Chapter 1 Digital forensics

Cybercrime is any criminal activity that involves a computer, networked device or a network.
While most cybercrimes are carried out in order to generate profit for the cybercriminals,
some cybercrimes are carried out against computers or devices directly to damage or disable
them, while others use computers or networks to spread malware, illegal information, images
or other materials. Some cybercrimes do both -- i.e., target computers to infect them with
viruses, which are then spread to other machines and, sometimes, entire networks.

A primary impact from cybercrime is financial, and cybercrime can include many different
types of profit-driven criminal activity, including ransomware attacks, email and internet
fraud and identity fraud, as well as attempts to steal financial account, credit card or other
payment card information. Cybercriminals may target private personal information, as well as
corporate data for theft and resale
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/cybercrime

THE 12 TYPES OF CYBER CRIME

There are literally a dozen ways in which a cybercrime can be perpretrated, and you
need to know what they are
In order to protect yourself you need to know about the different ways in which your
computer can be compromised and your privacy infringed. In this section, we discuss a few
common tools and techniques employed by the cyber criminals. This isn’t an exhaustive list by
any means, but will give you a comprehensive idea of the loopholes in
networks and security systems, which can be exploited by attackers, and also their possible
motives for doing so.
1. Hacking
In simple words, hacking is an act committed by an intruder by accessing your computer
system without your permission. Hackers (the people doing the ‘hacking’) are basically
computer programmers, who have an advanced understanding of computers and commonly
misuse this knowledge for devious reasons. They’re usually technology buffs who have expert-
level skills in one particular software program or language. As for motives, there could be
several, but the most common are pretty simple and can be explained by a human tendancy
such as greed, fame, power, etc. Some people do it purely to show-off their expertise – ranging
from relatively harmless activities such as modifying software (and even hardware) to carry
out tasks that are outside the creator’s intent, others just want to cause destruction.
Greed and sometimes voyeuristic tendancies may cause a hacker to break into systems to steal
personal banking information, a corporation’s financial data, etc. They also try and modify
systems so hat they can execute tasks at their whims. Hackers displaying such destructive
conduct are also called “Crackers” at times. they are also called “Black Hat” hackers On the
other hand, there are those who develop an interest in computer hacking just out of
intellectual curiosity. Some companies hire these computer enthusiasts to find flaws in their
security systems and help fix them. Referred to as “White Hat” hackers, these guys are against
the abuse of computer systems. They attempt to break into network systems purely to alert
the owners of flaws. It’s not always altruistic, though, because many do this for fame as well, in
order to land jobs with top companies, or just to be termed as security experts. “Grey Hat” is
another term used to refer to hacking activities that are a cross between black and white
hacking.

Some of the most famous computer geniuses were once hackers who went on to use their
skills for constructive technological development. Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, the
creators of the UNIX operating system (Linux’s predecessor), were two of them. Shawn
Fanning, the developer of Napster, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame, and many more are
also examples. The first step towards preventing hackers from gaining access to your systems
is to learn how hacking is done. Of course it is beyond the scope of this Fast Track to go into
great details, but we will cover the various techniques used by hackers to get to you via the
internet.
a. SQL Injections: An SQL injection is a technique that allows hackers to play upon the
security vulnerabilities of the software that runs a web site. It can be used to attack any type of
unprotected or improperly protected SQL database. This process involves entering portions of
SQL code into a web form entry field – most commonly usernames and passwords – to give the
hacker further access to the site backend, or to a particular
user’s account. When you enter logon information into sign-in fields, this information is
typically converted to an SQL command. This command checks the data you’ve entered against
the relevant table in the database. If your input data matches the data in the table, you’re
granted access, if not, you get the kind of error you would have seen when you put in a wrong
password. An SQL injection is usually an additional command that when inserted into the web
form, tries to change the content of the database to reflect a successful login. It can also be
used to retrieve information such as credit card numbers or passwords from unprotected
sites.
b. Theft of FTP Passwords: This is another very common way to tamper with web sites. FTP
password hacking takes advantage of the fact that many webmasters store their website login
information on their poorly protected PCs. The thief searches the victim’s system for FTP login
details, and then relays them to his own remote computer. He then logs into the web site via
the remote computer and modifies the web pages as he or she pleases.
c. Cross-site scripting:
Also known as XSS (formerly CSS, but renamed due to confusion with cascading style sheets),
is a very easy way of circumventing a security system. Cross-site scripting is a hard-to-find
loophole in a web site, making it vulnerable to attack. In a typical XSS attack, the hacker infects
a web page with a malicious client-side script or program. Cross-site Scripting (XSS) is a
client-side code injection attack. The attacker aims to execute malicious scripts in a web
browser of the victim by including malicious code in a legitimate web page or web application.
The actual attack occurs when the victim visits the web page or web application that executes
the malicious code. The web page or web application becomes a vehicle to deliver the
malicious script to the user’s browser. Vulnerable vehicles that are commonly used for Cross-
site Scripting attacks are forums, message boards, and web pages that allow comments.When
you visit this web page, the script is automatically downloaded to your browser and executed.
Typically, attackers inject HTML, JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX or Flash into a vulnerable
application to deceive you and gather confidential information. If you want to protect your PC
from malicious hackers, investing in a good firewall should be first and foremost. Hacking is
done through a network, so it’s very important to stay safe while using the internet. You’ll read
more about safety tips in the last chapter of this book.
2. Virus dissemination
Viruses are computer programs that attach themselves to or infect a system or files, and have
a tendency to circulate to other computers on a network. They disrupt the computer operation
and affect the data stored – either by modifying it or by deleting it altogether. “Worms” unlike
viruses don’t need a host to cling on to. They merely replicate until they eat up all available
memory in the system. The term “worm” is sometimes used to mean selfreplicating “malware”
(MALicious softWARE). These terms are often used interchangeably in the context of the
hybrid viruses/worms that dominate

