embarrassment or humiliation
 Emotional damage

References

 Bowker, Art (2012) "The Cybercrime Handbook for Community Corrections:


Managing Risk in the 21st Century" Charles C. Thomas Publishers,
Ltd. Springfield

 Paul Taylor (1999). Hackers: Crime in the Digital Sublime (3 November


1999 ed.). Routledge; 1 edition. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-415-18072-6.
 Parker D (1983) Fighting Computer Crime, U.S.: Charles Scribner's Sons.

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