cyber crime essay definition

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• Introduction

Defining cybercrime

• Identity theft and invasion of privacy
• Internet fraud
• File sharing and piracy
• Counterfeiting and forgery
• Child pornography
• Computer viruses
• Denial of service attacks
• Spam, steganography, and e-mail hacking

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• Federal Bereau of Investigation - What We Investigate - The Cyber Threat
• College of DuPage Digital Press - Computers and Criminal Justice - Introduction to Cybercrime
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• Table Of Contents

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cybercrime , the use of a computer as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing fraud , trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing identities , or violating privacy. Cybercrime, especially through the Internet , has grown in importance as the computer has become central to commerce, entertainment, and government.

Because of the early and widespread adoption of computers and the Internet in the United States , most of the earliest victims and villains of cybercrime were Americans. By the 21st century, though, hardly a hamlet remained anywhere in the world that had not been touched by cybercrime of one sort or another.

New technologies create new criminal opportunities but few new types of crime . What distinguishes cybercrime from traditional criminal activity? Obviously, one difference is the use of the digital computer , but technology alone is insufficient for any distinction that might exist between different realms of criminal activity. Criminals do not need a computer to commit fraud, traffic in child pornography and intellectual property, steal an identity, or violate someone’s privacy. All those activities existed before the “cyber” prefix became ubiquitous . Cybercrime, especially involving the Internet, represents an extension of existing criminal behaviour alongside some novel illegal activities.

Most cybercrime is an attack on information about individuals, corporations, or governments. Although the attacks do not take place on a physical body, they do take place on the personal or corporate virtual body, which is the set of informational attributes that define people and institutions on the Internet. In other words, in the digital age our virtual identities are essential elements of everyday life: we are a bundle of numbers and identifiers in multiple computer databases owned by governments and corporations. Cybercrime highlights the centrality of networked computers in our lives, as well as the fragility of such seemingly solid facts as individual identity.

An important aspect of cybercrime is its nonlocal character: actions can occur in jurisdictions separated by vast distances. This poses severe problems for law enforcement since previously local or even national crimes now require international cooperation. For example, if a person accesses child pornography located on a computer in a country that does not ban child pornography, is that individual committing a crime in a nation where such materials are illegal? Where exactly does cybercrime take place? Cyberspace is simply a richer version of the space where a telephone conversation takes place, somewhere between the two people having the conversation. As a planet-spanning network, the Internet offers criminals multiple hiding places in the real world as well as in the network itself. However, just as individuals walking on the ground leave marks that a skilled tracker can follow, cybercriminals leave clues as to their identity and location, despite their best efforts to cover their tracks. In order to follow such clues across national boundaries, though, international cybercrime treaties must be ratified.

In 1996 the Council of Europe , together with government representatives from the United States, Canada, and Japan, drafted a preliminary international treaty covering computer crime. Around the world, civil libertarian groups immediately protested provisions in the treaty requiring Internet service providers (ISPs) to store information on their customers’ transactions and to turn this information over on demand. Work on the treaty proceeded nevertheless, and on November 23, 2001, the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime was signed by 30 states. The convention came into effect in 2004. Additional protocols , covering terrorist activities and racist and xenophobic cybercrimes, were proposed in 2002 and came into effect in 2006. In addition, various national laws, such as the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, have expanded law enforcement’s power to monitor and protect computer networks .

Types of cybercrime

Cybercrime ranges across a spectrum of activities. At one end are crimes that involve fundamental breaches of personal or corporate privacy, such as assaults on the integrity of information held in digital depositories and the use of illegally obtained digital information to harass, harm, or blackmail a firm or individual. These new cybercapabilities have caused intense debate. Pegasus spyware , for instance, according to its creator, the Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group, is sold exclusively to government security and law enforcement agencies and only for the purpose of aiding rescue operations and battling criminals, such as money launderers , sex- and drug-traffickers, and terrorists. Yet, the smartphone-attached spyware, which can steal private data without leaving an obvious trace of its activities, has been widely used covertly by governments to track politicians, government leaders, human rights activists, dissidents , and journalists. It was even used to track Saudi journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi months before his murder and dismemberment by Saudi agents in October 2018. Also at this end of the spectrum is the growing crime of identity theft .

Midway along the spectrum lie transaction-based crimes such as fraud , trafficking in child pornography , digital piracy , money laundering , and counterfeiting . These are specific crimes with specific victims, but the criminal hides in the relative anonymity provided by the Internet . Another part of this type of crime involves individuals within corporations or government bureaucracies deliberately altering data for either profit or political objectives. At the other end of the spectrum are those crimes that involve attempts to disrupt the actual workings of the Internet. These range from spam , hacking, and denial of service attacks against specific sites to acts of cyberterrorism—that is, the use of the Internet to cause public disturbances and even death. Cyberterrorism focuses upon the use of the Internet by nonstate actors to affect a nation’s economic and technological infrastructure . Since the September 11 attacks of 2001, public awareness of the threat of cyberterrorism has grown dramatically.

Cyber Crime Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on cyber crime.

Cyber Crime Essay – Everybody thinks that only stealing someone’s private data is Cyber Crime. But in defining terms we can say that ‘Cyber Crime refers to the use of an electronic device (computer, laptop, etc.) for stealing someone’s data or trying to harm them using a computer.

Besides, it is an illegal activity that involves a series of issues ranging from theft to using your system or IP address as a tool for committing a crime.

Types of Cyber Crime

Speaking in a broadway we can say that Cyber Crime are categorized into four major types. These are Financial, Privacy, Hacking, and Cyber Terrorism.

The financial crime they steal the money of user or account holders. Likewise, they also stole data of companies which can lead to financial crimes. Also, transactions are heavily risked because of them. Every year hackers stole lakhs and crores of rupees of businessmen and government.

Privacy crime includes stealing your private data which you do not want to share with the world. Moreover, due to it, the people suffer a lot and some even commit suicide because of their data’s misuse.

In, hacking they intentional deface a website to cause damage or loss to the public or owner. Apart from that, they destroy or make changes in the existing websites to diminish its value.

Modern-day terrorism has grown way beyond what it was 10-20 years ago. But cyber terrorism is not just related to terrorists or terrorist organizations. But to threat some person or property to the level of creating fear is also Cyber Terrorism.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Cyber Crime in India

Web world or cyberspace is a massive community of millions and billions of users and websites. Also, people access it for different uses like shopping, movies, music, video games, transactions, and e-commerce, etc.

In this Age of Technology and easy access to the internet, anyone can easily reach it. Because of this fast pace growth from the previous decade. Besides, the internet has opened a world of information on which anyone can connect.

Due to, this the rate of crime especially the rate of Cyber Crime has increased much fold. Moreover, the rate of circulation of data is also increased much fold due to the higher speed of internet. Above all, due to all these issues, the Cybersecurity has become a major concern for society.

Laws related to Cyber Crimes

To stop the spread of Cyber Crime and to safeguard the interest of people the government has made several laws related to Cyber Crimes. Also, these laws serve as protection against Cyber Crime. Apart from that, the government has also introduced cyber cells in police stations to counter the problem of Cyber Crime as fast as they can.

Ways of stopping Cyber Crime

Cyber Crime is not something which we cannot deal with our self. Likewise, with little use of our common sense and logic, we can stop Cyber Crimes from happening.

To conclude, we can say that Cyber Crime is a dangerous offense to someone’s privacy or any material. Also, we can avoid Cyber Crime by following some basic logical things and using our common sense. Above all, Cyber Crime is a violation of not only law but of human rights too.

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• Cyber Crime Essay

Essay on Cyber Crime

Cyber crime is the most discussed issue of the 21st century. The technology sector world wide is witnessing  a boom in the consumer of smartphones and the internet which is raising concerns with regard to the privacy and security of the users. Owing to this reason, it is highly essential for all the users to know about cyber crime  & security.  As a result, thi topic has become the most favorite topic of the examiner and can often be seen asked in the exams.  In this view, students must have information on cyber crime and stay prepared to tackle such topics in the essay question in the English paper.

Introduction

Cybercrime is a dangerous attack a company or an individual may face. There are many cases where the cyber attack has brought massive loss to the company and individuals due to the data hack. We live in a technology-driven era, and every piece of information is now fed on computers. Cybercrime involves an attack on computers and digital devices. These cyber-attacks can prove hazardous not just for the organization, but also for the nation. To date, there are many digital attack cases in India and global, pushing for more security measures. These attacks are also affecting the economy of the country if not controlled in the initial stage.

What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime or attack is defined as the systematic criminal activity occurring digitally

and done by attackers. There are many examples of cybercrime, including fraud,

malware viruses, cyberstalking and others. Due to these, government agencies and

companies are investing more in the maintenance and hiring of cybercrime experts. 

Earlier, cybercrime was committed only by individuals or by small groups. However, now a highly complex cybercriminals network work on attacking the system for data

collection.

Three groups of cybercrimes-

This is the form of cyberstalking, trafficking, and grooming. Over the years, this

This type of cybercrime has been taken seriously by law enforcement agencies. It is

now keeping a track over every such attack on an individual.

Similar to the real world where criminals steal the property, in the cyber world,

attackers steal data. Here, the attacker steals a person's bank details and

misuse the credit card for online purchase. By using malicious software, the

attacker attacks the property to disrupt the system of the organization.

These types of crimes are denoted as cyber terrorism. This can be a terror because

the attacker can get hold of essential documents related to government

projects. An enemy nation or terrorist usually makes such attacks. There are

many cases globally where a terrorist hacks government data.

Apart from these, there is a financial crime where the hacker steals the money of the

user account holder. Moreover, they steal company data and finance.

In this type, the computer system of the person is hacked to get personal

information. In many countries, including India, hacking is a punishable act.

It is quite different from ethical hacking. In normal hacking, illegal use

different types of software to enter the system of the target person. Hacker is

then able to monitor every activity done by the person.

This Cybercrime is about violating copyright and downloading music or movies. In

India, many movies before their releases are leaked on the movie download

sites. In other words , theft is also called privacy, which can bring a huge

loss to the organization.

Cyber Stalking

It is online harassment by an individual or a group of people. Normally, these

stalkers target an individual and harass online. There are many cases of

cyberstalking in India, resulting in the target person ending up taking

Malicious Software

These are computer-based cybercrimes where virus-based software is installed in the

target people or organization computers. This is to damage the system and

corrupt the data of the target.

Laws Related to Cybercrime

In India, there are many cybercrime laws enacted to stop this threat. Be it for

the individual or the organization; these laws help to either bring down the

number of cases or eliminate these digital crimes.

Apart from these laws, as an individual, you also need to take steps to stop these

crimes. Like, not providing your login details, installing trust anti-virus

software and keeping your online profile private can help to act against such

Cybercrime is a significant threat that can bring huge loss to the individual and the

organization. It is essential to follow basic online rules to ensure the safety

of self and the organization.

Benefits of Cyber Crime Essay in English provided by Vedantu

The essay on cybercrime provided by Vedantu is prepared by highly qualified teachers which makes it a reliable source of information. This information could be utilized for a variety of reasons. Being a reliable piece of information the essay will benefit everyone curious to know about the topic.