Although mankind’s best invention, the net is still a minefield of threats

the current virus scenario. “Trojan horses” are different from viruses in their manner of
propagation.
They masquerade as a legitimate file, such as an email attachment from a supposed friend
with a very believable name, and don’t disseminate themselves. The user can also
unknowingly install a Trojan-infected program via drive-by downloads when visiting a
website, playing online games or using internet-driven applications. A Trojan horse can cause
damage similar to other viruses, such as steal information or hamper/disrupt the functioning
of computer systems.

A simple diagram to show how malware can propogate

How des this happen? Well, the malicious code or virus is inserted into the chain of command
so that when the infected program is run, the viral code is also executed (or in some cases,
runs instead of the legitimate program). Viruses are usually seen as extraneous code attached
to a host program, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, the environment is manipulated
so that calling a legitimate uninfected program calls the viral program. The viral program may
also be executed before any other program is run. This can virtually infect every executable
file on the computer, even though none of those files’ code was actually tampered with.
Viruses that follow this modus operandi include “cluster” or “FAT” (File Allocation Table)
viruses, which redirect system pointers to infected files, associate viruses and viruses that
modify the Windows Registry directory entries so that their own code is executed before any
other legitimate program.

Computer viruses usually spread via removable media or the internet. A flash disk, CD-ROM,
magnetic tape or other storage device that has been in an infected computer infects all future
computers in which it’s used. Your computer can also contract viruses from sinister email
attachments, rogue web sites or infected software. And these disseminate to every other
computer on your network.

All computer viruses cause direct or indirect economic damages. Based on this, there are two
categories of viruses:
1) Those that only disseminate and don’t cause intentional damage
2) Those which are programmed to cause damage.
However, even by disseminating, they take up plenty of memory space, and time and resources
that are spent on the clean-up job. Direct economic damages are caused when viruses alter the
information during digital transmission. Considerable expenses are incurred by individuals,
firms and authorities for developing and implementing the anti-virus tools to protect
computer systems.
3. Logic bombs
A logic bomb, also known as “slag code”, is a malicious piece of code which is intentionally
inserted into software to execute a malicious task when triggered by a specific event. It’s not a
virus, although it usually behaves in a similar manner. It is stealthily inserted into the program
where it lies dormant until specified conditions are met. Malicious software such as viruses
and worms often contain logic bombs which are triggered at a specific payload or at a
predefined time. The payload of a logic bomb is unknown to the user of the software, and the
task that it executes unwanted. Program codes that are scheduled to execute at a particular
time are known as “time-bombs”. For example, the infamous “Friday the 13th” virus which
attacked the host systems only on specific dates; it “exploded” (duplicated itself) every Friday
that happened to be the thirteenth of a month, thus causing system slowdowns.
Logic bombs are usually employed by disgruntled employees working in the IT sector. You
may have heard of “disgruntled employee syndrome” wherein angry employees who’ve been
fired use logic bombs to delete the databases of their employers, stultify the network for a
while or even do insider trading. Triggers associated with the execution of logic bombs can be
a specific date and time, a missing entry from a database or not putting in a command at the
usual time, meaning the person doesn’t work there anymore. Most logic bombs stay only in
the network they were employed in. So in most cases, they’re an insider job. This makes them
easier to design and execute than a virus. It doesn’t need to replicate; which is a more complex
job. To keep your network protected from the logic bombs, you need constant monitoring of
the data and efficient anti-virus software on each of the computers in the network.

