An informative aritcle about Cyber Security

A computer cybersecurity attack, also known as a cybercrime, is an act of attack in or against a computer system in which one or more computers are infected with malicious software so that the network or data being used by those connected to the computer is subject to disruption, theft, destruction, illegal access, or other issues. Cyber crime differs from computer crime as the criminal can perform these actions without being physically located at the host machine, they simply act through any medium or channel such as email, Internet browsing, chat rooms, and voice mail messages. The term “cyber crime” came into use only when it was first popularized in the United States and became a widely-used word in its English equivalent. However, cybersecurity professionals see cyber crimes against computers as a new age crime created by information technology (IT) that are not only threatening users but could pose serious threats to national security and law enforcement agencies, as well as businesses. They see cyber crimes as a threat to all of us – especially for government agencies, corporations, media networks, and other institutions that rely on the internet to conduct operations. Although cyber crime was originally created by people operating inside computers, many of today’s cyber criminals operate outside the confines of their own homes at commercial locations or places of work. There has been an increase in computer hackers over the past decade as well as attacks on US government systems and critical infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, hospitals, and airports. In December 2010, there were more than 10,000 cyber attacks reported and nearly 500,000 attacks performed worldwide in 2012. These attacks have affected businesses around the world, and it has had consequences in terms of job loss, disruption of supply chains, and physical health, mental health problems, financial losses, and even deaths. According to the National Crime Information Center, Cybersecurity Crimes cost the economic U.S. economy more than $1 trillion last year alone. This figure does not include the potential annual tax revenue lost during disruptions in supply chain because of cyber thefts, as well as reputational damage to the victims who suffered as a result of breaches. To better understand this reality, cybersecurity professionals need to be aware of the different types of cyber crimes to identify what makes them more dangerous. Also, understanding the different categories of cyber crimes can assist investigators in identifying what type of cybercrime has the greatest influence when determining its severity. For example, malware refers to threats and viruses that infect computers without user input allowing the computer to behave erratically. It may infect in both a passive and active way to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Another category of cybercrime is called espionage since spy tactics that use deception, hacking, and stealing information from a computer system for personal or governmental purposes. Spy rings or hacker groups are organizations or individuals who are involved in cybercriminal activities, often using passwords generated through social engineering to get access to a computer system in order to steal confidential information. While they may never directly attack a company or individual, spy ring members may often threaten victims by making threats on specific targets. Examples of common attacks against companies include identity theft, insider threats, and cyberbullying as well as hacks of major corporations such as credit and debit card accounts and insurance information. Computer worms may infect a computer without user input or allow a computer to act like a virus, causing it to spread infection throughout the computer system and potentially destroying files or data. Ransomware refers to threats that force computers into paying to return some valuable functions to the computer or locking up the computer to prevent the owner from performing his or her daily duties. More sophisticated ransomware attacks are harder to detect because they often do not contain user input or allow the computer system to function as if the computer wasn’t already compromised or compromised to begin with. Commonly found ransomwares include ScamMe (ScamAssistant), LockerPorn (ThinShacker), Winnt, WindowsR2, DarkKiller, Mimikatz, Kaspersky and Nimrk. All of these types of attacks usually have elements that make them more sophisticated or specialized than other cybercrime attacks. Even though most cyber crimes are classified as acts or criminal activity, however, there is still no standard classification of cybercrimes. Most experts only classify cyber crimes by either a federal criminal code or state-level code. Federal codes only cover crimes that involve federal regulations whereas state codes address crimes that fall under state and local authorities. Many states also provide various definitions of cybercrime, but most of these definitions do not clearly explain the differences between cybercrime and illegal activity. Examples of Cyber Crimes. Illegal activity is a wide variety of activity that is criminal in nature and is defined as crime in a court of law. However, criminal activity, according to definitions, does not mean anything that violates the laws of the land. As an example, let’s look at some examples of what constitutes illegal activity: The purchase of alcohol and food. Alcohol consumption that occurs without the consent of the consumer. Undermining of property values, such as cutting down trees and bushes. Impersonating a legal person through impersonation or substitution. Making false statements to someone who is not authorized to make them.. Any attempt to bypass a law or use authority illegally or unlawfully. Public drunkenness

