Cybercrime

Cybercrime, or computer-oriented crime, is a crime that involves a computer and

a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it
may be the target. Cybercrimes can be defined as: "Offences that are committed
against individuals or groups of individuals with a criminal motive to intentionally
harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental harm, or loss, to the
victim directly or indirectly, using modern telecommunication networks such as
Internet (networks including chat rooms, emails, notice boards and groups) and
mobile phones (Bluetooth/SMS/MMS)". Cybercrime may threaten a person or a
nation's security and financial health. Issues surrounding these types of crimes
have become high-profile, particularly those regarding hacking, copyright
infringement, unwarranted mass-surveillance, sextortion, child pornography,
and child grooming.
There are many privacy concerns surrounding cybercrime
when confidential information is intercepted or disclosed, lawfully or otherwise.
Debarati Halder and K. Jaishankar further define cybercrime from the perspective
of gender and defined 'cybercrime against women' as "Crimes targeted against
women with a motive to intentionally harm the victim psychologically and
physically, using modern telecommunication networks such as internet and
mobile phones".Internationally, both governmental and non-state actors engage
in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border
crimes. Cybercrimes crossing international borders and involving the actions of at
least one nation-state is sometimes referred to as cyberwarfare.

We can categorize Cyber crimes in two ways

The Computer as a Target :-using a computer to attack other computers.

e.g. Hacking, Virus/Worm attacks, DOS attack etc.

The computer as a weapon :-using a computer to commit real world crimes.

Categories of Cybercrime

There are three major categories that cybercrime falls into: individual, property
and government. The types of methods used and difficulty levels vary depending
on the category.
  Property: This is similar to a real-life instance of a criminal illegally
possessing an individual’s bank or credit card details. The hacker steals a
person’s bank details to gain access to funds, make purchases online or run
phishing scams to get people to give away their information. They could
also use a malicious software to gain access to a web page with confidential
information.
 Individual: This category of cybercrime involves one individual distributing
malicious or illegal information online. This can include cyberstalking,
distributing pornography and trafficking.

 Government: This is the least common cybercrime, but is the most serious

offense. A crime against the government is also known as cyber terrorism.
Government cybercrime includes hacking government websites, military
websites or distributing propaganda. These criminals are usually terrorists
or enemy governments of other nations.

How to Fight Cybercrime

It seems like in the modern age of technology, hackers are taking over our
systems and no one is safe. The average dwell-time, or time it takes a company to
detect a cyber breach, is more than 200 days. Most internet users are not
dwelling on the fact that they may get hacked and many rarely change their
credentials or update passwords. This leaves many people susceptible to
cybercrime and it’s important to become informed. Educate yourself and others
on the preventive measures you can take in order to protect yourself as an
individual or as a business.

 Become vigilant when browsing websites.

 Flag and report suspicious emails.

 Never click on unfamiliar links or ads.

 Use a VPN whenever possible.

 Ensure websites are safe before entering credentials.

 Keep antivirus/application systems up to date.

  Use strong passwords with 14+ characters.

Types of Cybercrime

DDoS Attacks

These are used to make an online service unavailable and take the network down
by overwhelming the site with traffic from a variety of sources. Large networks of
infected devices known as Botnets are created by depositing malware on users’
computers. The hacker then hacks into the system once the network is down.

Botnets

Botnets are networks from compromised computers that are controlled

externally by remote hackers. The remote hackers then send spam or attack other
computers through these botnets. Botnets can also be used to act as malware
and perform malicious tasks.

Identity Theft

This cybercrime occurs when a criminal gains access to a user’s personal

information to steal funds, access confidential information, or participate in tax or
health insurance fraud. They can also open a phone/internet account in your
name, use your name to plan a criminal activity and claim government benefits in
your name. They may do this by finding out user’s passwords through hacking,
retrieving personal information from social media, or sending phishing emails.