There’s another use for the type of action carried out in a logic bomb “explosion” – to make
restricted software trials. The embedded piece of code destroys the software after a defined
period of time or renders it unusable until the user pays for its further use. Although this piece
of code uses the same technique as a logic bomb, it has a non-destructive, non-malicious and
user-transparent use, and is not typically referred to as one.
4. Denial-of-Service attack
A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is an explicit attempt by attackers to deny service to intended
users of that service. It involves flooding a computer resource with more requests than it can
handle consuming its available bandwidth which results in server overload. This causes the
resource (e.g. a web server) to crash or slow down significantly so that no one can access it.
Using this technique, the attacker can render a web site inoperable by sending massive
amounts of traffic to the targeted site. A site may temporarily malfunction or crash completely,
in any case resulting in inability of the system to communicate adequately. DoS attacks violate
the acceptable use policies of virtually all internet service providers.
Another variation to a denial-of-service attack is known as a “Distributed Denial of Service”
(DDoS) attack wherein a number of geographically widespread perpetrators flood the
network traffic. Denial-of-Service attacks typically target high profile web site servers
belonging to banks and credit card payment gateways. Websites of companies such as
Amazon, CNN, Yahoo, Twitter and eBay! are not spared either.
5. Phishing
This a technique of extracting confidential information such as credit card numbers and
username password combos by masquerading as a legitimate enterprise. Phishing is typically
carried out by email spoofing. You’ve probably received email containing links to legitimate
appearing websites. You probably found it suspicious and didn’t click the link. Smart move.

How phishing can net some really interesting catches

The malware would have installed itself on your computer and stolen private information.
Cyber-criminals use social engineering to trick you into downloading malware off the internet
or make you fill in your personal information under false pretenses. A phishing scam in an
email message can be evaded by keeping certain things in mind.

 Look for spelling mistakes in the text. Cyber-criminals are not known for their
grammar and spelling.
 Hover your cursor over the hyperlinked URL but don’t click. Check if the address
matches with the one written in the message.
 Watch out for fake threats. Did you receive a message saying “Your email account will
be closed if you don’t reply to this email”? They might trick you by threatening that
your security has been compromised.
 Attackers use the names and logos of well-known web sites to deceive you. The
graphics and the web addresses used in the email are strikingly similar to the
legitimate ones, but they lead you to phony sites.

Not all phishing is done via email or web sites. Vishing (voice phishing) involves calls to
victims using fake identity fooling you into considering the call to be from a trusted
organisation. They may claim to be from a bank asking you to dial a number (provided by VoIP
service and owned by attacker) and enter your account details. Once you do that, your account
security is compromised. Treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism and never provide
any personal information. Many banks have issued preemptive warnings informing their users
of phishing scams and the do’s and don’ts regarding your account information. Those of you
reading Digit for long enough will remember that we successfully phished hundreds of our
readers by reporting a way to hack other people’s gmail accounts by sending an email to a
made up account with your own username and password… and we did that years ago in a
story about , yes, you guessed it, phishing!
6. Email bombing and spamming
Email bombing is characterised by an abuser sending huge volumes of email to a target
address resulting in victim’s email account or mail servers crashing. The message is
meaningless and excessively long in order to consume network resources. If multiple accounts
of a mail server are targeted, it may have a denial-of-service impact. Such mail arriving
frequently in your inbox can be easily detected by spam filters. Email bombing is commonly
carried out using botnets (private internet connected computers whose security has been
compromised by malware and under the attacker’s control) as a DDoS attack.
This type of attack is more difficult to control due to multiple source addresses and the bots
which are programmed to send different messages to defeat spam filters. “Spamming” is a
variant of email bombing. Here unsolicited bulk messages are sent to a large number of users,
indiscriminately. Opening links given in spam mails may lead you to phishing web sites
hosting malware. Spam mail may also have infected files as attachments. Email spamming
worsens when the recipient replies to the email causing all the original addressees to receive
the reply. Spammers collect email addresses from customer lists, newsgroups, chat-rooms,
web sites and viruses which harvest users’ address books, and sell them to other spammers as
well. A large amount of spam is sent to invalid email addresses.