Following are the highlights of its benefits:

Reliable information 

Adaptive to the context 

Precise language

Fulfills the requirements of the students for english exam questions 

Comprehensive and analytical. The  article digs in the depth of the issue and analyzes it through a 360 degree perspective.

The essay could also be used by the students for preparing themselves for the essay question in the English paper. This essay is an excellent guide to understand what the examiner is looking for in the exam. Moreover, the topic of cybercrime is quite a recurrent one in the exam. So the students use this essay to deal with the same topic.

The Essay on Cyber Crime is an excellent guide on averting any possibilities of a cyber attack. On today's date, one is mostly on the internet for a variety of reasons. It becomes essential for one to know important tips that can keep one safe from cyberbullies, thieves, or blackmailers. It is also important for one to understand the right course of actions to be taken in an eventuality of such an incident.

Download the cybercrime essay for students in English on the Vedantu website.

FAQs on Cyber Crime Essay

1. How Does Cybercrime Work?

Group of people or an individual commits most of these cyber-crimes. These criminals use a systematic process to hack and commit these acts. These criminal communities share strategies and tools to launch attacks. Some of the cybercrime techniques

Fast Flux - In this method, the hacker moves data quickly among computers in a botnet, making it challenging to find the right source.

Social Engineering - This method includes using lies and manipulation to trick people into revealing their personal information.

Skimmers - This involves installing a skimming tool in an ATM and stealing the information. You may find such skimming devices in ATMs.

There are some digital criminals targeting organizations to steal personal information.

2. How Cybercrime Affects Society?

Cybercrime can hugely affect society. In 2018, the US faced a loss of $600 billion. As consumers are increasingly allowing technologies to get into their lives, cyber attackers are getting better access. Some of the essential information available are-

Personal health data, sleep schedules, and geo-locations Shopping history, account information, and passive conversations noticed voice-controlled devices, Private conversations on social media accounts.

Your entire life is now available on social media, making it vulnerable to hack or cyber-attack. Attackers use different techniques including- installing malware, virus, phishing, cyberstalking, etc. These can certainly bring loss of lives and data for individuals and organizations. For society, this is a significant loss in the long run.  One needs to be very careful when presenting himself socially.

3. How to stay secure in times of cybercrime?

Cybercrime is a real threat posing to society. It is the 21st-century version of theft and blackmailing. There are certain ways one should adopt to prevent any possibilities of cybercrime. Do not disclose the banking details to random people or fill the CVV of your debit or credit cards on an unknown and unverified website. Keep your passwords always discrete. The camera of the laptop should always be covered.

4. Where can I get a cybercrime essay?

One can find a good quality cyber crime essay on Vedantu's website. The essay which is prepared by the expert teachers describes everything that one needs to know about cybercrime. It is the one-stop solution for all your requirements on the topic. Their essay is available in PDF format on the website and could be downloaded on any device. One downloaded essay could be used in offline mode too. If one finds it feasible, the printout of the PDF could also be taken out.

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✍️Essay on Cybercrime: Free Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Apr 26, 2024

The 21st century is a digital age, where any and every task is done on the internet. All thanks to the developments in technology which have been the main factor to ease human life on earth and maybe on other plants in future. But with the benefits of technology, there are several harmful effects, one of them which has recently gained popularity; Cyber Crime. 

Cybercrime has emerged as pervasive and evolved as one of the most dangerous threats to humans. There are several users on the internet who indulge in illegal and criminal activities, using computers and networks. To guide you through this hot debate topic, below we have discussed essays on cybercrime.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Cybercrime in 100 Words
• 2 Essay on Cybercrime in 200 Words
• 3 Essay on Cybercrime in 300 Words
• 4 Short Essay on Cybercrime

Also Read: Essay on Student Life

Essay on Cybercrime in 100 Words

Cybercrime involves illegal activities like hacking, ransomware, cyberbullying, online fraud, etc. People who are involved in cybercrime or any similar activities are called hackers, scammers or fraudsters. Cybercrime leads to financial loss for individuals who have fallen victim to one. Cybercrime often invades a person’s privacy by stealing their personal details, including sensitive data, photos, and communication records, which can be used for blackmailing or any malicious purpose.

There are several governmental and non-government organizations which are working 

To tackle cybercrime by raising awareness among the masses, cyber security training, implementing robust security protocols, and enacting comprehensive cybercrime laws.

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Essay on Cybercrime in 200 Words

Cybercrime is a criminal activity done online using a computer, network and internet. With the increasing use of the internet and mobile phones, the number of criminal activities has also gained pace.  These criminal-minded people steal the personal details of a person, which leads to financial losses and damages the reputation of the victims. Various scams and fraudulent schemes are offered on the internet like online auctions, advance fees, or any investment scam, which are all aimed at deceiving individuals into parting with their money.

Cybercrime is not limited to financial losses or reputational damage, a more discrete term has emerged; cyberbullying.  In cyberbullying, a person is harassed, humiliated, or threatened online. This can have severe psychological and emotional consequences. Ethical hackers or white hat hackers can help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their systems before malicious hackers exploit them. 

Cybercrime doesn’t have any boundaries and is an international issue and international cooperation is crucial for tracking and prosecuting cybercriminals who operate across borders. To combat cybercrime effectively, a multi-faceted approach is required, involving education, technology, legislation, and international cooperation. As technology continues to advance, our efforts to combat cybercrime must keep pace to protect our increasingly interconnected world.

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Essay on Cybercrime in 300 Words

Economists have termed cybercrime as ‘ A Hidden Threat to the Digital World.’ Modern humans are relying on the internet for their day-to-day activities and every macro and micro activity. In this sense, the term cybercrime comes to the front. Cybercrime refers to criminal activities conducted through the use of computers, networks, and the Internet. 

Cybercrime consists of various malicious activities like hacking, phishing, ransomware attacks, identity theft, online fraud, and cyberbullying. Hackers, fraudsters, scammers, criminals, and even state-sponsored actors exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems to steal sensitive information, disrupt operations, and cause financial and emotional harm to victims.

The consequences of cybercrime are far-reaching. Financial losses run into 10 digits annually, affecting individuals and organizations alike. Personal privacy is invaded as cybercriminals steal sensitive data, photos, and communication records. In cases of cyberbullying and harassment, victims suffer reputational damages, psychological distress, and emotional trauma, particularly in cases of cyberbullying and harassment.

It’s necessary to look for a multifaceted approach to deal with cybercrime, some of which are.

• Raising public awareness through campaigns where people are informed about the risks of cybercrime and educate them on best practices for online safety.
• Individuals and organizations should implement robust security protocols, regularly update software, and use multi-factor authentication to protect their digital assets.
• Governments should enact and enforce cybercrime laws, providing law enforcement agencies with the resources and expertise needed to prosecute cybercriminals effectively.
• Looking at the global nature of cybercrime, international collaboration is vital. Countries should work together to share threat intelligence and cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of cybercriminals.
• Ethical hackers can help organizations identify and rectify vulnerabilities in their systems before malicious actors exploit them.

Tackling cybercrime requires proactive measures, including education, strong cybersecurity practices, legislation, international cooperation, and the active involvement of ethical hackers.

Also Read: Essay on Green Energy PDF: 150 and 250 Words

Short Essay on Cybercrime

Find the short essay on cyber crime from below:

Cybercrime is an illegal and unethical activity which is done by hackers and fraudsters to gain financial or any other benefits for themselves.

To tackle cybercrime, several measures can be taken. Some of these measures are education and public awareness, research and innovation, ethical hacking, etc.

To write an essay on cybercrime, you need to give details on how it works and the level of danger it poses to humans. Cybercrime consists of various malicious activities like hacking, phishing, ransomware attacks, identity theft, online fraud, and cyberbullying. Hackers, fraudsters, scammers, criminals, and even state-sponsored actors exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems to steal sensitive information, disrupt operations, and cause financial and emotional harm to victims.

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• Threats and vulnerabilities
• Michael Cobb

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is any criminal activity that involves a computer, network or networked device.

While most cybercriminals use cybercrimes to generate a profit, some cybercrimes are carried out against computers or devices to directly damage or disable them. Others use computers or networks to spread malware , illegal information, images or other materials. Some cybercrimes do both -- i.e., target computers to infect them with a computer virus, which is then spread to other machines and, sometimes, entire networks.

A primary effect of cybercrime is financial. Cybercrime can include many different types of profit-driven criminal activity, including ransomware attacks, email and internet fraud, and identity fraud, as well as attempts to steal financial account, credit card or other payment card information.

As cybercriminals might target an individual's private information or corporate data for theft and resale, it's especially important to protect backup data .

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) divides cybercrime into the following three categories:

• Crimes in which the computing device is the target -- for example, to gain network access.
• Crimes in which the computer is used as a weapon -- for example, to launch a denial-of-service ( DoS ) attack.
• Crimes in which the computer is used as an accessory to a crime -- for example, using a computer to store illegally obtained data.

The Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, to which the U.S. is a signatory, defines cybercrime as a wide range of malicious activities, including the illegal interception of data, system interferences that compromise network integrity, and availability and copyright infringements.

The necessity of internet connectivity has enabled an increase in the volume and pace of cybercrime activities because criminals no longer need to be physically present when committing a crime. The internet's speed, convenience, anonymity and lack of borders make computer-based variations of financial crimes -- such as ransomware, fraud and money laundering, as well as crimes such as stalking and bullying -- easier to carry out.

Cybercriminal activity can be carried out by individuals or groups with relatively little technical skill or by highly organized global criminal groups that could include skilled developers and others with relevant expertise. To further reduce the chances of detection and prosecution, cybercriminals often choose to operate in countries with weak or nonexistent cybercrime laws.

How cybercrime works

Cybercrime attacks can begin wherever there is digital data, opportunity and motive. Cybercriminals include everyone from the lone user engaged in cyberbullying to state-sponsored actors, such as China's intelligence services.

Cybercrimes generally do not occur in a vacuum; they are, in many ways, distributed in nature. That is, cybercriminals typically rely on other actors to complete the crime. This is whether it's the creator of malware using the dark web to sell code, the distributor of illegal pharmaceuticals using cryptocurrency brokers to hold virtual money in escrow or state threat actors relying on technology subcontractors to steal intellectual property.

Cybercriminals use various attack vectors to carry out cyberattacks and are constantly seeking new methods and techniques to achieve their goals, while avoiding detection and arrest.

Cybercriminals often conduct activities using malware and other types of software, but social engineering is usually an important component of executing most types of cybercrime. Phishing emails are another important component to many types of cybercrime but especially for targeted attacks, such as business email compromise , in which an attacker attempts to impersonate, via email, a business owner to convince employees to pay out bogus invoices.