In addition, cybercrimes are categorized by several factors. First, it is important to consider what purpose the activity was intended to serve when creating the cybercrime. If it was a message that needed to send out a warning and alert people to something, then it is not considered a form of cybercrime. Second, it is crucial to analyze the motive behind the cybercrime. Does the cause for concern stem from within the computer system itself? Or do the causes come from outside the computer system and are not controlled by the original creator? An example of a reason why a computer system would become compromised would be due to a faulty device that made its way into the computer system that was designed for another purpose. Lastly, cybercrimes are judged upon how widespread the attack was, and how long has the computer system remained unaltered by the cybercrime. Therefore, it is important to assess the magnitude of the attack before determining whether the attack warrants action and what steps to take in order to remedy the situation. Cybercrime Definition and Categories. Cybercrime includes the following categories: Criminal activity-This is a broad definition of cybercrime that encompasses many different types of criminal activity. Some classes of cybercrimes include criminal activity such as identity theft, computer vandalism, child pornography, prostitution, extortion, blackmail, terrorist activity, and stalking. Criminal activity-This class covers crimes that involve illegal activity such as arson, burglary, larceny, drug trafficking, gambling, and cyber fraud.

Criminal activity-It is comprised of criminal activity such as identity theft, computer vandalism, child pornography, prostitution, extortion, blackmail, terrorism, and stalking. Civil activity-This class includes crimes such as insurance fraud, kidnapping, robbery, murder and murder. Victimization-This category involves crimes where the victim of the crime lacks something that the crime requires. Usually, victims are people who are innocent or wrongly made to suffer the crime due to negligence, lack of knowledge, or abuse. Threatening-This class of cybercrimes involves crimes where the perpetrator threatens either directly or indirectly to harm people, property, or reputation. For instance, threatening online postings of violent or harmful content. Confidentiality and privacy-This category provides the rules and regulations that control when it is acceptable to disclose and/or store the personal information of customers and potential consumers. Cyber Crime and Victimization. Cybercrime can be defined as the deliberate use of technological means by criminals to commit criminal activity against other people and entities, in order to cause harm to them. Various types of cybercrimes include phishing where the cybercrime gets involved in scamming or stealing money or funds from a trusted source; hacking where thieves utilize computers to gain unauthorized access to information or communication systems that the thief controls; password cracking, in which stolen passwords are utilized to make copies of protected information; phishing where cybercriminals pretend to be employees of legitimate private and public companies by taking them to the websites of these organizations; intellectual property theft, where criminals obtain legally owned items, which they sell online for profit, or steal copyright rights, or infringe trademarks; stalking; and cyberstalking, where real life people are stalked on the internet and some personal information is gotten. With regards to victimization, cybercriminals target people who are vulnerable and those that have nothing or little access to passwords or secure digital locks. When it comes to threatening, the main type of cybercrime is called phishing. Phishing is similar to other forms of cyber crime. Phishing involves the use of fake emails in order to steal passwords and sensitive information. Typically, phished emails are sent via prepaid cards or prepaid mobile phones. Phishers usually will lie about the phished site of interest, which can mean that they can collect personal information or credit card data that can be later sold, traded, or hacked. Cyber-stalking, sometimes referred to as stalking, is when a person has a feeling of fear or insecurity, and their fear, or anxiety, leads them to report a situation online. If the stalking lasts longer than 30 days, then the cyberstalker is considered a victim of cyber crime. Risk Factors and Prevention. One of the biggest challenges associated with cyber crime is finding ways to prevent cyber crimes from occurring in the first place. Despite the fact that cybersecurity is an advanced field of science, just like every other industry, its success is dependent on the ability of our public officials to recognize, respond to, and protect against cybersecurity attacks. Protecting from cyber crime has proven difficult because cyber criminals know all too well that, while they create the problem, they themselves are helpless victims of the very same cybercrime. Because of this lack of legal protection, hackers often employ legal trickery to hide their identity or identity so they can continue to