Email filters cleaning out spam mail

Sending spam violates the acceptable use policy (AUP) of almost all internet service providers.
If your system suddenly becomes sluggish (email loads slowly or doesn’t appear to be sent or
received), the reason may be that your mailer is processing a large number of messages.
Unfortunately, at this time, there’s no way to completely prevent email bombing and spam
mails as it’s impossible to predict the origin of the next attack. However, what you can do is
identify the source of the spam mails and have your router configured to block any incoming
packets from that address.
7. Web jacking
Web jacking derives its name from “hijacking”. Here, the hacker takes control of a web site
fraudulently. He may change the content of the original site or even redirect the user to
another fake similar looking page controlled by him. The owner of the web site has no more
control and the attacker may use the web site for his own selfish interests. Cases have been
reported where the attacker has asked for ransom, and even posted obscene material on the
site.
The web jacking method attack may be used to create a clone of the web site, and present the
victim with the new link saying that the site has moved. Unlike usual phishing methods, when
you hover your cursor over the link provided, the URL presented will be the original one, and
not the attacker’s site. But when you click on the new link, it opens and is quickly replaced
with the malicious web server. The name on the address bar will be slightly different from the
original website that can trick the user into thinking it’s a legitimate site. For example, “gmail”
may direct you to “gmai1”. Notice the one in place of ‘L’. It can be easily overlooked.
 Obviously not gmail.com, but still enough people click

Web jacking can also be done by sending a counterfeit message to the registrar controlling the
domain name registration, under a false identity asking him to connect a domain name to the
webjacker’s IP address, thus sending unsuspecting consumers who enter that particular
domain name to a website controlled by the webjacker. The purpose of this attack is to try to
harvest the credentials, usernames, passwords and account numbers of users by using a fake
web page with a valid link which opens when the user is redirected to it after opening the
legitimate site.
8. Cyber stalking
Cyber stalking is a new form of internet crime in our society when a person is pursued or
followed online. A cyber stalker doesn’t physically follow his victim; he does it virtually by
following his online activity to harvest information about the stalkee and harass him or her
and make threats using verbal intimidation. It’s an invasion of one’s online privacy.
Cyber stalking uses the internet or any other electronic means and is different from offline
stalking, but is usually accompanied by it. Most victims of this crime are women who are
stalked by men and children who are stalked by adult predators and pedophiles. Cyber
stalkers thrive on inexperienced web users who are not well aware of netiquette and the rules
of internet safety. A cyber stalker may be a stranger, but could just as easily be someone you
know.

Cyber stalkers harass their victims via email, chat rooms, web sites, discussion forums and
open publishing web sites (e.g. blogs). The availability of free email / web site space and the
anonymity provided by chat rooms and forums has contributed to the increase of cyber
stalking incidents. Everyone has an online presence nowadays, and it’s really easy to do a
Google search and get one’s name, alias, contact number and address, contributing to the
menace that is cyber stalking. As the internet is increasingly becoming an integral part of our
personal and professional lives, stalkers can take advantage of the ease of communications
and the availability of personal information only a few mouse clicks away. In addition, the
anonymous and non-confrontational nature of internet communications further tosses away
any disincentives in the way of cyber stalking. Cyber stalking is done in two primary ways:

 Internet Stalking: Here the stalker harasses the victim via the internet. Unsolicited
email is the most common way of threatening someone, and the stalker may even send
obscene content and viruses by email. However, viruses and unsolicited telemarketing
email alone do not constitute cyber stalking. But if email is sent repeatedly in an
attempt to intimidate the recipient, they may be considered as stalking. Internet
stalking is not limited to email; stalkers can more comprehensively use the internet to
harass the victims. Any other cyber-crime that we’ve already read about, if done with
an intention to threaten, harass, or slander the victim may amount to cyber stalking.

