Computer crime or cybercrime, most of you probably know or have dealt with this problem. People install anti-virus programs to ensure the safety of their data, but what exactly is computer crime? It can actually be described in one sentence: Computer crime is the unauthorized use, access, modification and destruction of hardware, software, data or network resources. However, there is more to it. An example is the unauthorized copying of software, which happened (and still happens) a lot since the popularity of the internet increased.
Criminal exploitation of the internet, is called ‘netcrime’. Examples are copyright infringement and hacking. Large companies protect themselves against cybercrime by using anti-virus programs, virtual private networks, intrusion-detection systems and content filtering/monitoring.
Hacking
Hacking is the unauthorized access and use of networked computer systems. Perhaps you have experienced problems regarding hacking. Here are some important need-to-know terms:
1. Scans: Widespread probes of the internet to determine types of computers, services and connections. The scans are used to look for weaknesses.
2. Sniffer: Programs that search individual packets of data as they pass through the internet. Passwords or entire contents are captured.
3. Spoofing: Faking an e-mail address or web page to trick users into passing along critical information like passwords or credit card numbers.
4. Denial of service: Hammering the equipment of a website with too many request for information. This clogs the system, slows down the performance and might even lead to crashing if the system. Watch this 2 minute video that explains exactly what denial of service is (and learn something extra about the internet):
Unfortunately, there are many more terms and tactics of hackers. Please refer to Wikipedia for more information regarding hackers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_(computer_security)
Viruses, worms & trojans
A computer virus/worm is a program that is able to copy itself and infect a computer. I actually had to deal with viruses several times, most of the time by just formatting my computer. A Trojan is software that appears to perform a desirable function for the user prior to run or install, but steals information or harms the system. I can elaborate in this subject, but fortunately there is a 2 minute video about pests on your PC. Watch and learn:
Software piracy
Again, this is a common problem and many internet users participate in software piracy. Did you know that a third of all software industry incomes are lost due to software piracy? I was wondering what the most pirated software is. Here are two lists from 2007:
Software most frequently pirated by companies
1. Symantec Norton Anti-Virus
2. Adobe Acrobat
3. Symantec PC Anywhere
4. Adobe Photoshop
5. Autodesk AutoCAD
Software most frequently pirated on the internet
1. McAfee Virusscan
2. Symantec Norton Anti-Virus
3. McAfee Internet Security Suite
4. Intuit TurboTax
5. Adobe Photoshop
Computer criminals
As a final word, I thought it would be nice and educational to state some convicted computer criminals. One of them is the Facebook hacker… here they are:
1. Samy Kamar (a.k.a. samy): Pled guilty for creating the ‘Samy Is My Hero’ XSS worm that spread across the MySpace online social network. This happened in 2007 and his penalty was three years of formal probation, 90 days of community service, restitution paid to MySpace and restrictions on computer use.
2. Cameron Lacroix (a.k.a. cam0): Pled guilty hacking into the cellphone of Paris Hilton and attacking the data-collection of the LexisNexis firm that exposed more than 300.000 personal records of customers. This happened in 2005 and his penalty was 11 months in a Massachusetts juvenile detention facility.
3. Ehud Tenenbaum (a.k.a. analyzer): Admitted to cracking U.S. and Israeli computers, also pled guilty t conspiracy, wrongful infiltration of computerized material, disruption of computer use and destroying evidence. This happened in 2001 and his penalty was six months of community service, one year probation, two year suspended prison sentence and a fine of approximately $ 18,000.
4. William Reed (a.k.a. servercancer): Pled guilty to hacking several city emails, sending illegal messages, and is also known as the Facebok hacker. This happened in 2009 and his penalty was five years of probation and ten-thousand dollars in fines and court costs.
5. Jan de Wit (a.k.a. onthefly): Spreading data into a computer network with the intention of causing damage as the creator of the Anna Kournikova Virus. This happened in 2001 and his penalty was 150 hours of community service.
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