Types of cybercrime

Cybercriminals have a plethora of cybercrime types to conduct malicious attacks. Most attackers carry out cybercrimes with the expectation of financial gain, though the ways cybercriminals get paid can vary. Specific types of cybercrimes include the following:

• Cyberextortion . This crime involves an attack or threat of an attack coupled with a demand for money to stop the attack. One form of cyberextortion is a ransomware attack. Here, the attacker gains access to an organization's systems and encrypts its documents and files -- anything of potential value -- making the data inaccessible until a ransom is paid. Usually, payment is in some form of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin.
• Cryptojacking . This attack uses scripts to mine cryptocurrencies within browsers without the user's consent. Cryptojacking attacks can involve loading cryptocurrency mining software to the victim's system. Many attacks depend on JavaScript code that does in-browser mining if the user's browser has a tab or window open on the malicious site. No malware needs to be installed as loading the affected page executes the in-browser mining code.
• Identity theft . This type of attack occurs when an individual accesses a computer to steal a user's personal information, which is then used to steal that person's identity or access their valuable accounts, such as banking and credit cards. Cybercriminals buy and sell identity information on darknet markets, offering financial accounts and other types of accounts, such as video streaming services, webmail, video and audio streaming, online auctions and more. Personal health information is another frequent target for identity thieves.
• Credit card fraud. This is an attack that occurs when malicious hackers infiltrate retailers' systems to get their customers' credit card or banking information. Stolen payment cards can be bought and sold in bulk on darknet markets, where hacking groups that have stolen mass quantities of credit cards profit by selling to lower-level cybercriminals who profit through credit card fraud against individual accounts.
• Cyberespionage . This crime involves cybercriminals hacking into systems or networks to gain access to confidential information held by a government or other organization. Attacks are motivated by profit or ideology. Cyberespionage activities include cyberattacks that gather, modify or destroy data, as well as using network-connected devices, such as webcams or closed-circuit TV cameras, to spy on a targeted individual or groups and monitoring communications, including emails, text messages and instant messages.
• Software piracy . This attack involves the unlawful copying, distribution and use of software programs with the intention of commercial or personal use. Trademark violations, copyright infringements and patent violations are often associated with software piracy.
• Exit scam. The dark web has given rise to the digital version of an old crime known as the exit scam . In today's form, dark web administrators divert virtual currency held in marketplace escrow accounts to their own accounts -- essentially, criminals stealing from other criminals.

Common examples of cybercrime

Commonly seen cybercrime attacks include distributed DoS ( DDoS ) attacks, which use a network's own communications protocol against it by overwhelming its ability to respond to connection requests. DDoS attacks are sometimes carried out for malicious reasons or as part of a cyberextortion scheme , but they can also be used to distract the victim organization from some other attack or exploit carried out at the same time.

Malware is another common cybercrime that can damage systems, software or data stored on a system. Ransomware attacks are a type of malware that encrypts or shuts down victim systems until a ransom is paid.

Phishing campaigns help attackers infiltrate corporate networks. Phishing includes sending fraudulent emails to users in an organization, enticing them to download malicious attachments or click on malicious links that then spread the malware across the network.

In credential attacks, a cybercriminal aims to steal or guess victims' usernames and passwords. These attacks can use of brute-force -- for example, by installing keylogger software -- or by exploiting software or hardware vulnerabilities that expose the victim's credentials.

Cybercriminals can also hijack websites to change or delete content or to access or modify databases without authorization. For example, attackers use Structured Query Language injection exploits to insert malicious code into a website, which can then be used to exploit vulnerabilities in the website's database, enabling a malicious hacker to access and tamper with records or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and data, such as customer passwords, credit card numbers, personally identifiable information, trade secrets and intellectual property.

Other common examples of cybercrime include illegal gambling, the sale of illegal items -- such as weapons, drugs or counterfeit goods -- and the solicitation, production, possession or distribution of child pornography.

Effects of cybercrime on businesses

The true cost of cybercrime is difficult to assess accurately. Cybersecurity Ventures reported that global cybercrime grows by 15% annually, with it expected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.

While the financial losses due to cybercrime can be significant, businesses can also suffer other disastrous consequences as a result of criminal cyberattacks, including the following:

• Damage to investor perception after a security breach can cause a drop in the value of a company.
• Businesses could face increased costs for borrowing and greater difficulty in raising more capital as a result of a cyberattack.
• Loss of sensitive customer data can result in fines and penalties for companies that have failed to protect their customers' data. Businesses might also be sued over the data breach.
• Damaged brand identity and loss of reputation after a cyberattack undermine customers' trust in a company and that company's ability to keep their financial data safe. Following a cyberattack, firms could lose current customers and lose the ability to gain new customers.
• Businesses might incur direct costs from a criminal cyberattack, including increased insurance premium costs and the cost of hiring cybersecurity companies for incident response and remediation, as well as public relations and other services related to an attack.

Effects of cybercrime on national defense

Cybercrimes can have public health and national security implications, making computer crime one of DOJ's top priorities. In the U.S., at the federal level, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Cyber Division is the agency within DOJ charged with combating cybercrime. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sees strengthening the security and resilience of cyberspace as an important homeland security mission. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ), a division of DHS, aims to improve the resilience and security of cyber and physical infrastructure. Other agencies, such as the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have special divisions dedicated to combating cybercrime.

USSS' Electronic Crimes Task Force, for example, investigates cases that involve electronic crimes, particularly attacks on the nation's financial and critical infrastructures. USSS also runs the National Computer Forensics Institute, which provides state and local law enforcement, judges and prosecutors with computer forensics training.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership among the FBI, National White Collar Crime Center and Bureau of Justice Assistance, accepts online complaints from victims of internet crimes or interested third parties.

How to prevent cybercrime

While it isn't possible to completely eradicate cybercrime and ensure complete internet security, businesses can reduce their exposure to it by maintaining an effective cybersecurity strategy using a defense-in-depth approach to securing systems, networks and data.

Organizations can reduce cybercrime risks with the following:

• Develop clear policies and procedures for the business and employees.
• Create cybersecurity incident response plans to support these policies and procedures.
• Outline the security measures in place about how to protect systems and corporate data.
• Use multifactor authentication ( MFA ) apps or physical security keys.
• Activate MFA on every online account when possible.
• Verbally verify the authenticity of requests to send money by talking to a financial manager.
• Create intrusion detection system rules that flag emails with extensions similar to company emails.
• Scrutinize all email requests for transfer of funds to determine if the requests are out of the ordinary.
• Train employees on cybersecurity policies and procedures and what to do in the event of a security breach.
• Keep websites, endpoint devices and systems current with all software release updates or patches .
• Back up data and information regularly to reduce the damage in case of a ransomware attack or data breach.

Information security and resistance to cybercrime attacks can also be built by encrypting local hard disks and email platforms, using a virtual private network and using a private, secure domain name system server.

Cybercrime legislation and agencies

Various U.S. government agencies have been established to deal specifically with the monitoring and management of cybercrime attacks. The FBI's Cyber Division is the lead federal agency for dealing with attacks by cybercriminals, terrorists or overseas adversaries. Within DHS, CISA coordinates between private sector and government organizations to protect critical infrastructure.

The Cyber Crimes Center (C3) within ICE provides computer-based technical services that support domestic and international investigations included in the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) portfolio of immigration and customs authorities. C3 focuses on cybercrimes that involve transborder illegal activities. It is responsible for finding and targeting all cybercrimes within HSI jurisdiction. C3 includes the Cyber Crimes Unit, Child Exploitation Investigations Unit and Computer Forensics Unit.

Various laws and legislation have also been enacted. In 2015, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a cybercrime repository, a central database that includes legislation, previous findings and case law on cybercrime and electronic evidence. The intention of the cybercrime repository is to assist countries and governments in their attempts to prosecute and stop cybercriminals.

Cybercrime legislation dealing can be applicable to the general public or sector-specific, extending only to certain types of companies. For example, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act focuses on financial institutions and regulates the implementation of written policies and procedures to improve the security and confidentiality of customer records, while also protecting private information from threats and unauthorized access and use.

Other legislation has been established to deal with specific cybercrimes, such as cyberbullying and online harassment. A little over half of U.S. states have implemented laws dealing directly with these crimes. For example, Massachusetts law cites that cyber-stalking is a crime punishable with a fine of up to $1,000, a maximum of five years in jail or both. In Tennessee, online harassment and stalking is considered a Class A misdemeanor, and a convicted cybercriminal can face a jail sentence of, at most, 11 months and 29 days, a fine of up to $2,500 or both.

The definition was written by Kate Brush and Michael Cobb in 2021. TechTarget editors revised it in 2024 to improve the reader experience.

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Cybercrime: Definition, Typology, and Criminalization

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This chapter addresses the theme of cybercrime, providing an overall review of the basic definition, legal principles, and responses to this growing criminal justice reality. It systematically addresses the definition of cybercrime, the legal interests protected by Information and Communication Technology and Cyber Crime law. It addresses in depth the extent of criminalization, especially preparation and possession. It does focus on the issue of the challenges and limits of criminal legislation. It concludes with an analysis of the legal demands advanced by the internationalization of cyber crime, a typical characteristic of this type of crime and ends examining projected trends for the future. The chapter is documented carefully and exhaustively.

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Defining Cybercrime

Cybercrime: Concerns, Challenges and Opportunities

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Viano, E.C. (2017). Cybercrime: Definition, Typology, and Criminalization. In: Viano, E. (eds) Cybercrime, Organized Crime, and Societal Responses. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44501-4_1

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What is cybercrime? How to protect yourself

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device. Most cybercrime is committed by cybercriminals or hackers who want to make money. However, occasionally cybercrime aims to damage computers or networks for reasons other than profit. These could be political or personal.

Cybercrime can be carried out by individuals or organizations. Some cybercriminals are organized, use advanced techniques and are highly technically skilled. Others are novice hackers.

What are the types of cybercrime?

Types of cybercrime include:

• Email and internet fraud.
• Identity fraud (where personal information is stolen and used).
• Theft of financial or card payment data.
• Theft and sale of corporate data.
• Cyberextortion (demanding money to prevent a threatened attack).
• Ransomware attacks (a type of cyberextortion).
• Cryptojacking (where hackers mine cryptocurrency using resources they do not own).
• Cyberespionage (where hackers access government or company data).
• Interfering with systems in a way that compromises a network.
• Infringing copyright.
• Illegal gambling.
• Selling illegal items online.
• Soliciting, producing, or possessing child pornography.

Cybercrime involves one or both of the following:

• Criminal activity targeting computers using viruses and other types of malware .
• Criminal activity using  computers to commit other crimes.

Cybercriminals that target computers may infect them with malware to damage devices or stop them working. They may also use malware to delete or steal data. Or cybercriminals may stop users from using a website or network or prevent a business providing a software service to its customers, which is called a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack.

Cybercrime that  uses  computers to commit other crimes may involve using computers or networks to spread malware, illegal information or illegal images.

Cybercriminals are often doing both at once. They may target computers with viruses first and then use them to spread malware to other machines or throughout a network. Some jurisdictions recognize a third category of cybercrime which is where a computer is used as an accessory to crime. An example of this is using a computer to store stolen data.

Examples of cybercrime

Here are some famous examples of different types of cybercrime attack used by cybercriminals:

1. Malware attacks

A malware attack is where a computer system or network is infected with a computer virus or other type of malware. A computer compromised by malware could be used by cybercriminals for several purposes. These include stealing confidential data, using the computer to carry out other criminal acts, or causing damage to data.

A famous example of a malware attack was the WannaCry ransomware attack, a global cybercrime committed in May 2017. WannaCry is a type of ransomware, malware used to extort money by holding the victim’s data or device to ransom. The ransomware targeted a vulnerability in computers running Microsoft Windows.