 Computer Stalking: The more technologically advanced stalkers apply their computer
skills to assist them with the crime. They gain unauthorised control of the victim’s
computer by exploiting the working of the internet and the Windows operating system.
 Though this is usually done by proficient and computer savvy stalkers, instructions on
how to accomplish this are easily available on the internet.

Cyber stalking has now spread its wings to social networking. With the increased use of social
media such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, your profile, photos, and status updates
are up for the world to see. Your online presence provides enough information for you to
become a potential victim of stalking without even being aware of the risk. With the “check-
ins”, the “life-events”, apps which access your personal information and the need to put up just
about everything that you’re doing and where you’re doing it, one doesn’t really leave
anything for the stalkers to figure out for themselves. Social networking technology provides a
social and collaborative platform for internet users to interact, express their thoughts and
share almost everything about their lives. Though it promotes socialisation amongst people,
along the way it contributes to the rise of internet violations.
9. Data diddling
Data Diddling is unauthorised altering of data before or during entry into a computer system,
and then changing it back after processing is done. Using this technique, the attacker may
modify the expected output and is difficult to track. In other words, the original information to
be entered is changed, either by a person typing in the data, a virus that’s programmed to
change the data, the programmer of the database or application, or anyone else involved in the
process of creating, recording, encoding, examining, checking, converting or transmitting data.
This is one of the simplest methods of committing a computer-related crime, because even a
computer amateur can do it. Despite this being an effortless task, it can have detrimental
effects. For example, a person responsible for accounting may change data about themselves
or a friend or relative showing that they’re paid in full. By altering or failing to enter the
information, they’re able to steal from the enterprise. Other examples include forging or
counterfeiting documents and exchanging valid computer tapes or cards with prepared
replacements. Electricity boards in India have been victims of data diddling by computer
criminals when private parties were computerizing their systems.
10. Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your identity and pretends to be you to access
resources such as credit cards, bank accounts and other benefits in your name. The imposter
may also use your identity to commit other crimes. “Credit card fraud” is a wide ranging term
for crimes involving identity theft where the criminal uses your credit card to fund his
transactions. Credit card fraud is identity theft in its simplest form. The most common case of
credit card fraud is your pre-approved card falling into someone else’s hands.

Credit card fraud is the most common way for hackers to steal yoiur money
He can use it to buy anything until you report to the authorities and get your card blocked. The
only security measure on credit card purchases is the signature on the receipt but that can
very easily be forged. However, in some countries the merchant may even ask you for an ID or
a PIN. Some credit card companies have software to estimate the probability of fraud. If an
unusually large transaction is made, the issuer may even call you to verify.
Often people forget to collect their copy of the credit card receipt after eating at restaurants or
elsewhere when they pay by credit card. These receipts have your credit card number and
your signature for anyone to see and use. With only this information, someone can make
purchases online or by phone. You won’t notice it until you get your monthly statement, which
is why you should carefully study your statements. Make sure the website is trustworthy and
secure when shopping online. Some hackers may get a hold of your credit card number by
employing phishing techniques. Sometimes a tiny padlock icon appears on the left screen
corner of the address bar on your browser which provides a higher level of security for data
transmission. If you click on it, it will also tell you the encryption software it uses.

A more serious concern is the use of your personal information with the help of stolen or fake
documents to open accounts (or even worse, using your existing account) to take a loan in
your name. These unscrupulous people can collect your personal details from your mailbox or
trash can (remember to shred all sensitive documents). Think of all the important details
printed on those receipts, pay stubs and other documents. You won’t know a thing until the
credit card people track you down and tail you until you clear all your dues. Then for months
and months you’ll be fighting to get your credit restored and your name cleared.

With rising cases of credit card fraud, many financial institutions have stepped in with
software solutions to monitor your credit and guard your identity. ID theft insurance can be
taken to recover lost wages and restore your credit. But before you spend a fortune on these
services, apply the no-cost, common sense measures to avert such a crime.
11. Salami slicing attack
A “salami slicing attack” or “salami fraud” is a technique by which cyber-criminals steal money
or resources a bit at a time so that there’s no noticeable difference in overall size. The
perpetrator gets away with these little pieces from a large number of resources and thus
accumulates a considerable amount over a period of time. The essence of this method is the
failure to detect the misappropriation. The most classic approach is “collect-the-roundoff”
technique. Most calculations are carried out in a particular currency are rounded off up to the
nearest number about half the time and down the rest of the time. If a programmer decides to
collect these excess fractions of rupees to a separate account, no net loss to the system seems
apparent. This is done by carefully transferring the funds into the perpetrator’s account.
Attackers insert a program into the system to automatically carry out the task. Logic bombs
may also be employed by unsatisfied greedy employees who exploit their know-how of the
network and/or privileged access to the system. In this technique, the criminal programs the
arithmetic calculators to automatically modify data, such as in interest calculations.

