[dropcap]C[/dropcap]yber crime involves a computer and a network. Debarati Halder and K. Jaishankar define cybercrimes as: “Offences that are committed against individuals or groups of individuals with a criminal motive to intentionally harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental harm, or loss, to the victim directly or indirectly, using modern telecommunication networks such as Internet networks including but not limited to Chat rooms, emails, notice boards and groups and mobile phones.
Cybercrime may threaten a person or a nation’s security and financial health. Issues surrounding these types of crimes have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding hacking, copyright infringement, unwarranted mass-surveillance, child pornography, and child grooming.
There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is intercepted or disclosed, lawfully or otherwise.
Universally both governmental and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes.
Activity crossing international borders and involving the interests of at least one nation state is sometimes referred to as cyberwarfare.
Approximately $1.5 billion was lost in 2012 to online credit and debit card fraud in the US. In 2016, a study by Juniper Research estimated that the costs of cybercrime could be as high as 2.1 trillion by 2019.
The Internet can be a powerful tool, and the convenience it offers to manage business and recreation is invaluable.
Theft and fraud are damaging the positive reputation of the Internet as a medium for business.
Consumers are losing confidence in their own safety on the Internet, and fewer people are making purchases online these days.
There are steps that one can take to decrease chances of becoming a victim, and to help catch cyber-criminals at work.
There are people online who would like to gain access to your personal information.
Do not share this information unless you have initiated the exchange or are absolutely sure of who is receiving it.
Install security and scanning software onto your computer to protect it from online hacking.
Regularly check your credit card and bank statements and keep track of your transactions.
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Also, log into your online accounts frequently. This way, you will be able to notice any changes to your account soon after it happens.
By taking these steps, you can greatly reduce your chance of having your identity stolen, and help to combat this growing problem.
If you are careful not to reveal personal information online, and help to make others aware of the risks, you will be playing a part in making the Internet a safer place for all of us to communicate and conduct business.
In this modern and sophisticated world, people must keep up with technology in order to conduct their daily routines.
They are required to adapt daily to new knowledge and exciting discoveries that are constantly changing the way they live and do business.
Today, videoconferencing with someone around the world can be done electronically, from home.
Technological advances now allow people to carry out the most day- to- day tasks , such as ordering groceries from the store, to the most complex activities, such as performing complicated surgery, all from a separate, remote location. This is a computer connected to the Internet.
The Internet has grown into a vast electronic network that now spans the entire globe, and it will only continue to grow.
People use the Internet in their everyday lives; they rely on it for a safe and accurate exchange of information.
Constantly, personal data such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and passwords are traveling through wires, and also through the air, from one computer to another.
With security measures in place to protect this sort of information online, most people feel safe on the Internet and trust that their personal information will remain confidential.
But, unfortunately, criminals have also adapted to advancements in technology and, these days, people are becoming victims of crimes committed over the Internet.
For years, criminals have been using discarded credit card receipts, bank statements, tax notices, and other bills (often found in the trash) to gain the personal information necessary to assume another person’s identity.
However, on today’s electronic playing field, these criminals have used technology to devise cunning new methods of theft in the form of cyber crimes.
Now, computer hacking and email scams known as phishing are included among the risks of sharing information online.
Computer hackers are able to enter areas of the Internet where they are prohibited and hack in to another computer network.
Once they are inside a computer’s network, they are able to view documents, files, and confidential data and use it for their own personal gain. Both of these cyber crimes have been steadily on the rise in recent years.