When the WannaCry ransomware attack hit, 230,000 computers were affected across 150 countries. Users were locked out of their files and sent a message demanding that they pay a Bitcoin ransom to regain access.

Worldwide, the WannaCry cybercrime is estimated to have caused $4 billion in financial losses. To this day, the attack stands out for its sheer size and impact.

2. Phishing

A phishing campaign is when spam emails, or other forms of communication, are sent with the intention of tricking recipients into doing something that undermines their security. Phishing campaign messages may contain infected attachments or links to malicious sites, or they may ask the receiver to respond with confidential information.

A famous example of a phishing scam took place during the World Cup in 2018. According to our report, 2018 Fraud World Cup , the World Cup phishing scam involved emails that were sent to football fans. These spam emails tried to entice fans with fake free trips to Moscow, where the World Cup was being hosted. People who opened and clicked on the links contained in these emails had their personal data stolen. 

Another type of phishing campaign is known as spear-phishing . These are targeted phishing campaigns which try to trick specific individuals into jeopardizing the security of the organization they work for. 

Unlike mass phishing campaigns, which are very general in style, spear-phishing messages are typically crafted to look like messages from a trusted source. For example, they are made to look like they have come from the CEO or the IT manager. They may not contain any visual clues that they are fake.

3. Distributed DoS attacks

Distributed DoS attacks (DDoS) are a type of cybercrime attack that cybercriminals use to bring down a system or network. Sometimes connected IoT (Internet of Things) devices are used to launch DDoS attacks.

A DDoS attack overwhelms a system by using one of the standard communication protocols it uses to spam the system with connection requests. Cybercriminals who are carrying out cyberextortion may use the threat of a DDoS attack to demand money. Alternatively, a DDoS may be used as a distraction tactic while another type of cybercrime takes place.

A famous example of this type of attack is the  2017 DDoS attack on the UK National Lottery website . This brought the lottery’s website and mobile app offline, preventing UK citizens from playing. The reason behind the attack remains unknown, however, it is suspected that the attack was an attempt to blackmail the National Lottery.

Impact of cybercrime

Generally, cybercrime is on the rise. According to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021 report , security attacks increased 31% from 2020 to 2021. The number of attacks per company increased from 206 to 270 year on year. Attacks on companies affect individuals too since many of them store sensitive data and personal information from customers.

A single attack – whether it’s a data breach, malware, ransomware or DDoS attack - costs companies of all sizes an average of $200,000, and many affected companies go out of business within six months of the attack, according to  insurance company Hiscox .

Javelin Strategy & Research published an Identity Fraud Study in 2021 which found that identity fraud losses for the year totalled $56 billion.

For both individuals and companies, the impact of cybercrime can be profound – primarily financial damage, but also loss of trust and reputational damage.

How to report a cybercrime

File a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. Visit ic3.gov for more information.

Contact Action Fraud as soon as possible – find out more on their website here.

Europol has a useful website here which collates the relevant cybercrime reporting links for each EU member state.

You can find information about how to report cybercrime in the UAE on this official website here .

The Australian Cyber Security Centre has information about how to report a cybercrime here.

• How to protect yourself against cybercrime

Given its prevalence, you may be wondering how to stop cybercrime? Here are some sensible tips to protect your computer and your personal data from cybercrime:

1. Keep software and operating system updated

Keeping your software and operating system up to date ensures that you benefit from the latest security patches to protect your computer.

2. Use anti-virus software and keep it updated

Using anti-virus or a comprehensive internet security solution like  Kaspersky Premium is a smart way to protect your system from attacks. Anti-virus software allows you to scan, detect and remove threats before they become a problem. Having this protection in place helps to protect your computer and your data from cybercrime, giving you piece of mind. Keep your antivirus updated to receive the best level of protection.

3. Use strong passwords

Be sure to use strong passwords that people will not guess and do not record them anywhere. Or use a reputable password manager to generate strong passwords randomly to make this easier.

4. Never open attachments in spam emails

A classic way that computers get infected by malware attacks and other forms of cybercrime is via email attachments in spam emails. Never open an attachment from a sender you do not know.

5. Do not click on links in spam emails or untrusted websites

Another way people become victims of cybercrime is by clicking on links in spam emails or other messages, or unfamiliar websites. Avoid doing this to stay safe online.

6. Do not give out personal information unless secure

Never give out personal data over the phone or via email unless you are completely sure the line or email is secure. Make certain that you are speaking to the person you think you are. 

7. Contact companies directly about suspicious requests

If you are asked for personal information or data from a company who has called you, hang up. Call them back using the number on their official website to ensure you are speaking to them and not a cybercriminal. Ideally, use a different phone because cybercriminals can hold the line open. When you think you’ve re-dialed, they can pretend to be from the bank or other organization that you think you are speaking to.

8. Be mindful of which website URLs you visit

Keep an eye on the URLs you are clicking on. Do they look legitimate? Avoid clicking on links with unfamiliar or URLs that look like spam. If your internet security product includes functionality to secure online transactions, ensure it is enabled before carrying out financial transactions online.

9. Keep an eye on your bank statements

Spotting that you have become a victim of cybercrime quickly is important. Keep an eye on your bank statements and query any unfamiliar transactions with the bank. The bank can investigate whether they are fraudulent.

A good antivirus will protect you from the threat of cybercrime.  Learn more about Kaspersky Premium.

Further reading:

• How to protect your data online by using a password manager
• What to do if you’ve been a victim of a phishing attack
• Ransomware protection: how to keep your data safe in 2024

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Cyber Crimes — The Problem of Cyber Crimes

The Problem of Cyber Crimes

• Categories: Cyber Crimes

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Published: Sep 18, 2018

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What is cyber crime, who is hacker, who is cracker, reasons for cyber crime, protection from cyber crime.

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Cyber Crime Essay For Students

Table of Contents

Cyber Crime Essay: In today’s digital age, the internet has become an integral part of our lives. While it offers numerous benefits, it also brings with it a dark side – cybercrime. It is imperative for all individuals to be well-informed about the world of cybercrime, what it is, its types, and its impact. In this article, we have provided you with sample essays on cybercrime of varying lengths to help you get started on your own essay.

What is Cyber Crime?

Cybercrime, simply put, is criminal activity conducted online. It encompasses a wide range of illegal activities that use computers and the internet as tools to commit crimes. These crimes can be broadly categorized into four main types: financial, personal, political, and property crimes.

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Whether you need a 100-word overview or a more detailed 500-word essay on the topic “Cyber Crime Essay”, we’ve got your back. Refer to the sample essays given below.

Sample Essays on Cyber Crime

100-word essay on cyber crime.

Cybercrime, the dark underbelly of the digital world, is on the rise. It encompasses a range of illegal activities conducted through computers and the internet, including hacking, phishing, and online fraud. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain or personal satisfaction, causing harm to individuals and organizations. The consequences can be devastating, from financial loss to emotional distress and stolen identities. To combat cybercrime, awareness and vigilance are paramount. Adopting strong passwords, using antivirus software, and practicing safe online behavior are steps we can all take to protect ourselves in this interconnected age. Cybercrime is a threat we must confront in our digital lives.

Cyber Crime Essay: 250 Words

In today’s technology-driven world, where we rely heavily on the internet and digital devices for various aspects of our lives, the threat of cybercrime looms larger than ever. Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of illegal activities carried out in the digital realm, and its impact extends far beyond just financial losses.

Hacking, a prevalent cybercrime, involves malicious individuals gaining unauthorized access to systems, risking sensitive data compromise, leading to dire consequences such as identity theft and financial ruin.

Phishing scams, a common cybercrime, deceive victims into disclosing personal data, enabling criminals to commit theft and fraud with the acquired information.

Online fraud is rampant in the cyber world. Criminals create fake websites or online marketplaces to dupe unsuspecting victims into making payments for goods or services that don’t exist. Victims can lose substantial sums of money in such scams.

To combat cybercrime, prioritize cybersecurity by practicing safe online behavior, updating passwords, and using reliable antivirus software. Keeping software and operating systems up to date is crucial for enhanced protection.

Additionally, organizations and governments need to invest in robust cybersecurity infrastructure and enact stricter regulations to deter cybercriminals. Raising awareness about the risks and consequences of cybercrime is a collective responsibility that can help safeguard our digital world.

In conclusion, cybercrime is a growing menace that affects individuals, businesses, and society as a whole. Understanding the various forms of cybercrime and taking proactive steps to protect ourselves and our digital assets are essential in this interconnected age. Only through collective efforts can we hope to mitigate the ever-present threat of cybercrime.

Cyber Crime Essay: 300 Words

In our increasingly digitized world, cybercrime has emerged as a formidable challenge. Cybercrime refers to criminal activities carried out through computer networks and the internet, encompassing a wide range of illicit actions that exploit vulnerabilities in our interconnected systems.

One prevalent form of cybercrime is hacking, where individuals or groups gain unauthorized access to computer systems or networks, often with malicious intent. Hacked systems can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and financial losses for individuals and organizations alike.

Phishing is another common cybercrime tactic, where scammers impersonate legitimate entities to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card details. These deceptive schemes can result in severe financial and personal consequences for victims.

Online fraud, including various scams and schemes, poses significant risks. It includes activities like advance-fee fraud, Ponzi schemes, and online auction fraud. Victims may suffer substantial financial losses, and recovery can be challenging.

Cyberbullying and online harassment are personal cybercrimes that target individuals through hurtful, threatening, or offensive online behavior. These acts can have profound psychological and emotional effects on victims.

To combat cybercrime, individuals and organizations must prioritize cybersecurity. This involves using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and keeping software and antivirus programs up to date. Cybersecurity awareness and education are crucial to recognizing and avoiding potential threats.

Governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide are also working to combat cybercrime by strengthening legislation and collaborating on international cybercrime investigations. However, prevention starts with individual responsibility and vigilance.

In conclusion, cybercrime is an evolving threat that affects us all in the digital age. As technology advances, so do the methods employed by cybercriminals. Staying informed, practicing safe online behavior, and implementing robust cybersecurity measures are essential steps to protect ourselves and our digital assets from the growing menace of cybercrime.

500-Word Essay on Cyber Crime:

In our increasingly interconnected world, where digital technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the threat of cybercrime has become a pressing concern. Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of illicit activities that occur in the digital realm, using computers, networks, and the internet as tools for criminal intent. This essay explores the evolving landscape of cybercrime, its various forms, the consequences it brings, and the measures individuals and organizations can take to combat this growing menace.

The Landscape of Cybercrime

Cybercrime is a multifaceted problem, constantly evolving as technology advances. It includes various forms, such as hacking, phishing, identity theft, online fraud, cyberbullying, and more. The motives behind cybercrime can be financial gain, political agenda, personal vendettas, or even thrill-seeking.

Hacking is one of the most prevalent forms of cybercrime. It involves unauthorized access to computer systems, networks, or data. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities to steal sensitive information, disrupt services, or distribute malware.

Phishing, on the other hand, is a deceitful practice where cybercriminals impersonate legitimate entities to trick individuals into revealing personal information or login credentials. This information is then used for malicious purposes, such as identity theft or financial fraud.