Stealing money electronically is the most common use of the salami slicing technique, but it’s
not restricted to money laundering. The salami technique can also be applied to gather little
bits of information over a period of time to deduce an overall picture of an organisation. This
act of distributed information gathering may be against an individual or an organisation. Data
can be collected from web sites, advertisements, documents collected from trash cans, and the
like, gradually building up a whole database of factual
intelligence about the target.
Since the amount of misappropriation is just below the threshold of perception, we need to be
more vigilant. Careful examination of our assets, transactions and every other dealing
including sharing of confidential information with others might help reduce the chances of an
attack by this method.
12. Software Piracy
Thanks to the internet and torrents, you can find almost any movie, software or song from any
origin for free. Internet piracy is an integral part of our lives which knowingly or unknowingly
we all contribute to. This way, the profits of the resource developers are being cut down. It’s
not just about using someone else’s intellectual property illegally but also passing it on to your
friends further reducing the revenue they deserve.

Piracy is rampant in India, but you knew that

Software piracy is the unauthorised use and distribution of computer software. Software
developers work hard to develop these programs, and piracy curbs their ability to generate
enoughrevenue to sustain application development. This affects the whole global economy as
funds are relayed from other sectors which results in less investment in marketing and
research.
The following constitute software piracy:

 Loading unlicensed software on your PC

 Using single-licensed software on multiple computers
 Using a key generator to circumvent copy protection
 Distributing a licensed or unlicensed (“cracked”) version of software over the internet
and offline

“Cloning” is another threat. It happens when someone copies the idea behind your software
and writes his own code. Since ideas are not copy protected across borders all the time, this
isn’t strictly illegal. A software “crack” is an illegally obtained version of the software which
works its way around the encoded copy prevention. Users of pirated software may use a key
generator to generate a “serial” number which unlocks an evaluation version of the software,
thus defeating the copy protection. Software cracking and using unauthorised keys are illegal
acts of copyright infringement.

Using pirated material comes with its own risks. The pirated software may contain Trojans,
viruses, worms and other malware, since pirates will often infect software with malicious
code. Users of pirated software may be punished by the law for illegal use of copyrighted
material. Plus you won’t get the software support that is provided by the developers.
To protect your software from piracy if you’re a developer, you should apply strong safeguards.
Some websites sell software with a “digital fingerprint” that helps in tracing back the pirated
copies to the source. Another common method is hardware locking. Using this, the software
license is locked to a specific computer hardware, such that it runs only on that computer.
Unfortunately, hackers continue to find their way around these measures.
13. Others
So far we’ve discussed the dedicated methods of committing cyber crimes. In a nutshell, any
offence committed using electronic means such as net extortion, cyber bullying, child
pornography and internet fraud is termed as cyber crime. The internet is a huge breeding
ground for pornography, which has often been subject to censorship on grounds of obscenity.
But what may be considered obscene in India, might not be considered so in other countries.
Since every country has a different legal stand on this subject matter, pornography is rampant
online. However, according to the Indian Constitution, largely, pornography falls under the
category of obscenity and is punishable by law. Child pornography is a serious offence, and can
attract the harshest punishments provided for by law. Pedophiles lurk in chat rooms to lure
children. The internet allows long-term victimisation of such children, because the pictures
once put up, spread like wild-fire, and may never get taken down completely. Internet crimes
against children are a matter of grave concern, and are being addressed by the authorities, but
this problem has no easy solution.

