It is of no dispute that the realm of Internet presented many wonderful possibilities to the modern world. With the Internet technology, the world became smaller-- and getting even smaller by the second. The World Wide Web opened the information gateway, providing humankind with easy access to unlimited knowledge at a click of a mouse and a tap of the keyboard. The Internet also broke the distance barrier of communication, allowing people from the four corners of the globe to converse and converge.
But there is always two sides to a story, and the story of the Internet is no exception. Even though it offered many advantages and conveniences for everyone, one cannot deny that the domain of the Internet also spawned a new breed of crimes. The many conveniences that Internet provides for the multitude is now being abused and exploited by unscrupulous people. These crooks made the World Wide Web their new home and its Internet savvy crowd, their new victims.
Lawbreaking took another guise in the form of computer or cyber crime. This modern-day mode of wrongdoing takes place in the broad ambit of the Internet by knowledgeable use of computers and computer technology. Most computer criminal activities are usually traditional crimes that are executed via digital means. These cyber crimes are more like extensions of the crimes committed in the real world. It is believed that there are more than thirty known cyber crimes today that fall into different categories: against an individual, against an organization, and against society. The most prevalent cyber crimes are hacking, identity theft, piracy, child pornography, counterfeiting and forgery, fraud, service denial attacks, computer viruses, and vandalism.
Perhaps the widely-known type of cyberspace crime committed is hacking. In layman's terms, hacking is the unauthorized access and use of a computer network or system and of the information within that network. The very first known case of computer hacking can be traced back to mid 20th century when a gang of hackers made their way into the system of several major telephone networks during that time. The unauthorized access enabled the hackers to place long-distance calls for free and allowed them to set up party lines so they can communicate with fellow hackers. In recent years, business conglomerates and different government offices have been losing millions of dollars due to breach of network security caused by hacking. Similarly, great amounts of cash is spent every year to safeguard computer systems against hacking. With this, hacking remains a major concern for individuals and organizations alike.
Identity theft is a serious offense perpetrated against an individual. An identity thief uses an individual's personal information to assume that individual's persona or identity. This criminal also steals an individual's personal information to sell it to another criminal who may use it to take on another identity. An instance of this is when an identity thief gets hold of an individual's Social Security Number. A Social Security Number is inimitable for every individual, and an access to one lets an identity thief acquire all the important documents relating to a particular individual's identity (such as birth certificate), allowing him to use them to steal his victim's identity. Identity theft is very scary -- just imagine a wanted convict impersonating you so he could hide from authorities. What's scarier still is that an identity thief can enter into transactions -- legal or illegal -- using your name and your identity. Unless you can prove it otherwise, the law will see you as the one who had broken the law.
The music industry is among the biggest victims of cyberspace crime. For years, recording companies gain profit through selling of compact discs or CDs. The birth of digital piracy at the turn of the new millennium allowed copyrighted materials to be duplicated and distributed by cyber criminals. The millions of revenue lost by the music industry to piracy every year almost drove the entire business to it knees. File sharing services and peer-to-peer networks only made matters worse, allowing hordes of users to acquire music files through their systems for free. As of the present, the music industry is exerting massive efforts to safeguard their intellectual property rights and to eliminate piracy.
Child pornography is another cyber crime that causes many parents to fear for their kids' safety online. Child pornography means materials depicting children under eighteen years old engaging in sexual acts. The sad truth is, even though there is a wide campaign against this crime, it still continues to flourish. This is because illegal websites promoting child porn can still operate from countries that have sloppy or lax laws against cyber crimes. The domain of Internet also provides the ideal avenue for pedophiles to commit crimes in anonymity. The many virtual chat rooms serve as places where pedophiles can lurk, waiting for their victims.
The technology that the computer age brought with it has its advantages, as well as drawbacks. The gadgets and other nifty devices that were developed to keep up with the changing times proved to be perfect tools for doing illegal activities. With the invention of ink-jet printers, counterfeiters and forgers were able to produce nearly exact copies of documents and currency. According to reports, 19% of counterfeit money in 1997 were produced by ink-jet printers. The utilizing of modern gadgets to produce illegal money forced many countries to redesign their paper currency. Redesigned paper money now contain anti-counterfeiting technology that counterfeiters will not be able to emulate.
The list of computer crimes goes on. As long as there are people out there with the intention of using the conveniences of Internet for doing their dirty work, the number of cyberspace crime cases will continue to increase. Cyber criminals come from all walks of life; sadly, a percentage of cyber criminals is comprised of kids and adolescents of 9 to 18 years old. The belief is that these cyber juvenile delinquents commit illegal cyber activities out of curiosity and willingness to make themselves stand out from kids their age. The much older cyber criminals though, are either motivated by money or by a particular agenda.
Now that you know the murky side of Internet and computer technology, consider yourself warned. There is no need to fear cyber criminals if you take preventive measures to protect yourself and your family from being their next victims. As always, a little caution and prudence go a long way.
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