Introduction about Cyber-crime:
Cyber-crime is nothing but all illegal activities which are carried
out using technology. Cyber-criminals hack user’s personal
computers, smartphones, personal details from social media,
business secrets, national secrets, important personal data, etc
with the help of internet and technology. Hackers are the
criminals who are performing these illegal, malicious activities
on the internet. Though some agencies are trying to tackle this
problem, it is growing regularly and many people have become
victims of identity theft, hacking, and malicious software.
Causes of Cyber Crime:
Cybercriminals always opt for an easy way to make big money.
They target rich people or rich organizations where a huge
amount of money flows daily and hack sensitive information.
Catching such criminals is difficult. Hence, that increases the
number of cyber-crimes across the globe. We could list the
following reasons for the vulnerability of computers:
1. Easy to access computers – Since technology is
complex, it has become very difficult to protect the
computer from viruses and hackers.
2. Size to store computer data in comparatively small
space – The computer has got a distinctive feature of
storing data in a very small space. Due to this, the people
can steal data very easily from any other storage and are
using this for their purpose.
3. Complexity of Code – The computers can run on
operating systems and these operating systems are
programmed with millions of codes. There may have
mistakes in the code. The cyber-criminals take advantage
of these gaps.
4. Negligence of the user – Human beings always neglect
things. So, if we make any negligence in protecting our
computer system which leads the cyber-criminal to the
access and control over the computer system.
5. Loss of evidence – The criminals can easily erase the
data which is related to the crime.
Types of Cyber Crimes
There are many types of cyber-crimes which are explained
below:
1. Hacking: Hacking is defined as an activity to intrude into
your system or gain unauthorized access to your accounts.
2. Children pornography and Abuse: The internet is being
enormously used to abuse children. This is a type of cyber-
crime where criminals exploit minors through chat rooms
for the intention of child pornography.
3. Piracy or Theft: This crime happens when a person
disobeys copyrights and downloads music, movies,
games, and software.
4. Cyber Stalking: This is a online harassment where the
victim is exposed to a cascade of online messages and
emails.
5. Cyber Terrorism: Cyber terrorism is also known as
information wars and can be defined as an act of Internet
terrorism which contains cautious and large-scale strikes
and disturbances of computer networks using computer
viruses or the physical attacks using malware to strike
individuals, governments and other organizations.
6. Identity Theft: Identity theft is the process of stealing your
personal information such as social security number or
driver license to open a bank account or apply for credit
card etc.
7. Computer Vandalism: This is a type of malicious action
that involves the destruction of computers and data in
different ways and certainly disrupting businesses.
8. Malicious Software: This software based on the Internet
or programs that are used to disturb a network. The
software is used to acquire access to a system to loot
diplomatic information or data or causing destruction to the
software which is present in the system.
How to prevent Cyber-Crime?
There are some ways to prevent cyber-crimes are
explained below:
1). Use strong passwords. i) Use separate ID/password
combinations for different accounts, and avoid writing them
down. ii) Make the passwords more complicated by
combining letters, numbers, and special characters. Change
them on a regular basis. iii) Use strong passwords with
upper case, lower case, number and special characters and
minimum of 6 characters. iv) Don‘t use passwords that
contain names, birthdays, phone numbers, etc. v) Don‘t
share passwords across multiple services i.e. same
password for Gmail, Credit Cards, Work, Twitter, etc. vi)
Don‘t use sequential passwords for different services i.e.
ABC10, ABC11, ABC12, etc. vii) Don‘t store your
passwords under your keyboard, in your drawer, in
Outlook, Gmail, Phone, password wallet software, etc. viii)
Best place to store passwords is in your brain; second best
is written on a piece of paper and kept in your wallet. ix)
Never tell your password to anyone, including people from
support, customer service, helpdesk, etc.
2). Secure your computer: i) Enable your firewall:
Firewalls are the first line of cyber defense; they block
connections from suspicious traffic and keep out some
types of viruses and hackers ii) Use anti-virus/malware
software: Prevent viruses from infecting your computer by
installing and regularly updating anti-virus software.
3). Block spyware attacks. Prevent spyware from
infiltrating your computer by installing and updating anti-
spyware software.
4). Install the latest operating system updates: Keep your
applications and operating system (e.g., Windows, Mac,
Linux) current with the latest system updates. Turn on
automatic updates to prevent potential attacks on older
software.
5). Protect your data: Use encryption for your most
sensitive files such as health records, tax returns, and
financial records. Make regular backups of all of your
important data.
6). Secure your wireless network: Wi-Fi (wireless)
networks are vulnerable to intrusion if they are not properly
secured.
7). Protect your e-identity: Be cautious when giving out
personal information such as your name, address, phone
number, or financial information on the Internet. Ensure
that websites are secure, especially when making online
purchases, or ensure that you‘ve enabled privacy settings
(e.g., when accessing/using social networking sites, such as
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). Once something is
posted on the Internet, it may be there forever.
8). Avoid being scammed: Never reply to emails that ask
you to verify your information or confirm your user ID or
password. Don‘t click on a link or file of unknown origin.
Check the source of the message; when in doubt, verify the
source.
Conclusion:
Cybercrime is indeed getting the recognition it deserves. However,
it is not going to be restricted easily. In fact, it is highly likely that
cybercrime and its hackers will continue developing and upgrading
to stay ahead of the law. So, to make us safer we must need cyber
security.