Cyberstalking

This kind of cybercrime involves online harassment where the user is subjected to
a plethora of online messages and emails. Typically cyberstalkers use social
media, websites and search engines to intimidate a user and instill fear. Usually,
the cyberstalker knows their victim and makes the person feel afraid or
concerned for their safety.

Social Engineering
Social engineering involves criminals making direct contact with you usually by
phone or email. They want to gain your confidence and usually pose as a
customer service agent so you’ll give the necessary information needed. This is
typically a password, the company you work for, or bank information.
Cybercriminals will find out what they can about you on the internet and then
attempt to add you as a friend on social accounts. Once they gain access to an
account, they can sell your information or secure accounts in your name.

PUPs

PUPS or Potentially Unwanted Programs are less threatening than other

cybercrimes, but are a type of malware. They uninstall necessary software in your
system including search engines and pre-downloaded apps. They can include
spyware or adware, so it’s a good idea to install an antivirus software to avoid the
malicious download.

Phishing

This type of attack involves hackers sending malicious email attachments or URLs
to users to gain access to their accounts or computer. Cybercriminals are
becoming more established and many of these emails are not flagged as spam.
Users are tricked into emails claiming they need to change their password or
update their billing information, giving criminals access.

Prohibited/Illegal Content

This cybercrime involves criminals sharing and distributing inappropriate content

that can be considered highly distressing and offensive. Offensive content can
include, but is not limited to, sexual activity between adults, videos with intense
violent and videos of criminal activity. Illegal content includes materials
advocating terrorism-related acts and child exploitation material. This type of
content exists both on the everyday internet and on the dark web, an anonymous
network.

Online Scams

These are usually in the form of ads or spam emails that include promises of
rewards or offers of unrealistic amounts of money. Online scams include enticing
offers that are “too good to be true” and when clicked on can cause malware to
interfere and compromise information.

List of Cyber Crimes and Their Punishments in

Pakistan

1.Spreading False Information about an Individual: up to 3 Years in

Prison or up to Rs. 1 Million in Fine or both
Whoever intentionally and publicly displays any information through any information
system, which he knows to be false and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy
of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to three years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both:

2.Making /  Spreading Explicit Images or Videos of an Individual: up to 5

Years in Prison or up to Rs. 5 Million in Fine or both

3.Making / Spreading Explicit Images or Videos of Minor: up to 7 Years

in Prison or up to Rs. 5 Million in Fine or both

4.Hacking Email / phone for Stalking: Up to 3 Years in Jail or Up to Rs. 1

Million in Fine or both
If someone monitor a person through mail, text message or any other form of
electronic communication then you can be jailed for up to three years and a fine of Rs.
1 Million or both

5.Hate speech: Up to 7 Years in Prison or fine or both

Whoever prepares or distributes information, through any information system or
device that triggers inter-faith, sectarian or racial hatred, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both.
List of Cyber Crimes and Their Punishments in
U.S

According to the U.S, cybercrime includes but is not limited to:

 Fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, authentication

features, and information (U.S. CODE § 1028). The unlawful use of personal
information will be fined, and those responsible may be imprisoned for 5 to 20
years.
 Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices (U.S. CODE § 1029) will
be penalized by a fine or an imprisonment of 20 years at most.
 Fraud and related activity in connection with computers (U.S. CODE § 1030).
Punishments could go as far as charging the criminal with a fine and/or
imprisoning them for up to 20 years.
 Fraud and related activity in connection with electronic mail (U.S. CODE § 1037). A
person that would be found guilty will be punished with a fine and/or sent to
jail for 3 to 5 years.
 Misleading domain names on the Internet (U.S. CODE § 2252B). Perpetrators will
be fined and imprisoned for up to 10 years.
 Interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications
prohibited (U.S. Code § 2511). A person that conducts an interception and
information disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communication might be
punished by the law with a fine and/or sentenced to jail time of up to five
years.
 Unlawful access to stored communications (U.S. Code § 2701). This crime will be
punished with a fine and/or imprisonment of five years at most. Subsequent
offenses will extend the imprisonment to the term that does not exceed 10
years.