Identity theft is a pervasive cybercrime, with victims experiencing devastating consequences. Cybercriminals use stolen personal information to open fraudulent accounts, apply for loans, or engage in criminal activities, often leaving the victim to deal with the legal and financial fallout.

Online fraud includes various scams and schemes, such as Ponzi schemes, fake online marketplaces, and investment fraud. Victims of online fraud can lose substantial sums of money, often with little hope of recovery.

The social impact of cybercrime is also significant. Cyberbullying and online harassment have become increasingly common, especially among young people. The anonymity provided by the internet allows perpetrators to engage in hurtful behavior, leading to emotional and psychological distress for the victims.

The Consequences of Cybercrime

The consequences of cybercrime are far-reaching and extend beyond financial losses. Individuals can experience emotional distress, anxiety, and a loss of trust in online interactions. Businesses and organizations face significant financial and reputational damage when data breaches occur. Governments grapple with the challenge of protecting national security and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.

Solutions and Prevention

To combat cybercrime effectively, individuals, organizations, and governments must work together and adopt proactive measures. Here are some key steps:

• Cybersecurity Awareness : Raising awareness about the risks of cybercrime is essential. Individuals should educate themselves about online threats and practice safe online behavior.
• Strong Passwords : Using strong, unique passwords for each online account is crucial. Employing password managers can help manage and generate complex passwords.
• Antivirus Software : Reliable antivirus and anti-malware software can detect and block malicious threats.
• Regular Software Updates : Keeping software, operating systems, and applications up to date is essential to patch security vulnerabilities.
• Two-Factor Authentication : Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
• Secure Data Handling : Exercise caution when sharing personal information online. Only provide sensitive data on trusted websites.
• Cybersecurity Training : Organizations should invest in cybersecurity training for their employees to recognize and respond to threats effectively.
• Legal Frameworks : Governments need to enact and enforce comprehensive cybersecurity laws and regulations to deter cybercriminals.
• International Collaboration : Cybercrime often crosses international borders, so international collaboration among governments and law enforcement agencies is crucial.

The threat of cybercrime is an ever-growing challenge in our digital age. As technology advances, so do the methods and sophistication of cybercriminals. To effectively combat cybercrime, individuals, organizations, and governments must prioritize cybersecurity through awareness, education, and the implementation of robust security measures. Only by working together can we hope to mitigate the risks and consequences of cybercrime and ensure a safer digital future for all.

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FAQs on Cyber Crime Essay

What is cyber crime in short essay.

Cybercrime refers to criminal activities carried out using computers or the internet. Examples include online fraud, hacking, identity theft, and cyberbullying. These crimes can have serious consequences, such as financial loss, personal harm, or damage to one's reputation. To combat cybercrime, individuals must stay vigilant and follow online safety practices.

What is cyber security in 100 words?

Cybersecurity is the practice of safeguarding digital systems, networks, and data from a wide range of cyber threats and unauthorized access. It involves implementing measures and technologies to protect information integrity, confidentiality, and availability. Cybersecurity encompasses various aspects, including the use of strong passwords, encryption, firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems. It is essential in today's interconnected world to mitigate the risks of data breaches, hacking, malware attacks, and other malicious activities that can lead to financial losses, reputational damage, and the compromise of personal and sensitive information. Cybersecurity is an ongoing effort to maintain the security and resilience of digital environments.

Is cyber crime bad?

Yes, cybercrime is bad as it can result in financial loss, emotional distress, and harm to individuals and organizations.

What are the causes of cybercrime?

The causes of cybercrime include technological vulnerabilities, lack of cybersecurity awareness, financial motivations, and anonymity provided by the internet.

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Cybercrime: Victimization, Perpetration, and Techniques

James hawdon.

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA

The creation of the World Wide Web revolutionized communication. At the turn of the twenty-first century, roughly 413 million people used the internet (Roser & Ortiz-Ospina, 2015 ). A mere 21 years later, nearly 4.7 billion people, or about 60% of the world’s population, actively use the internet (We Are Social, & DataReportal, & Hootsuite, 2021 ). The pace of innovation in information technology, from the introduction of email in the 1960s to the rise of multiple social media platforms in the early 2000s to the rise of the Internet of Things (Iot) and 5 g, has been astonishing. It is now almost inconceivable to imagine life without access to the internet. Yet the IT revolution, like all technological revolutions, has been a dual-edge sword. Indeed, the internet’s many benefits and drawbacks have been discussed in numerous forums, and these discussions will undoubtedly continue as long as we remain dependent on this technology. This special edition of the American Journal of Criminal Justice contributes to those discussions by considering one of the drawbacks: cybercime.

Cybercrime, or the use of computer technology or online networks to commit crimes, ranges from fraud and identity theft to threats and intimidation. Cybercrime and its many manifestations has clearly increased over the past 20 years. For example, cybercrime costs increased from approximately $3 trillion in 2015 to more than $6 trillion in 2021, and these are expected to increase to over $10.5 trillion by 2025 (Morgan, 2020 ). In the U.S. alone, approximately 23 percent of households experience some sort of cybercrime annually (Reinhart, 2018 ; Hawdon et al., 2020 ). Indeed, in the same way that larceny characterized the twentieth century, cybercrime is characterizing the twenty-first century (Albanese, 2005 ). And these facts just reflect the economic costs of cybercrime and do not account for the non-monetary harms caused by cyberviolence. Cyberstalking, online sexual exploitation, cyber-harassment and bullying, threats of violence, and online violent extremism are also commonly committed acts of cyberviolence (FBI, 2021 ).

In many ways, it is unsurprising that cybercrime has increased in recent years. As technology becomes more sophisticated, so do cybercriminals, and cybercriminals now target individuals, businesses, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and governments. As more people engage in an ever-increasing variety of online activities and more businesses conduct their affairs online, it is predictable that there would be a rise in cybercrime. To use the familiar language of Routine Activity Theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979 ), we have a lot more suitable targets in insufficiently guarded space being victimized by an increasing number motivated offenders. It is also unsurprising that there is a growing body of literature dedicated to cybercrime as scholars scramble to understand the ever-evolving phenomena. Entire journals are now dedicated to its study, and new academic disciplines have been created to try to prevent it. While our understanding of cybercrime has accumulated quickly and impressively, there is so much about cybercrime that we still do not know. This special issue of the A merican Journal of Criminal Justice offers nine new articles to help fill that knowledge gap.

The articles included in this issue reflect three broad areas of cybercrime research: cybercrime victimization, cybercrime perpetration, and techniques and facilitators of cybercrime. While there is some overlap, the issue includes three papers focused on each of these three areas.

The first area covered in the special issue focuses on cybercrime victimization. This area has generated the most research to date. In part because victims of cybercrime are relatively easy to find, considerable research has been conducted on cybervictimization across a variety of cybercrimes. Three of the articles in this special issue focus on cybervictimization, and they add to the literature in interesting ways by providing cross-national perspectives, building on theoretical traditions, or providing systematic summaries of the state of field at this time.

The first article in this section by Michelle Wright and a team of colleagues investigates how adolescent from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States explain being a victim of cyberbully. The investigation compares if how adolescents explain victimization varies by setting (private vs. public), medium (offline vs cyber), and severity and if cultural differences alter these relationships. Their findings suggest the need for prevention and intervention efforts to consider the role of setting, medium, severity, and cultural values if they are to be successful.

The second paper focusing on victimization builds on the frequent finding that problematic social media use is associated with negative life experiences and provides empirical support for a theoretical link between problematic social media use and cybervictimization. The analysis, conducted by colleagues Eetu Marttila, Aki Koivula, and Pekka Räsänen, is framed in Routine Activity Theory/Lifestyle-Exposure Theory. The results indicate that not only is problematic social media use strongly correlated with cybervictimization in a between-subject analysis, but within-subject analyses also reveal that problematic social media use has a cumulative effect on victimization.

The third paper bridges research on cybercrime victimization and cybercrime perpetration and provides a glimpse at the state of knowledge about a specific form of cyberviolence. Catherine Marcum and George Higgins conduct a systematic review of literature investigating both offending and victimization of cyberstalking, cyberdating abuse, and interpersonal electronic surveillance. Using a number of electronic databases, the authors focus on 31 studies to identify correlates of involvement in these cybercrimes. Victims are disproportionately female. Other correlates of victimization include overall social media use, risky online behavior, and negative external factors such as being attached to abusive peers. Correlates of perpetration provide support for a number of leading criminological theories as perpetrators tend to have low levels of self-control, associate with delinquent peers, and have low levels of parental supervision. As more research is conducted, there is a great need for more systematic literature reviews so we can begin to better refine our understanding and identify the theoretical approaches that provide the most insight into the world of cybercrime.

There are another three articles included in this special issue that focus on cybercrime perpetration. All three articles test traditional criminological theories and find support for them. In the first, Adam Bossler uses Sykes and Matza’s ( 1957 ) techniques of neutralization to examine the effects of techniques of neutralization on college students’ willingness to commit cybercrime, specifically hacking websites to deface them or compromise foreign and domestic financial and government targets. An overall techniques of neutralization scale significantly predicts being willing to commit cyberattacks even after controlling for other relevant factors. In addition to the theoretical implications of finding strong support for Sykes and Matza’s framework, the findings also have implications for situational crime prevention efforts aimed at removing excuses for offenders.

In another article focusing on perpetration, Thomas Dearden and Katalin Parti use a national online sample of 1,109 participants and find strong support for social learning theory as measures of both online and offline social learning correlate with a measure of cyber-offending. However, the authors also argue that self-control will interact with social learning variables to further influence the likelihood of cyber-offending. Overall, they find that both social learning and self-control, individually and as an interaction, are good predictors of cyber-offending.

In the final article dedicated to investigating the perpetration of cybercrime, Ashley Reichelmann and Matthew Costello use a nationally representative sample to explore how various dimensions of American national identity relate to producing online hate materials. The analysis reveals that higher levels of salience and public self-regard are weakly related to producing online hate. However, the findings suggest that understanding the nuances of “what it means to be American” is important for fully understanding the phenomenon of cyberhate, especially in this polarizing time when what it means to “be American” is frequently questioned.

Another three articles deal with perpetrating cybercrimes or “pseudo-cybercrimes,” but their focus is on how these crimes are committed. That is, the investigations deal with using the Dark Web or the surface web to make illegal or pseudo-legal purchases of illegal or quasi-legal substances. In the first paper in the section, Eric Jardine provides a crime script for purchasing drugs on the Dark Web. The script involves four generic stages (i.e. Informational Accumulation; Account Formation; Market Exchange; Delivery/Receipt) and provides an opportunity to review known law enforcement interventions that have effectively targeted each stage of the script to reduce the use of these online markets. The paper highlights numerous steps that law enforcement could take to effectively reduce the illegal selling and purchasing of drugs on the Dark Web.

Next, Robert Perdue engages in green criminology and focuses on the illegal trade of endangered species. Noting that regulating this trade is a critical, and very difficult, challenge for conservationists and law enforcement agents, Perdue examines the role the Internet plays in critically endangered plant transactions, but instead of focusing on the Dark Web, he investigates eBay to understand the extent to which such trades occur in plain sight. He finds that nearly a third of the critically endangered plant species examined were for sale in some form on eBay. Yet, despite the evidence that there is a high degree of open trading in these species, the complexity of the international legal frameworks regulating these transactions makes it difficult to ascertain their legality. Nevertheless, at least a subset of these sales are probably unlawful.

