The Nature of Cyber Crime

Hacking

Hacking is unauthorised access of computer information, by a person. Hacking is committed by computer programmers, who have good knowledge of how computers perform, thus using this knowledge as a means of gaining access to personal information. Hackers use different methods in order to gain access to a computer system, and this may include spoofing or coming up with spywares, which are responsible for collecting personal information from a computer (Burden & Palmer, 2003). Once a computer system has been hacked into, then the hacker can be able to obtain the required information at ease. Hackers may also alter the performance of a computer system, hence leading to the loss of data.

Impact of Hacking on Individuals

            Computer hacking is very serious in individual level, since victims can lose their savings, a move which may lead to bankruptcy. In addition, hackers are also likely to access the victim’s private information, rendering the victim’s life insecure. Due to technological advancements, most people tend to store their personal information in computer systems, since the information can be easily accessed. Hackers consequently have a way of accessing such information, thus affecting the private life of the victim. In addition, a victim’s personal information is likely to be altered, particularly if it’s of influence to the state or to a company, by the hackers in order to favour certain individuals (Marcum et al, 2014). Therefore, it is very significant to store personal information in manual backups, in case of a breach.

Impact of Hacking on both Local and National Levels

            When hackers gain access of both local and national information, then the country’s information might be at stake. Hackers may hack into both local and national information, with the aims of; destabilizing the economy of a country, accessing the private information of an area, and embezzling the funds of either a region or a country as a whole. If the computer systems of a nation are hacked into, then it means that the country is likely to encounter a lot of problems (Holt & Schell, 2011). This is basically because, hackers may target the nation’s finances, a move which might lead the country into poverty. In addition, the economy of a country is likely to collapse, due to the embezzlement of the nation’s finances. Finally, hackers may also gain access to secret military information, a move which might lead to insecurity in a country. Hacking is consequently a serious issue, which might lead to instability in a local or a national level.

How the global nature of cybercrime poses challenges for law enforcement.

            Cybercrime has proved to be a global issue, which cannot be stopped at once. The FBI has arrested most criminals, who were linked to cybercrime. The authorities have been able to arrest these criminals, after committing the crime (Brenner, 2009). According to the authorities, cybercrime is a virtual crime which is committed by people in areas where they cannot be easily seen. In addition, cybercriminals are smart, in the sense that they easily change their tactics, thus making it hard for the authorities to be able to keep up with them. On the other hand, the authorities lack the necessary knowledge of foiling such attacks, thus making cybercrime to dominate (Roscini & Leverhulme, 2014). For instance, in the past, cyber criminals used viruses, as a means of slowing down the performance of a computer system, hence gaining access to the computer systems. This has however changed, since cyber criminals are using different software’s, which pop up as advertisements, thus gathering data from the computer system. Due to the versatility of cyber criminals, this has made it hard for law enforcements to fully eliminate cybercrime.

Reference

Burden, K., & Palmer, C. (2003). Internet crime: Cyber crime — A new breed of criminal? Computer Law & Security Review, 19(3), 222-227. 

Marcum, C. D., Higgins, G. E., Freiburger, T. L., & Ricketts, M. L. (2010). Policing possession of child pornography online: Investigating the training and resources dedicated to the investigation of cyber crime. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 12(4), 516-525. 

Holt, T. J., & Schell, B. H. (2011). Corporate hacking and technology-driven crime: Social dynamics and implications. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference.

Roscini, M., & Leverhulme Trust. (2014). Cyber operations and the use of force in international law.

Brenner, S. W. (2009). Cyberthreats: The emerging fault lines of the nation state. Oxford: Oxford University Press.