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Top Cyber Crime Prevention Tips

1. Use Strong Passwords
Use different user ID / password combinations for different accounts and avoid writing
them down. Make the passwords more complicated by combining letters, numbers,
special characters (minimum 10 characters in total) and change them on a regular
basis.
2. Secure your computer
 Activate your firewall
Firewalls are the first line of cyber defense; they block connections to unknown
or bogus sites and will keep out some types of viruses and hackers.
 Use anti-virus/malware software
Prevent viruses from infecting your computer by installing and regularly
updating anti-virus software.
 Block spyware attacks
Prevent spyware from infiltrating your computer by installing and updating
anti-spyware software.
3. Be Social-Media Savvy
Make sure your social networking profiles (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MSN, etc.)
are set to private. Check your security settings. Be careful what information you post
online. Once it is on the Internet, it is there forever!
4. Secure your Mobile Devices
Be aware that your mobile device is vulnerable to viruses and hackers. Download
applications from trusted sources.
5. Install the latest operating system updates
Keep your applications and operating system (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux) current with
the latest system updates. Turn on automatic updates to prevent potential attacks on
 older software.
6. Protect your Data
Use encryption for your most sensitive files such as tax returns or financial records,
make regular back-ups of all your important data, and store it in another location.
7. Secure your wireless network
Wi-Fi (wireless) networks at home are vulnerable to intrusion if they are not properly
secured. Review and modify default settings. Public Wi-Fi, a.k.a. “Hot Spots”, are also
vulnerable. Avoid conducting financial or corporate transactions on these networks.
8. Protect your e-identity
Be cautious when giving out personal information such as your name, address, phone
number or financial information on the Internet. Make sure that websites are secure
(e.g. when making online purchases) or that you’ve enabled privacy settings (e.g. when
accessing/using social networking sites).
9. Avoid being scammed
Always think before you click on a link or file of unknown origin. Don’t feel pressured
by any emails. Check the source of the message. When in doubt, verify the source.
Never reply to emails that ask you to verify your information or confirm your user ID or
password.
10. Call the right person for help
Don’t panic! If you are a victim, if you encounter illegal Internet content (e.g. child
exploitation) or if you suspect a computer crime, identity theft or a commercial scam,
report this to your local police. If you need help with maintenance or software
installation on your computer, consult with your service provider or a certified
computer technician.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/to-ot/tis-set/cyber-tips-conseils-eng.htm

Never disclose your personal information publicly on websites. This is as good as disclosing
your identity to strangers in public place.
Always avoid sending any photograph online particularly to strangers and chat friends as
there have been incidents of misuse of the photographs.
Never enter your credit card number to any site that is not secured, to prevent its misuse.
Always keep a watch on the sites that your children are accessing to prevent any kind of
harassment or depravation in children
To prevent loss of data due to virus attacks, always keep back up of your data.
It is advisable to use a security program that gives control over the cookies and send
information back to the site, as leaving the cookies unguarded might prove fatal. ( how to
guard the cookies)

Website owners should watch traffic and check any irregularity on the site. Putting host-based
intrusion detection devices on servers will serve the purpose.
http://cybertimes.in/?q=node/540

Look for HTTPS

Always look for HTTPS in the address bar of your browser when visiting any sites where you’ll
provide personal or financial details, such as shopping and banking sites. This identifies that
the website is using a security certificate the encrypts the data sent between you and the site.
Most browsers provide details on a site’s security certificate to help you determine if a site’s
legitimate or not. Taking those few extra seconds is just one way to take charge of cybercrime
prevention.

Avoid Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is a playground for hackers. Most data isn’t encrypted, so it’s easy to pick up
credentials as you log in to email, social media, and banking sites. For best results, avoid using
public Wi-Fi or use a VPN to protect your data.

Check the Site You’re Shopping On

While you might feel safer on major websites, such as Amazon, it’s a good idea to protect
yourself by looking for warning signs on any site you shop on. Scammers may lure you in only
to steal your information. Some signs to watch for include:

 Numerous grammatical mistakes

 Currency listed strangely, such as 100$ versus $100
 Extremely low prices – if it’s too good to be true, it probably is
 URLs with hyphens and symbols, such as shop-here-low-prices.com
 No privacy policy
 No HTTPS

Limit Online Sharing

Cybercriminals can learn intimate details about your life simply by how much you share on
social media. They can figure out your passwords, especially those that use important dates or
family and pet names in them. They know what sites and apps you use. For best results, limit
your sharing. Set your social media profiles to private so only your friends see what you post.