Finally, J. Mitchell Miller and Holly Ventura Miller provide insight into the computer-facilitated gray market of pseudo-legal marijuana sales in Los Vegas, Nevada. The ethnographic study reveals how various cannabis products are illegally diverted from legal markets to the gray market, and how brokers use the Internet in clever ways to advertise their products and services to a public that is likely unaware that they are engaging in illegal activities by skirting the regulations and tight control of the legal market.

Taken together, these three papers highlight the tremendous difficulties with regulating e-commerce. While the Dark Web provides an environment to conduct illegal transactions with minimal risk, it turns out that the Dark Web may be unnecessary for many illegal cyber-purchases. Given the surface web is convenient, widely available, and scarcely policed, many cybercriminals simply commit their crimes in the open. Using the language of Routine Activity Theory again, the internet—Dark or Surface—is an environment largely devoid of capable guardians.

As a whole, I believe these nine papers speak to the current state and future promise of cybercriminology. Currently, we are building a large body of empirical studies that speak to patterns of victimization and perpetration. With respect to victimization, we have learned a lot about who is likely to be victimized and how the patterns of victimization vary by type of cybercrime. We also have a good understanding of the activities that increase the likelihood of victimization, the emotional and financial costs of being a victim, and how people view victims depending on the setting and type of victimization. The body of evidence supporting a slightly modified version of Routine Activity Theory/Lifestyle-Exposure Theory is increasingly impressive, and the papers by Marttila, Koivula, and Räsänen as well as the article by Marcum and Higgins offer additional support for aspects of this theoretical approach.

Similarly, our understanding of cybercrime perpetration has expanded exponentially in recent years. While finding samples of cybercriminals is always a challenge, the growing body of evidence suggests that the behavior of cybercriminals is largely explained by the same set of factors that can account for the behavior of more traditional criminals. That is, cybercriminals tend to have low levels of self and social control, are largely unsupervised, experience strains, and learn the how, when, and why of their crimes from their associates. The papers in this issue offer additional support for techniques of neutralization, social learning theory, and self-control theory. While there are nuanced differences in how some criminogenic factors play out in the virtual and offline worlds, our existing theories appear to be robust as many of our theories apply to both online and offline criminal behavior. A number of the differences that exist largely relate to the asynchronous nature of many online interactions. The fact that online interactions can occur synchronously as well as asynchronously expands our networks and provide additional opportunities for others beyond our immediate environment to influence us and for us to commit crimes. The full ramifications of these changes in social networks, criminogenic forces, and criminal opportunities are not understood; however, we understand these far better today than we did even just a few years ago.

We also have a far greater understanding of the techniques of committing cybercrimes. We know considerably more about the use of the Dark Web to find and purchase illegal goods and services, and we have learned that the Surface Web plays a significant role in computer-dependent crimes. Moreover, as the article by Miller and Miller highlights, information technology has helped blur the line between legal, pseudo-legal, and illegal behaviors. What work in this area really highlights is how difficult it is to monitor and police the internet. While there is certainly social control exercised on the internet, there are limits to the effectiveness of this control (see Hawdon et al., 2017 ). Yet, by understanding the patterns of victimization, the underlying causes of perpetration, and the techniques that facilitate cybercrime, we become better armed in designing strategies to prevent it, defend against it, mitigate its adverse effects, and prosecute those who commit it. All of the articles included in this issue further that understanding.

The Special Issue

The process of selecting the articles for this special issue was perhaps unusual but also rather intensive. The process began by me inviting a group of scholars to submit manuscripts for the special issue. I selected these scholars because I knew of their work and was confident they would submit quality papers that covered a wide range of topics in the area of cybercrime. After discussing their planned submissions with the authors to assure there would be good topic coverage, the authors submitted their paper. An anonymous scholar and I reviewed these initial submissions (the anonymous scholar served as a typical double-blind reviewer). Each contributing author also reviewed one or two of the included articles. Authors then revised their work based on the reviewers’ comments and resubmitted the papers. Each contributing author was then asked to read all nine revised papers. Then, the authors and I took advantage of the brief pause in the COVID-19 pandemic and gathered for a two-day workshop in Asheville, North Carolina as part of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention’s annual research workshop program. The lone exception to this was our Finnish colleagues who were unable to get a special visa to visit the U.S. at that time. These colleagues joined the workshop via Zoom. The authors/workshop participants then discussed and provided feedback on all of the articles. The authors then made final revisions to their papers based on these discussions. Thus, these papers have been through three rounds of revisions. As the editor of the special edition, I am proud of the finished product.

is a professor of sociology and Director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech.  Dr. Hawdon’s research focuses on how communities influence the causes and consequences of violence.  He is currently researching how online communities influence online hate, extremism, political polarization, and cybercrime. Since 2013, he and his colleagues have collected multiple waves of data on online hate speech and extremism in the Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  His recent work has been funded by the National Institute of Justice, the National Science Foundation, and The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative.  He has published eight books and over 130 articles, books chapters, and technical reports.

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Conceptualizing cybercrime: definitions, typologies and taxonomies.

1. Introduction

Review methodology.

• A Boolean search string ((Cybercrime OR “computer crime”) AND (definition* OR typology* OR classification* OR categories* OR taxonomy*)) was used to identify sources via an academic search engine, namely Google Scholar;
• Included sources were English Language publications published from 2017 onwards;
• The first 100 (when ordered by most relevant) sources were assessed for relevance;
• Sources were rapidly assessed for relevance according to two stages: firstly, inclusion or exclusion according to the relevance of the title or abstract, and secondly only sources were included when the majority of the content discussed cybercrime definitions and typologies;
• In addition to the final sample (that meets criteria 1–4), references within said sources were included if highly relevant to the aims and objectives;
• Meta-analyses, review-type materials, keystone articles, or articles that are highly relevant were prioritized when preparing research findings.
• To identify key cybercrime definitions from academia and key definitions used by organizations;
• To identify key cybercrime typologies and taxonomies developed by academics and organizations;
• To evaluate identified definitions, typologies, and taxonomies of cybercrime, considering the wider implications for policy, practice, and future research.

2. Origin of the Term ‘Cybercrime’

3. definitions of the term ‘cybercrime’, 3.1. a single term to encapsulate a diverse set of criminal and harmful behaviors, 3.2. most frequently cited definitions of the term ‘cybercrime’, 3.3. institutional and organizational definitions of the term ‘cybercrime’, 4. categorizing or developing ‘typologies’ of cybercrime, 4.1. dichotomies of cybercrime, 4.1.1. categorical approach: ‘cyber-enabled’ vs. ‘cyber-dependent’ crime, 4.1.2. continuum approach: type i to type ii as proposed by gordon and ford, 4.2. trichotomies of cybercrime, 4.2.1. categorization systems that define three categories of cybercrimes.

• ‘Crimes against the machine’, also known as computer integrity crimes, e.g., hacking, cracking and Denial of Service (DoS)/Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS);
• ‘Crimes using the machine’, also known as computer-assisted crimes, e.g., piracy, robberies and scams;
• ‘Crimes in the machine’, also known as computer content crimes, e.g., online hate, harassment, pornography.
• ‘Offences unique to computers and information systems (e.g., attacks against information systems, denial of service and malware)’, i.e., analogous to Wall’s [ 14 ] computer integrity crimes;
• ‘Traditional offences (e.g., fraud, forgery, and identity theft)’, i.e., analogous to Wall’s [ 14 ] computer-assisted crimes;
• ‘Content-related offences (e.g., online distribution of CSAM or incitement to racial hatred)’ i.e., analogous to Wall’s [ 14 ] computer content crimes.

4.2.2. Extending Dichotomies of Cybercrime to Trichotomies

• Cyber-dependent crimes or true cybercrimes, where the computer is the target and the crime could not happen without a computer, i.e., truly new opportunities for crime, e.g., hacking, malware, and DoS/DDoS;
• Cyber-enabled crimes or hybrid crimes, where the computer plays a role, but the crime could still be committed without the involvement of the computer, i.e., new opportunities for traditional crime, e.g., frauds, scams, and phishing;
• Cyber-assisted crimes or the use of computers in traditional crime, where the computer’s involvement is incidental to a real-world crime and simply increases the opportunity for traditional crimes, e.g., criminal communications.
• Type I cybercrimes refer to crimes that are technical in nature (e.g., hacking);
• Type II cybercrimes refer to crimes that involve human contact (e.g., cyberbullying);
• Type III cybercrimes refer to crimes that are perpetuated by Artificial Intelligence, robots/bots or self-learning technology.

5. Taxonomies of ‘Cybercrime’

5.1. the council of europe’s convention of cybercrime (2001), tsakalidis and vergidis’ (2017) update of the coe’s convention of cybercrime (2001) taxonomy, 5.2. wall’s (2001) taxonomy: an alternative framework popular in academic literature, marcum and higgins’ (2019) taxonomy: another example of an alternative framework found in academic literature, 5.3. taxonomies of single offences or single ‘types’ of cybercrime, 6. consolidating findings: a new cybercrime and cyberdeviance classification framework, 7. evaluating identified definitions, typologies and taxonomies, 7.1. an evaluation of cybercrime definitions, 7.2. an evaluation of cybercrime typologies, 7.3. an evaluation of cybercrime taxonomies, 8. key challenges, 8.1. problems with prioritizing response over definitions, 8.2. lack of consensus on basic terminology and scope of offences, 8.3. placing the role of technology at the forefront of developing cybercrime classifications, 8.4. the problem of ‘nullen crimen sine lege’ (no crime without law), 8.5. accounting for ideological standpoints, 8.6. allowing for future concepts: incorporating complexity and evolving nature of technology, 9. towards a comprehensive classification system, 9.1. a shared cybercrime lexicon, 9.2. adopting a multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional approach, 9.3. research-driven classification system and transparency in development, 9.4. reconceptualizing the boundaries between cybercrime categories, 9.5. application of feminist theory to cybercrime definitions, 10. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest, abbreviations.

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Phillips, K.; Davidson, J.C.; Farr, R.R.; Burkhardt, C.; Caneppele, S.; Aiken, M.P. Conceptualizing Cybercrime: Definitions, Typologies and Taxonomies. Forensic Sci. 2022 , 2 , 379-398. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2020028

Phillips K, Davidson JC, Farr RR, Burkhardt C, Caneppele S, Aiken MP. Conceptualizing Cybercrime: Definitions, Typologies and Taxonomies. Forensic Sciences . 2022; 2(2):379-398. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2020028

Phillips, Kirsty, Julia C. Davidson, Ruby R. Farr, Christine Burkhardt, Stefano Caneppele, and Mary P. Aiken. 2022. "Conceptualizing Cybercrime: Definitions, Typologies and Taxonomies" Forensic Sciences 2, no. 2: 379-398. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2020028

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Cyber Crime

• 28 Jul 2023
• GS Paper - 2
• Government Policies & Interventions
• GS Paper - 3
• Cyber Security
• Cyber Warfare
• Challenges to Internal Security Through Communication Networks

For Prelims: Cyber Crime , Seventh Schedule of the Constitution , Internet of Things , Crypto-Currency, Massive Open Online Courses.

