Internet Crime :: Cybercrime Essays

An intentional breach to digital earnest often involves a deliberate act that is against the law.1 Cybercrime refers to online or Internet-based illegal acts such as distributing poisonous software or committing identity theft. Perpetrators of cybercrime typically fall into one of these categories hacker, center, book of account kiddie, collective spy, unethical employee, cyberextortionist, and cyberterrorist.The term hacker refers to someone who accesses a electronic computer or net profit illegally. Some hackers claim the intent of their security breaches is to better security. A cracker also is someone who accesses a computer or communicate illegally but has the intent of destroying data, stealing information, or early(a) malicious action. Both hackers and crackers have advanced computer and network skills. A script kiddie has the same intent as a cracker but does not have the technical skills and knowledge. Script kiddies often affair prewritten hacking and cracking pro grams.Corporate spies and unethical employees are other types of cybercrime perpetrators. Some corporate spies have excellent computer and networking skills and are hired to work into a specific computer and steal its proprietary data and information, or to serve well identify security risks in their own organization. Unethical employees may break into their employers computers for a variety of reasons. They may want to mold a security weakness, receive financial gains from selling confidential information, or even to hear revenge (Gonzalez).A cyberextortionist is someone who demands payment to stop an attack on an organizations technology infrastructure. For example, these criminals threaten to expose confidential information, exploit a security flaw, or launch an attack that will compromise the organizations network. A cyberterrorist is someone who uses the Internet or network to destroy or damage computers for political reasons. Cyberwarfare is an attack whose goal ranges fro m incapacitating a governments computer network to crippling a country. Cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare usually require a team of highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars, and several(prenominal) years of planning (Zheng and Rutherford).