Cyber Crime Essay

Cyber crime has become a significant problem all over the world. That is why cybercrime agencies have been formed to control it. Most of the crime is done only for money, but some people also use it to defame a person, trying to access someone else’s data, also destroy someone’s computer.

At present, it has become a severe problem for people. To save people from this crime, many laws have been developed worldwide.

Cyber Crime Essay For Students

Cybercrime or a computer-oriented crime is a crime that is oriented with a computer and a network. The computer can be the resource of the crime and can be the target of the crime. It can threaten anybody like – a person, company, nation, security services, etc.

With cybercrime, many privacy concerns are surrounded by which confidential; private information is disclosed or intercepted; lawfully, or unlawfully. Nationally or internationally, both government and non – government organizations are involved in some cybercrimes such as spying, financial theft, cross – border crimes.

U.S. Court believes cyber-crime is a dangerous malicious activity which means there’s a conspiracy to spread viruses in different computers and networks. By doing this, copyright things are significantly damaged.

Types Of CyberCrime

There are many types of cyber-crime through which hackers use to threatened people and defame them. Some of them are enlisted below, along with some of the precaution or preventive measures we can perform to save ourselves against their crimes.

E-mail Fraud

How is it done?

• The E-mail of a user is hacked by using various tools to capture its password of the account. This can be done by sending fraudster emails by faking them with some genuine email providers. The same asked you to update your information related to your account. This directs you to some fake link where you update your credentials, and the information is directly sent to the hacker.
• Sending spam mails having some attachments which contain malware. And when opened, it gets automatically installed on your computer or mobile phone. It can be a keylogger and capture all the keyboard information or screenshot or save your various login credentials and passwords.
• Email accounts have 2- 2-factor authentication, which can also be hacked by sharing OTP with the fraudster.

What happens after it?

• The fraudster can send messages to various people related to you for asking for money by citing emergency purposes excuses that cannot be denied.
• Sending some offensive comments and messages to your contacts to defame the person in society.
• Using the email for unauthorized access to your other accounts such as bank accounts, social media accounts, net – banking, etc.
• Asking money on behalf of you in a different bank account so that he/she can be able to swindle your precious money.

Precautions/Prevention Measures

• Do not open spam or unknown emails. And never click on the links present in such mails or emails.
• Keep your email password long and difficult. Your password should always contain 8 characters; at least one should be upper case, one lower case, one numerical, one special character.
• Do not store your passwords on your phone or device.
• Always change your password at a regular interval of time approximately after every 2-3 months.
• Always have a lock screen password or pattern in your mobile phones, tablet, or laptops, etc. Never left your phone unattended in any public or workplace area.

Social Media Related Crimes

In the present scenario, everyone, irrespective of age and gender, is on social media. People use social media networks to create their social profiles to connect with their known people. Many people on social media have thousands or millions of friends and followers on their personal social media account. But also, in them, there are many fake profiles. These fake profile holders spam legitimate users’ post, defaming or illegal posts and comments. Some of the social media platforms are Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

The following are some of the most targeted activities or crimes committed by accessing various social media:

1. Online stalking, bullying, threats – Many people have complaints about someone stalking his/her via their social media. Making threatening comments about them. Most of such incidents are not reported and gets unpunished.
2. Creating fake profiles – Many fraudsters create fraud/fake profiles of someone and post some degrading contents and morphed photos or videos.

Precautions/Preventive Measures

• Restrict your profile from public searches.
• Never share your social media credentials.
• Do not accept a friend request from unknowns.
• Always log out of your account after each session.
• Keep your privacy at utmost restrictions so that no one can check your account information.

Data Theft

It a type of theft in which the copyrighted data and software are copied and sold illegally in the open market without the permission of the owner company.

For example, when a person has created a software code for a company, someone else reproduces it with a different name and company and sells it in the open market.

Precautions/ Preventive Measures

• Copyright your program code/software/data.
• Never share your complete program code/ data with a single person in the company run your complete software.
• Never allow anyone to copy your code/data in their personal devices or in the company devices to prevent data theft from the devices.
• Always create a license agreement with your customers and users.

Child Pornography

Circulation of any material which can disturb the mind of a child comes under this. Creating such obscene material includes the use of the electronic device, access to material, and distribution. It harms the mind of young children.

Insurance Frauds

These include some fraudsters making a call to know your personal credentials related to your bank accounts, personal details, credit card/debit card information.

Lottery Scams

In this, generally, the fraudster contacts via an email claiming that you have won a whopping amount of money in a lottery. Also, for transferring the money, he/she asked for some commission for which they made you transfer an amount of money once or more.