Skip Emails and Texts You Don’t Recognize

Phishing emails, texts, and social media posts are easy to avoid. If something seems odd or you
don’t recognize the sender, delete or avoid it. Sadly, 30% of phishing emails get opened,
leading to identity theft, malware, and ransomware. Cybercrime prevention means avoiding
any messages you don’t trust.
If you receive a message from a site you use that tells you that something’s wrong with your
account, don’t click the link in the email. Instead, exit the email and visit the website directly
via your browser. If you can’t find any issues, contact customer service to explain the email. It’s
safer and prevents many phishing scams from succeeding.

Stay Updated
One of the easiest things you can do is keep your operating system and browser updated.
https://www.digitalcare.org/cybercrime-prevention-tips/

Ethical Hacking is identifying weakness in computer systems and/or computer networks and
coming with countermeasures that protect the weaknesses. Ethical hackers must abide by the
following rules.

 Get written permission from the owner of the computer system and/or computer
network before hacking.
 Protect the privacy of the organization been hacked.
 Transparently report all the identified weaknesses in the computer system to the
organization.
 Inform hardware and software vendors of the identified weaknesses.
https://www.guru99.com/what-is-hacking-an-introduction.html

Ethical Hacker (White hat): A hacker who gains access to systems with a view to fix the
identified weaknesses. They may also perform penetration Testing and vulnerability
assessments.
Cracker (Black hat): A hacker who gains unauthorized access to computer systems for
personal gain. The intent is usually to steal corporate data, violate privacy rights, transfer
funds from bank accounts etc.
Grey hat: A hacker who is in between ethical and black hat hackers. He/she breaks into
computer systems without authority with a view to identify weaknesses and reveal them to
the system owner.
Script kiddies: A non-skilled person who gains access to computer systems using already
made tools.
Hacktivist: A hacker who use hacking to send social, religious, and political, etc. messages.
This is usually done by hijacking websites and leaving the message on the hijacked website.
Phreaker: A hacker who identifies and exploits weaknesses in telephones instead of
computers.

https://www.guru99.com/what-is-hacking-an-introduction.html
Miscellaneous Hackers
Apart from the above well-known classes of hackers, we have the following categories of
hackers based on what they hack and how they do it −

Red Hat Hackers

Red hat hackers are again a blend of both black hat and white hat hackers. They are usually on
the level of hacking government agencies, top-secret information hubs, and generally anything
that falls under the category of sensitive information.

Blue Hat Hackers

A blue hat hacker is someone outside computer security consulting firms who is used to bug-
test a system prior to its launch. They look for loopholes that can be exploited and try to close
these gaps. Microsoft also uses the term BlueHat to represent a series of security briefing
events.

Elite Hackers
This is a social status among hackers, which is used to describe the most skilled. Newly
discovered exploits will circulate among these hackers.

Neophyte
A neophyte, "n00b", or "newbie" or "Green Hat Hacker" is someone who is new to hacking or
phreaking and has almost no knowledge or experience of the workings of technology and
hacking.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/ethical_hacking/ethical_hacking_hacker_types.htm

8. State/Nation Sponsored Hackers

State or Nation sponsored hackers are those who have been employed by their state or
nation's government to snoop in and penetrate through full security to gain confidential
information from other governments to stay at the top online.

They have an endless budget and extremely advanced tools at their disposal to target
individuals, companies or rival nations.

A malicious insider or a whistleblower may be an employee with a grudge or a strategic

employee compromised or hired by rivals to garner trade secrets of their opponents to stay on
top of their game.
These hackers may take privilege from their easy access to information and their role within
the company to hack the system.
https://www.malwarefox.com/types-of-hackers/
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the phase where the attacker gathers information about a target using
active or passive means. The tools that are widely used in this process are NMAP, Hping,
Maltego, and Google Dorks.

Scanning
In this process, the attacker begins to actively probe a target machine or network for
vulnerabilities that can be exploited. The tools used in this process are Nessus, Nexpose, and
NMAP.

Gaining Access
In this process, the vulnerability is located and you attempt to exploit it in order to enter into
the system. The primary tool that is used in this process is Metasploit.

Maintaining Access
It is the process where the hacker has already gained access into a system. After gaining
access, the hacker installs some backdoors in order to enter into the system when he needs
access in this owned system in future. Metasploit is the preferred tool in this process.

Clearing Tracks
This process is actually an unethical activity. It has to do with the deletion of logs of all the
activities that take place during the hacking process.