The digital age of personal computers and other associated technologies are used to share information with others using different approaches. However, there are many entities that are using computers and technology to commit crimes. These crimes range from stealing personal information from a computer to stealing other sensitive information to obtain a competitive edge. Digital crimes are of numerous types and sometimes it becomes difficult to prosecute successfully. With proper law enforcement, these crimes can be limited but cannot be eliminated.
Foreign Crimes with Computers
Many scammers and attackers have committed online crimes through various individuals and groups in the entire world. These can be government intelligence entities or private persons that attain monetary gains through different schemes to rob others. Some individuals are using Internet portals using computers to steal personal or sensitive information. This may lead to stealing information, committing fraud and infiltration of organizational data and other information. Due to these activities, it is important to have knowledge about which types of emails and data are accessed using personal computers. Both the Intranet and Internet companies can be attacked.
China and Computer Crime Statistics
Before the explosion of technology, China faced less than 200 crimes that involve digital data. However, before 2000, the country was not faced with any online threat or found presence. After 2009, more than 48,000 crimes were reported over the Internet and computers in Chine. These crimes consist of possession and distribution of child pornography, creation and spread of the virus, gambling violation as well as computer and network hacks. Since 2009, more than 1M IP addresses got controlled from other countries and more than 40,000 sites were destroyed and 18M computers were infected with different viruses. Overall, these statistics were 30% of the computers in Chine. These crimes on the Internet and Computers were identified by the Chinese government for technological matters.
Computer Usage to Commit Crimes
Even though China is not the only country to target institutions, businesses, and other nations, it may be the most successful. Hackers can use a personal computer, an anonymous device, or a portable device to commit crimes. The most successful hacking technique is the use of code created for purposes. This can perpetrate other crimes, steal information, alter software or systems, get something for money, or any number of other crimes. Frequently, the information that a hacker used is to gain a financial edge over large corporation. The software can also be used to copy usernames and passwords to access secret or protected data. With the rise of cybercrimes, more money is spent to prevent and deal with cybercrimes. According to cybercrime prosecution statistics, it is expected that in 2022 more than 134 billion dollars (about $410 per person in the US) will be spent to prevent crimes.
Technology vs Crimes
When we discuss technology then what does it mean to you? Most people will say that the objective was to improve and ease our lives, which is still true in many ways today. Unfortunately, technology has also made it possible for people to conduct crimes in secret from the comfort of their own homes. Cybercrime is the term for any online illegal act committed while using a computer or other electronic devices to damage another person. It is crucial to understand that there are numerous variations of internet crime, and every instance should be treated carefully. Some examples are credit card fraud, identity theft, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment. These are the major problems that everyone can face in this world at any place and using any device. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that the most common fraud of credit card fraud is identity theft. The report states that annually more than 133,000 cases are of identity theft and credit card fraud is almost 92% of the fraudulent transaction.
Cybercrime magazine estimates that in 2021, the cost of cybercrime would exceed $6 trillion, making it the third-largest economy in the world behind the US and China. You may anticipate anything from a cybercrook since they grow at the same rate as technology. This includes sophisticated hacks that take advantage of current technology as well as the first book-based tactics.
One of the more damaging recent attacks was a compromise of a Microsoft Exchange server that resulted in several zero-day vulnerabilities. The ProxyLogon vulnerabilities were found by Microsoft in January, and they were addressed in March. The Hafnium hacking organization was the one that initially discovered these issues. But after Hafnium, other parties also started to attack unpatched systems, which result in the compromise of thousands of new firms.
In January 2021, the dating service MeetMindful was subjected to a cybersecurity assault, which exposed and stole the data of over 2 million members. The hackers who orchestrated the incident were successful to steal the Facebook account tokens and user details such as complete names.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which started in February 2022, comprised not only physical combat that caused thousands of people to flee their homes and killed many others, but also cyberattacks. The new viper malware was used to assault Ukrainian targets, according to FortiGuard Labs, which also found it installed on at least several hundred workstations there. A number of Ukrainian companies have also been the subject of sophisticated operations that made use of the malware strands KillDisk and HermeticWiper, which seem to wipe data off of machines. Additionally, it was discovered that bogus "Evacuation Plan" emails were used to spread Remote Manipulator System (RMS), a tool for remotely controlling equipment, across Ukraine. A wave of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults also hit Ukraine. This included a State Savings Bank assault that affected banking services, prevented people from using ATMs to withdraw cash, and interfered with the networks of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces.
Conclusion
Technology will continue to change and advance, frequently more quickly than either law enforcement or potential victims can keep up with or even be aware of it. Additionally, as technology advances, it will continue to open new attack routes and widen those that already exist. It is crucial that law enforcement continues to employ all the resources, tools, and opportunities at its disposal while criminals abuse and exploit new and current technologies - either to further their illegal operations or as a significant component of their criminality. For law enforcement to continue to be an effective deterrent to crime, public-private partnerships, the development of innovative technical solutions, preventative strategies, and capacity building are all necessary.
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