Bitcoin

As RBI has not legalized the cryptocurrency bitcoin, therefore, the use it should be avoided. The use of bitcoin is done by criminals on the dark web or hidden web. Legal bonafide businesses do not use bitcoin, and if asked any transaction in bitcoins, there should raise suspicion and be avoided.

The list can be extremely long related to cyber-crimes; therefore, only some of them have been discussed above to make you understand some related scams, frauds because of our negligence over computers. It is truly advised to everyone to use computers, mobile phones, tablets etc., safely and update them with time to time scanning anti-virus.

Cyber Crime Causes

Cyber-crimes are escalating because cybercriminals seek an easy way of making huge money. Their main targets are rich people, organizations, casinos, multi-national companies where a huge number of transactions took place on a daily basis. Sometimes, terrorists also use cyber-crime to make an unwanted demand from the government in return for ransomed money or the release of some criminals etc.

The criminal’s hacks in the database of the computers and network and withdraw some sensitive information from there. The catching of these criminals has become very challenging.

Computers are a vulnerable source of these escalating cyber-crimes from which we have to safeguard them. Some of the causes of vulnerability of computers are:

• Easy to access- The main barrier in safeguarding computer from unauthorized access is that it is quite easy to access and breach information via hacking. They can steal access codes, retina images, voice recorders etc., through which they can fool biometric analysis and bypass firewalls that can be utilized to bypass the security systems.
• Capacity to store more data in a small place- As the computer has this unique property of storing more data in just a small place, it is easier for hackers to steal the data from any storage device and use it for their own purpose.
• Negligence- We sometimes conduct such irresponsible behaviour towards protecting our own device because it gets easy access for hackers in our domain.
• Complex- The computer works on the operating system and software’s which are developed through millions of programming codes. And it is quite difficult for a person to remember each and every information, and this is what the hackers take his/her benefits.
• Loss of evidence- Data related to cyber-crime can be easily destroyed. Because of the lack of evidence, it becomes challenging to find the culprit.

Laws Against CyberCrime in India

The increase in the number of cybercrimes on a daily basis led to the need for a strict cyber law under which the cybercriminal should be punished to be implemented. Therefore, the Information Technology Act, 2000 or also known as the Indian Cyber Act 2000 or Internet Law.

After the enactment of the Internet law, all the electronic records online/electronic activities were brought under this law. It also discusses internet security, making online transaction secure and safe. This law not only made digital signatures valid but also provide authentication to the documents with digital signatures.

The IT Law was amended under:

• The Indian Penal Code
• Indian Evidence Act
• The Reserve Bank of India
• The Banker’s Book Evidence Act

The Cyber-crime law’s primary focus is to prevent computer crime, forgery of data and record in e-commerce and digital transactions.

Also Read: Corruption Essay For Students & Kids

The followings steps to be taken while reporting any cyber-crime in India:

• File the complaint in the cyber cell or police station where the crime is committed or where the device is located, which was affected.
• The next step is to know where it is to file the complaint; it can be in online or offline mode by registering against the cyber-crime which has been done. India has two sources: Cyber Cell or Police Station.
• You can go to the police station or can email them, after which they can forward your complaint to the cyber cell, or you can directly email them.

The various agencies working against the cyber-crime worldwide are enlisted below:

• ASEAN
• Australian High Tech Crime Centre
• Cyber Crime Investigation Cell, a wing of Mumbai Police, India
• Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police) formed in Greece in 1995.
• National White Collar Crime Centre, in the United States
• National Cyber Crime Unit, in the United Kingdom

Prevention From Cyber Crime

Cyberlaw can help to prevent various cyber-attacks. But still, as it says, prevention is always better than cure. As a responsible individual, here are some things which we can do to prevent these cyber-attacks.

• Unwanted text message- If you find any unknown source message, always delete it and try not to open any suspicious links present in it.
• Downloads on the device- Always download any files, photos, videos, or document only from the trusted source to avoid any malware or viruses being installed.
• Reviews and Feedback- Before buying anything online, always look for reviews and feedbacks present the product. Try to check the current feedbacks. Do not fall for the seller’s favouring feedback posted on the same date.
• Personal Information- Everyone must have received many calls and messages asking for your personal credentials, which may include your date of birth, credit/debit card, CVV number, etc. Always avoid such types of calls and messages.

Conclusion

Cyber-crime in the past few decades was just a word, but now it is a part of our everyday lives. Criminals use new technologies day by day to commit cyber attacks against individuals, the government, etc. Crimes have no boundaries; they just threatened people worldwide.

Cyber-attacks are increasing at a fast pace, with continuously emerging. Criminals are exploiting the technologies with new methods of committing a crime.

The government has also taken steps to help people from these cybercriminals and made various agencies and cells. Also implemented many laws and punishments for the same.