For Mains: Cyber Crime, Related Challenges and Measures to Deal with it.

Source: PIB

Why in News?

The Indian government has taken significant steps to strengthen the mechanism for dealing with Cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.

What is Cyber Crime?

• Cybercrimes fall under State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
• It involves illegal or unauthorized activities that exploit technology to commit various forms of crimes.
• Cybercrime covers a wide range of offenses and can affect individuals, organizations, and even governments.
• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: These are used to make an online service unavailable and take the network down by overwhelming the site with traffic from a variety of sources.
• Botnets: Botnets are networks from compromised computers that are controlled externally by remote hackers. The remote hackers then send spam or attack other computers through these botnets.
• Identity Theft: This cybercrime occurs when a criminal gains access to a user’s personal information or confidential information and then tries to tarnish reputation or seek a ransom.
• Cyberstalking: This kind of cybercrime involves online harassment where the user is subjected to a plethora of online messages and emails. Typically, cyberstalks use social media, websites, and search engines to intimidate a user and instill fear.
• Phishing: It is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.

What are the Challenges Related to Cyber Security in India?

• Post liberalisation, the Information Technology (IT), electricity and telecom sector have witnessed large investments by the private sector.
• Operators are not investing in protective infrastructure , rather they are focused on the profitable infrastructure only, because they think investment on cyber-attack preparedness may not generate good profits.
• All operators are focused on profits, and do not want to invest in infrastructure that will not generate profits (i.e. protective infrastructure).
• There is no separate procedural code for the investigation of cyber or computer-related offences.
• Most cybercrimes are trans-national in nature. The collection of evidence from foreign territories is not only a difficult but also a tardy process.
• In the last couple of years, India has traversed on the path of digitalizing its various economic factors and has carved a niche for itself successfully.
• The latest technologies like 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) will increase the coverage of the internet-connected ecosystem.
• With the advent of digitalisation, paramount consumer and citizen data will be stored in digital format and transactions are likely to be carried out online which makes India a breeding ground for potential hackers and cyber-criminals.
• Offenses related to crypto-currency remain under-reported as the capacity to solve such crimes remains limited.
• Although most State cyber labs are capable of analysing hard disks and mobile phones, they are yet to be recognized as 'Examiners of Electronic Evidence' (by the central government). Until then, they cannot provide expert opinions on electronic data.

What Measures Can be Taken to Tackle Cyber Crimes in India?

• The governments at various levels need to conduct massive cybersecurity awareness campaigns, regarding Cyber frauds , use strong, unique passwords, being careful using public wi-fi, etc.
• Cyber insurance provides financial coverage against losses resulting from cyber incidents and by mitigating the financial impact of these incidents, organizations can recover more quickly and continue their operations.
• In this context, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation and India’s Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 are steps in the right direction.
• This mechanism would bind all parties and enable law enforcers to act quickly and safeguard citizens and businesses from a fast-growing menace.
• In this context, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre will assist in centralizing cybersecurity investigations , prioritize the development of response tools and bring together private companies to contain the menace.

What are the Government Initiatives to Cope with Cyber Crimes in India?

• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): This center coordinates efforts to tackle all types of cyber-crimes across the country.
• National Cyber Forensic Laboratory : It provides early-stage cyber forensic assistance to Investigating Officers of all State/UT Police through both online and offline modes.
• CyTrain Portal: A Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform for capacity building of police officers, judicial officers, and prosecutors through online courses on critical aspects of cyber-crime investigation, forensics, and prosecution.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: A platform where the public can report incidents of cyber-crimes, with a special focus on crimes against women and children.
• Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System: It is a system for immediate reporting of financial frauds and assistance in lodging online cyber complaints through a toll-free helpline.
• Cybercrime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme: Financial assistance provided to States/UTs for developing capabilities of Law Enforcement Agencies in investigating cyber-crimes.
• Joint Cyber Coordination Teams: Constituted to enhance coordination among Law Enforcement Agencies of States/UTs, particularly in areas with multi-jurisdictional issues related to cyber-crimes.
• Central Assistance for Modernization of Police: Providing financial support to States/UTs for acquiring modern weaponry, advanced communication/forensic equipment, and cyber policing equipment.
• It is of critical importance to ensure global cooperation through information sharing and strengthening joint efforts in cybersecurity research and development as most cyberattacks originate from beyond the borders.
• It is important for the corporates or the respective government departments to find the gaps in their organisations and address those gaps and create a layered security system, wherein security threat intelligence sharing is happening between different layers.

• IAS Preparation
• UPSC Preparation Strategy
• Cyber Crime

Cybercrime: Notes for UPSC GS-III

Cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used to commit the crime and in many cases, it is also the target. Cybercrime may threaten a person or a nation’s security and financial health.

Cybercrime is a topic featured in the GS-III section of the IAS Exam . Candidates attempting the exam will find the details given in the article to be of immense use.

Definition of Cybercrime

Any offenses committed against individuals or groups of individuals to harm the reputation or cause physical or mental trauma through electronic means can be defined as Cybercrime. Electronic means can include but are not limited to, the use of modern telecommunication networks such as the Internet (networks including chat rooms, emails, notice boards and groups) and mobile phones (Bluetooth/SMS/MMS).

To know more about India’s national cybersecurity policy , visit the linked article.

Why is Cybercrime considered a grave offense?

There are many privacy concerns surrounding cybercrime when sensitive information is intercepted and leaked to the public, legally or otherwise. Some of that information may include data about military deployments, internal government communications, and even private data about high-value individuals. Cybercrime is not confined to individuals alone. Internationally, both governmental and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Cybercrimes crossing international borders and involving the actions of at least one nation-state is sometimes referred to as cyberwarfare.

In 2018, a study by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in partnership with McAfee, a leading cybersecurity firm concludes that close to $600 billion, nearly one percent of global GDP, is lost to cybercrime each year.

Candidates can check out the relevant links given below to prepare for the upcoming exams even better-

Laws against Cybercrime in India

Ever since the introduction of cyber laws in India, the Information Technology Act (IT Act) 2000  covers different types of crimes under cyber law in India. The following types of cybercrimes are covered under the IT Act 2000.

• Identity theft  – Identity theft is defined as theft of personnel information of an individual to avail financial services or steal the financial assets themselves.
• Cyberterrorism  – Cyberterrorism is committed with the purpose of causing grievous harm or extortion of any kind subjected towards a person, groups of individuals, or governments.
• Cyberbullying  – Cyberbullying is the act of intimidating, harassment, defaming, or any other form of mental degradation through the use of electronic means or modes such as social media.
• Hacking  – Access of information through fraudulent or unethical means is known as hacking. This is the most common form of cybercrime know to the general public.
• Defamation  – While every individual has his or her right to speech on internet platforms as well, but if their statements cross a line and harm the reputation of any individual or organization, then they can be charged with the Defamation Law.
• Trade Secrets  – Internet organization spends a lot of their time and money in developing software, applications, and tools and rely on Cyber Laws to protect their data and trade secrets against theft; doing which is a punishable offense.
• Freedom of Speech  – When it comes to the internet, there is a very thin line between freedom of speech and being a cyber-offender. As freedom of speech enables individuals to speak their mind, cyber law refrains obscenity and crassness over the web.
• Harassment and Stalking   – Harassment and stalking are prohibited over internet platforms as well. Cyber laws protect the victims and prosecute the offender against this offense.

IT Act, 2000 went through amendments under the Indian Penal Code in the year 2008. These were made in light of the laws on cybercrime – IT Act, 2000 by way of the IT Act, 2008. They were enforced at the beginning of 2009 to strengthen the cybersecurity laws.

Cybercrime – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

Frequently Asked Questions about Cybercrime

What are examples of cyber crimes, what are types of cybercrime.

For more UPSC- related preparation articles visit the links given in the table below. Candidates can visit the UPSC Syllabus page to get a general idea of the UPSC exams.

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Explanatory Essay: Definition, Outline, Writing Steps & Samples

An explanatory essay informs readers about a specific topic or idea. It gives clear information without trying to change anyone's mind. This article will help you create a good explanatory essay. We'll cover what it is, how to plan it, and how to write your ideas clearly.

What Is an Explanatory Essay: Definition

An explanatory thesis is the main idea of this type of writing. It's a sentence that tells the reader what the essay is about. Explanatory essays need to present facts, not opinions. They use evidence and logic to explain things.

For example, if you're writing about climate change, your explanatory thesis might say: "Climate change is influenced by both natural events and human activities, and it affects the planet's ecosystems in many ways."

How to Start an Explanatory Essay: Important Steps

Knowing how to start an explanatory essay is important to get readers interested. Here's what to do:

• Pick an interesting topic
• Conduct thorough research
• Develop a clear thesis statement
• Create an outline

When choosing a topic, think about what your readers might like and what information you can find. For instance, if you're writing about clean energy, you could focus on new ways to use sunlight for power.

After you gather information, write your thesis statement. It should be specific and give a clear roadmap for your essay. For example: "Solar technology is changing how we produce and use energy around the world, offering both environmental and economic benefits."

Explanatory Essay Outline

A great outline helps you organize your thoughts and make your essay easy to follow. Here's a basic informational essay format:

1. Introduction

• A catchy hook
• Background information
• Thesis statement (Main idea)

2. Body Paragraphs (usually 3-5 sentences)

• Topic sentence
• Facts that support your idea
• Explanation
• Transition to the next point

3. Conclusion

• Restate main idea
• Sum up the main points
• Final thoughts

This structure helps keep your essay clear. Remember, each paragraph should focus on one main point that supports your main idea.

How to Write an Explanatory Essay

Now that you know the structure, let's talk about how to write explanatory essay well.

• Introduction: Start with something interesting—a surprising fact, a question, or a short story. Give some background on your topic and end with your main idea.
• Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should talk about one part of your topic. Use reliable sources to support your points, and explain how this information relates to your main idea. For example, when writing about solar energy, you might have paragraphs about how it helps the environment, how much it costs, and new ways to use it.
• Conclusion: How to write a conclusion for an explanatory essay: Sum up your main points and say your main idea again in a different way. Share some final thoughts about why your topic matters.

Throughout your essay, use words that help connect your ideas. This keeps readers interested and shows how your points are related.

Remember, the goal of an explanatory essay is to inform, not to argue. Stick to the facts, present them clearly, and let the information speak for itself.

Explanatory Essay Conclusion

How to write a conclusion for an explanatory essay is important to make your readers remember what you wrote. Your conclusion should:

• Restate your main idea but in a fresh way
• Go over the main points you talked about in your essay
• Give a final thought or suggest what to do next

For example, if you wrote about clean energy, you might end by stating the importance of continued research and investment in these technologies for a sustainable future.

Explanatory Essay Example

Here's a short example about artificial intelligence in healthcare:

Introduction: 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing significant changes to various fields, with healthcare being a notable beneficiary. From diagnosis to treatment planning, AI is enhancing the capabilities of medical professionals and improving patient care outcomes.

