Introduction to Computer Crime
Computer crime, or cyber crime, as it is more commonly called, refers to criminal activity that is carried out with the use of a computer and often the Internet. According to Symantec.com, there were over 1,600,000 reported or recorded cyber crime threats in the year 2008 alone, over a million more than the 2007 statistic. Educating yourself on the dangers of computer crime and how to avoid it just may save you from much grief and suffering.
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Common Types
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When it comes to computer crime there are a few different types that are the most common. The first is the creation and release of viruses, spyware and malware. Whether they're so-called "joke" viruses or even harmless, it's still a crime. Illegally accessing a computer is also a crime. This includes hacking, though it can also simply be the unauthorized use of a computer. Cyber bullying, while not always a crime, often crosses the line into harassment, which is.
Piracy
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Piracy, as defined by computer standards, is the illegal download or acquisition of media over the Internet. Commonly pirated material includes software, music, movies, video games and just about anything else digital that can be downloaded. Downloading a CD without the artist or label's permission is just as bad as walking into a music store, putting the physical CD in your pocket and walking out without paying for it--this is stealing, whether what you take is physical or digital.
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The Changing Landscape
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According to Symantec, makers of Norton Antivirus, the cyber crime landscape is slowly changing. In the past, hackers mainly committed their cyber crime for bragging rights amongst the hacker community. Cyber criminals are now much more focused on fraud and monetary gain. Symantec reports that there is an entire black market dedicated to cyber crime. Hackers can go there and buy or sell personal data such as credit card and ID information as well as the tools to steal it from people.
E-Crime and Punishment
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When it comes to punishment for computer crimes, the specific punishment varies depending on the crime and its severity. According to SpamLaws.com, illegally accessing a computer can get you anywhere from six months to five years in prison. If a hacker modifies the computer while hacking into it the punishment is between five and ten years. There are typically heavy fines associated with cyber crimes such as piracy, but some others are not worthy of incarceration.
Protecting Yourself
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Luckily, protecting yourself is typically easy and very cheap. For the best protection you should have one anti-virus program, one anti-spyware/anti-adware program, an anti-malware program and a software firewall. These programs protect against the harmful tools hackers and cyber criminals use to gain access to your computer. It is also very important to regularly update these programs once you do install them, as new viruses are always being added to the lists of known threats.
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