Computer Crime and Cybersecurity

Computer Crimes

• Denial of Service (DoS) attack: flooding a computer system with excessive traffic
• Sources of computer crimes:
• Virus (self-propagating computer program)
• Hacking (attempt to exploit a computer system)
• The era of Viruses and Hacking (1980s-1990s):
• Rise of computer viruses
• Notorious Morris Worm (1988) and hacking of NASA and military systems by Kevin Mitnick (1995)

Motives of Computer Crimes

• Political Activism: promoting or advancing a political agenda
• Vendetta: personal revenge
• Joke/Hoax: spreading false warnings or scare alerts
• Hacker Ethics: a collection of motives that make up the hacker character
• Terrorism: using hacking techniques to cause fear, panic, or harm
• Political and Military Espionage: covert activities to gather proprietary information
• Business and Industrial Espionage: illegal activities to gather proprietary information
• Hate: using technology to perpetuate hate speech, harassment, or discrimination
• Personal Gain/Fame/Fun: selfish motives driving individuals to commit computer crimes

Computer System Attacks

• Penetration Attack: breaking into a computer system using known security vulnerabilities
• Insider Threats: in-house employees compromising security
• Hackers: penetrating a computer system for various reasons
• Criminal Groups: organized associations engaging in illegal activities for financial gain
• Hacktivism: using hacking techniques and cyberattacks to promote or advance political or social causes

Social and Ethical Consequences

• Psychological Effects: individual reclusion
• Moral Decay: erosion of moral values
• Loss of Privacy: invasion of privacy
• Trust: loss of trust in individuals or systems

Entities Involved in a Computer Crime

• Computer: tool used to commit crimes
• Criminal: source of crime
• Victim: innocent victim of the crime

Cyberspace and Related Concepts

• Cyberspace: a global artificial reality environment based on interconnected computer networks
• Telepresence: a feeling of being in a location other than one's actual location
• Cyberethics: moral rules or code of behavior applied to the online environment
• Intellectual Property Rights: rights given to persons over creations of their minds

Cyberspace Problems

• Anonymity: rapid advances in computer and telecommunication technology
• Internet Paradox: conflicting ideas and muddle in the online environment
• Browsing Rights: nature of cyberspace requires Web site materials and user control
• Lack of Control over Cyberspace Services: difficulty in knowing who will use services and how they will be used
• Distributed Liability: unclear responsibility for online activities

IPR in Cyberspace

• Copyright: protects original works of authorship
• Patent: exclusive rights to a process, design, or new invention
• Trade Secrets: confidential information that may be sold or licensed
• Trademark: distinctive sign or symbol
• Personal Identity: ability to control the use of personal information and attributes

Cyberbullying

• Actions that use information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior
• Types of Cyberbullying:
• Harassment: sustained and constant pattern of hurtful or threatening online messages
• Exclusion: deliberately leaving someone out
• Flaming: posting insults and profanity online
• Outing: unwanted and uncalled for online display
• Masquerading: creating a fake profile to bully others

Approaches in Dealing with Cyberbullying

• Awareness: promoting education and awareness programs on digital citizenship, online safety, and responsible internet use
• Legislations: laws and policies with corresponding enforcement to prevent cyberbullying
• Community Support: public awareness activities and community programs to address cyberbullying