Computer Crime Is Increasing :: essays research papers fc

Computer Crime Is IncreasingA report discussing the proposition that computer crime has increasedramatically over the last 10 years.IntroductionComputer crime is generally defined as each crime accomplished through special(a)knowledge of computer technology. Increasing instances of white-collar crimeinvolve computers as more businesses automate and the information held by thecomputers stupefys an important asset. Computers can also become objects of crimewhen they or their contents argon damaged, for example when vandals attack thecomputer itself, or when a "computer virus" (a program capable of altering orerasing computer memory) is introduced into a computer system.As subjects of crime, computers represent the electronic environment in whichfrauds are programmed and executed an example is the transfer of moneybalances in accounts to perpetrators accounts for withdrawal. Computers areinstruments of crime when they are used to plan or control such criminal acts.Examples o f these types of crimes are complex embezzlements that might occurover long periods of time, or when a computer operator uses a computer to stealor alter valuable information from an employer.Variety and ExtentSince the first cases were reported in 1958, computers remove been used for mostkinds of crime, including fraud, theft, embezzlement, burglary, sabotage,espionage, murder, and forgery. One study of 1,500 computer crimes establishedthat most of them were committed by trusted computer users within businesses i.e.persons with the requisite skills, knowledge, access, and resources. frequently ofknown computer crime has consisted of entering false data into computers. Thismethod of computer crime is simpler and safer than the complex process ofwriting a program to swop data already in the computer.Now that personal computers with the ability to communicate by telephone areprevalent in our society, increasing numbers of crimes have been perpetrated bycomputer hobbyists, known as "hackers," who display a high level of technicalexpertise. These "hackers" are able to manipulate various communicationssystems so that their interference with other computer systems is hidden andtheir real identity is difficult to trace. The crimes committed by most"hackers" consist mainly of simple but high-priced electronictrespassing, copyrighted-information piracy, and vandalism. There is alsoevidence that organised professional criminals have been attacking and usingcomputer systems as they find their old activities and environments beingautomated.another(prenominal) area of grave concern to both the operators and users of computersystems is the increasing prevalence of computer viruses. A computer virus isgenerally defined as any sort of destructive computer program, though the termis usually reserved for the most dangerous ones. The ethos of a computer virusis an intent to cause damage, " akin to vandalism on a small scale, or terrorism