20-09-2014, 10:42 AM
Cyber crime
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INTRODUCTION
Cyber crime is an evil having its origin in the growing dependence on computers in modern life.
A simple yet sturdy definition of Cyber crime would be unlawful acts wherein the computer is
either a tool or a target or both. Defining cyber crimes, as “acts that are punishable by the
information Technology Act” would be unsuitable as the Indian Penal Code also covers many
cyber crimes, such as e-mail spoofing, cyber defamation, etc.
Cybercrime in a narrow sense (computer crime): Any illegal behavior directed by means of
electronic operations that targets the security of computer systems and the data processed by
them.
Cybercrime in a broader sense (computer-related crime): Any illegal behavior committed by
means of, or in relation to, a computer system or network, including such crimes as illegal
possession [and] offering or distributing information by means of a computer system or network.
History reveals that the Cyber crime originated even from the year 1820. That is not surprising
considering the fact that the abacus, which is thought to be the earliest form of a computer, has
been around since 3500 B.C. in India, Japan and China. The era of modern computers, however,
began with the analytical engine of Charles Babbage. In 1820, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a textile
manufacturer in France, produced the loom. This device allowed the repetition of a series of
steps in the weaving of special fabrics. This resulted in a fear amongst Jacquard's employees that
their traditional employment and livelihood were being threatened. They committed acts of
sabotage to discourage Jacquard from further use of the new technology. This is the first
recorded cyber crime. The term 'cyber crime' has not been defined in any Statute or Act. . The
Oxford Reference Online defines 'cyber crime' as crime committed over the Internet. The
Encyclopaedia Britannica defines 'cyber crime' as any crime that is committed by means of
special knowledge or expert use of computer technology. So what exactly is Cyber Crime. Cyber
Crime could reasonably include a wide variety of criminal offences and activities.
The Problem
Computer hacking has cost a lot of people a lot of money. The FBI, for example,
reported in 2008 that Internet fraud had resulted in $264.6 million in losses (source: Internet
Crime Complaint Center). But the government and other large organizations also are at risk of
having sensitive data (like bank account numbers and birthdates) stolen from their networks,
which puts everyone at risk. The seriousness of this problem was highlighted by a series of
denial-of-service attacks in the summer of 2009 that targeted government Web sites in the South
Korea and United States, including the White House and the National Security Agency .
For the second time in a week, users of a bitcoin bank were unable to exchange cash for the
virtual currency. On Sunday one exchange was forced to close after hackers stole almost
$700,000 in bitcoin. Flexcoin, an Alberta-based bank, shut its website down and issued a
statement saying, “On March 2nd 2014 Flexcoin was attacked and robbed of all coins in the hot
wallet…AsFlexcoin does not have the resources, assets, or otherwise to come back from this
loss, we are closing our doors immediately
And early last week Mt. Gox, which was the world‟s third-largest exchange, was unplugged on
fears of hacking. Yesterday, the Tokyo company that filed for bankruptcy protection said it was
looking into a criminal complaint. A class-action lawsuit was filed in Chicago claiming the
company didn‟t properly protect users and knowingly told them false information, causing them
to lose millions of dollars‟ worth of bitcoin.
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
The investigation of cyber crimes is complex. The evidence is often in an intangible form. Its
collection, appreciation, analysis and preservation present unique challenges to the Investigator.
The increased use of networks and the growth of the Internet have added to this complexity.
Using the Internet, it is possible for a person sitting in India to steal a computer resource in
Brazil using a computer situated in USA as a launch pad for his attack. Distributed attacks are
also not unheard of. The challenges in such cases are not only technological, but also
jurisdictional. Of late, we are experiencing more and more of cyber crimes, since many of us
have switched over to the fourth mode of communication i.e. Internet from the previous modes
viz. gestures, speech and writing. The internet has opened up avenues of commerce, trade and
communication like never before. It is the network that deals in billions of transactions each day.
These transactions are usually transactions of money, pictures, information and videos. The
magnitude of transactions – the sheer volume makes internet not just an easy tool for information
exchange, but also an ideal hotbed of crimes. Internet provides anonymity and safety. Unlike
other forms of crimes wherein the person undertakes considerable risk, cyber crime provides the
criminal with a cover. He leaves no physical foot-prints, finger-prints or other tangible traces
making it extremely difficult to track cyber criminals down. Cyber crime being technology
driven evolves continuously and ingeniously making it difficult for investigators to cope up with
changes. Criminals are always one step ahead in the sense that they create technology or come
up with technique to perpetrate a particular crime and the law enforcers then counter such
techniques or technologies