Body Paragraph (example): 

One significant application of AI in healthcare is in medical imaging analysis. AI algorithms can now detect abnormalities in X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans with accuracy comparable to experienced radiologists. A 2020 study demonstrated that an AI system outperformed human experts in breast cancer detection, reducing false positives by 5.7% and false negatives by 9.4%. This technology not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also potentially reduces the workload on healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus on complex cases and patient care.

Conclusion: 

As AI technology advances, its integration into healthcare promises to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline treatment plans, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. While challenges remain, the potential benefits of AI in medicine underscore the importance of continued research and responsible implementation in this field.

Concluding Words

Writing a well-structured, informative, and explanatory essay requires careful planning and a clear understanding of the topic you are writing about. If you follow the tips in this guide and practice regularly, you'll get better at writing exceptional explanatory essays about any topic.

For writers looking to simplify their essay-writing process, Aithor can provide valuable assistance in organizing ideas, suggesting relevant information, and ensuring clear, coherent prose. While the core of your essay should always come from your own understanding and research, such tools can enhance your writing efficiency and effectiveness.

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Cyber Crime Essay

In this Cyber Crime Essay , we had discussed the classification of cybercrimes, how to prevent cybercrime & much more.

Cybercrime is a type of crime in which computer crime (hacking, spamming, etc.) is used as a tool to commit any crime.

Cybercriminals use computer and Internet technology to access personal information, trade secrets, etc.

In this article  Essay on Cyber Crime , we had provided the essays in different word limits, which you can use as per your need:

Essay on Cyber Crime 150 words:

Most cybercrime is usually done for money today, but some people are trying to steal someone’s data, harm another person, and destroy someone’s network or computer.

In the present time, Cyber Crime remains a headache for the people; it is a severe problem; to stop this activity, every country in the world developed laws.

Under it, a very similar court of U.S. Cyber Crime, it is divided into three parts.

The first one in which computer equipment is its target, such as controlling the network of another.

Second, using the computer as a weapon, such as a denial of service attack.

 Third, the computer is used as an accessory for crime, such as taking illegal data or stealing from the computer.

U.S. Court believes that Cyber Crime is a kind of dangerous malicious activity that means there is a conspiracy to spread from viruses.

In which much actionable data is taken and then entered into the systems of others, by doing this, copyrighted things are significantly damaged.

Other types of cybercrime include gaming, selling illegal items such as weapons, drugs, and children’s porn are some types of cybercrime.

Everyone thinks that merely stealing someone’s data is a cybercrime, but in defining the terms, we can say that cybercrime refers to the use of an electronic device (computer, laptop, etc.) to try to steal someone’s data or harm them using a computer.

Cybercrime is an illegal activity involving a range of issues ranging from theft using your system or I.P. Address as a tool for committing a crime.

It is an illegal act where a computer is used as a tool or target or both as follows:

These days cybercrime is a fast-growing area of crime, as technology is advancing, man is becoming dependent on the Internet for all his needs.

It makes shopping, gaming, online study, social networking, online jobs, and so on all available easily in one place.

Apart from other countries, India is not far from the place where the rate of cybercrime is increasing day by day.

Cybercrime is classified into four major types; these are financial, privacy, hacking, and cyber-terrorism.

The Generation in laptop is the age of processors.

Cyber Crime Essay 300 words:

Today many people all over the world are stealing personal information of people sitting at home through online Internet, which is called cybercrime.

First of all, let us tell you when a person can send ugly or rude messages to another person through email service. This Act hurts the mind of the person receiving the email.

Secondly, someone who has little knowledge of computers can develop Viruses on the Internet.

Email Services are commonly used or used to commit this misdeed. In every computer in which these email messages go, Virus ruins the computer after entry in the system, both the machine and its information can be badly destroyed.

In the hall itself, the Philippine police arrested the father of ‘I love you’ Virus. Individuals with wrong motives get information about access codes of Numbers to bank accounts.

They get these banks to transfer money to their accounts, and the banks do not even know. There is a need for a little cleverness, and these criminals are different.

Some individuals create a disturbance in the websites of private sector enterprises.

Friends, you will be surprised to know that they send Virus to those websites, get highly sensitive information from there, or try their best to spoil the image of any person or enterprise on a site by adopting propaganda.

Cybercrime in the States of India:

In 5 years, more than 5900 cases were reported in Maharashtra and made on top, with Uttar Pradesh nearly 5000 cases in second place and Karnataka in third place with over 3500 cases.

Cybercrime in India is registered under three main heads, I.T. Act, IPC (Indian Penal Code), and State Level Legislation (SLL). Also, read Cyber Crime Essay 400 words.

Cases of Cyber Laws under I.T.:

• Tampering with computer source documents – Sec. 65
• Computer Systems, Hacking with Data Transformation – Sec. 66
• Publishing pornographic information – Sec. 67
• Non-Authorized Access to Protected Systems – Sec. 70
• Privacy and breach of confidentiality – Sec. 72
• Publishing false digital signature certificate – Sec. 73

The web world or cyberspace is a vast community of millions and billions of users and websites.

Apart from this, people use it for various activities like shopping, movies, music, video games, transactions, and e-commerce, etc.

Due to this age of technology and easy access to the Internet, anyone can easily be reached; this has led to rapid growth since the last decade.

Moreover, the Internet has opened up an information world to which anyone can connect, due to this, the rate of crime, especially cybercrime, has increased very much.

Also, the rate of circulation of data increases significantly due to high internet speed, because of all these issues, cyber security has become a significant concern for society.

Essay on Cyber Crime 400 words:

Cybercrime has to become a significant problem all over the world, and due to which many cyber security agencies have been formed to take some action against this crime.

In many countries to stop this crime worldwide, many cybercrime agencies have been formed.

Like computers are used for hacking, but through cyber agents, these cyber agents get some evidence to catch hackers.

Several cases of hacking have been reported since opening cybercrime agencies, and cyber agents have caught several hackers.

Hackers are given many punishments, such as taking hefty fines from them or putting them in jail.

On the other hand, these cyber security people seek the help of many hackers to find other hackers who harass people.

So this cybercrime is a big problem in today’s world, and we should be aware of it and always be safe from these cybercriminals.

Cybercrime is the latest and perhaps most complicated problem in the cyber world. The term “cybercrime” is not defined anywhere in any law or Act passed or enacted by the Indian Parliament.

Any criminal activity that uses the computer either as a means to target or to eliminate further crimes comes under the cybercrime.

Cybercrime or computer oriented crime is a crime that involves a computer and a network.

Today the whole world is affected by cybercrime; it is involved in the illegal use of modern telecommunication networks (Internet, mobile phones) people makes committed crimes torture them, knowingly physical or mental damage, and damage to his reputation.

In today’s time, this is the work of many people, they steal people’s data and then start abusing them, and cybercrime can threaten the security and financial health of an individual or a nation.

Cybercrime is an illegal act where the computer is used as a means or target, or both ways.

Cybercrime is a broad term, which can also be defined as: “criminal activity where a computer or computer network is used as a means, target or place of criminal activity.”

Types of cybercrime:

Cybercrime is classified into four major types, financial, privacy, hacking, and cyber-terrorism.

Financial crimes mean stealing money from the account holders. Similarly, they also took the data of companies that could lead to financial crimes.

Also, they are at significant risk due to the transaction. Every year hackers steal the money from business people and government worth millions and crores of rupees.

Privacy crime involves stealing your data that you do not want to share with the world. Also, people suffer a lot, and some people even commit suicide due to the misuse of their data.

In hacking, they intentionally damage a website causing loss or damage to the public or the owner. Also, they destroy or modify existing sites to reduce their value.

This is a crime in which illegal control over a person’s website is done illegally. In this way, the owner of the website loses control and essential information on that website.

In modern-day terrorism has advanced 10-20 years ago. Still, cyber terrorism is not related only to terrorists or terrorist organizations, but threatening a person or property at the level of creating fear is also cyber terrorism. Also, read Cyber Crime Essay 600 words.

Measures to prevent cybercrime:

• Computer users should use a firewall to protect their computers from hackers.
• Computer users should install anti-virus software such as McAfee or Norton anti-virus.
• Cyber experts have advised users to only access secure websites.
• We should never give their credit card information to suspects or strangers.
• Users should develop strong passwords on their accounts, i.e., include characters and numbers in the password, and continuously update the password and login details.
• Monitor children and limit their use of the Internet.
• Check the security settings of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and be careful, protect information to avoid hacking, use encryption for most sensitive files or financial records.
• For all vital information to create a back-up, and having it stored somewhere else, users should be cautious while using public Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Avoid handling financial transactions on these networks; users should be careful while giving personal information such as name, address, phone number, or financial information on the Internet, make sure that the websites are secure.

Cyber Crime Essay 600 words:

Cybercrime is a crime that is an excellent crime in our society; cybercrime is a type of crime that is done through computers.

It is created by misusing the computer, and it is networked improperly.

This cybercrime is designed by some to intentionally harm other people by hacking or obtaining their private information, and this can be done quickly by modern internet technology through which these people create crime in society.

Hackers who hack other people’s private information or personal information, later blackmail them and harass them.

Most of the women in our society have to face this problem of harassment; they have become the most victim of these hackers.

This problem of cybercrime is not only in India, but this problem is spread all over the world by many hackers who hack and harass people across the globe, most of the hackers are from Russia.

These Russians hack the accounts of many people and later blackmail them, it has become a significant problem worldwide.

This hacking is started with computers, and this internet connection hackers easily hack people’s information through the machine.

Nowadays, it is also easy to hack from mobile phones; this hacking created a big problem in society.

These hackers are steading all the money from bank accounts or other personal accounts of people.

They send a virus on the other computer, and this Virus affects the equipment, and many unwanted things come into their network, which causes a big problem for the device.

After this Virus causes some psychological effects of the user, they put that unwanted thing in their computer through the illness.

Types of cybercrimes include pornography, cyber fraud, defamation, cyberstalking, harassment, IPR theft, data hostage, money laundering, phishing, email bombing, cyber warfare, illegal FTF.

Cybercrime is different and more terrible as cybercrime than a traditional crime; the offence is committed in an electronic medium, a general rule under the penal provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The Indian Parliament considered it necessary to give effect to the resolution by which U.N.

The General Assembly adopted the Model Law on Electronic Commerce adopted by the United Nations Commission on Trade Law, which resulted in the passage of the Information Technology Act, 2000, a welcome step at a time when there was no law on the sector.

However, the Act has proved inadequate during its application, and the Act has some shortcomings.

Cases of spam, hacking, stalking and email fraud are widespread, although cyber crime cells have been set up in major cities, the problem is that most of the cases are unavailable due to lack of awareness.

The capacity of the human mind is immeasurable, it is not possible to eliminate cybercrime from cyberspace, and however, it is quite possible to investigate them.

The home user segment is the biggest recipient of cyber-attacks as they are less likely to set up security measures in place and therefore require that people be made aware of their rights and duties.

Allowing users to access any electronic items on their computer should install anti-virus software, firewall, interruption detection system to make the application of laws more rigorous for further investigation of crime, etc.

Also, read 1. Essay on Internet 2. Digital India Essay 3. Cashless Economy Essay 4. Essay on Computer

Conclusion:

Cybercrime is an act that is neither widespread nor exhaustive; the Information Technology Act has not distributed with cyber irritation, cyber robbery, and cyber defamation, and so on.

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