Worksheet

Are you a Cyber Criminal?

Matching

Computer and internet users

1. Cyber bully a. a person who disrupts internet forums by posting deliberately

outrageous comments which become more commented on than the
original post.
2. Hacker b. a player in a multiplayer game who deliberately upsets or irritates other
players.
3. Troll c. a person who sends bulk emails to many people at once.
4. Spammer d. a person who breaks into computers or websites to steal things or do
some damage.
5. Lurker e. a person who benefits from the actions of others but doesn’t give
anything back e.g. using someone else’s wifi signal
6. Griefer f. a person who uses the internet or a mobile phone to intentionally hurt or
embarrass others.
7. Leech g. a person who goes onto forums and message boards but doesn’t take
part in discussions.

1. Do any of these definitions describe you and your behaviour online?

2. Which of these people is the most annoying for you?
3. Should any of these activities be illegal? Why?

Pearson Central Europe / PHOTOCOPIABLE 1

Reading
Read about a computer crime and summarise the main details to your partner.

A B

In 2001, a Scottish man using the name
‘Solo’ hacked into 97 United States military
and space agency computers. The US
government claimed that he had deleted
files and shut down their computers for 24
hours. They also said that he had copied
secret files and passwords to his computer.
The man admits obtaining access to the
American computers but denies doing any
damage. He said that he had been looking
for evience of UFOs.
He now says that the American claims
are untrue and an attempt to make him look
like an expert hacker. This is because they
don’t want people to question why the
security on such top secret computers was
so poor.
America wants Britain to send him
to America to be punished but the British
government is still thinking about what they
should do.
A man in England has been jailed
for trolling. The man visited forums and
Facebook pages set up for people who
had died and left hurtful and upsetting
messages on them. Although he left the
messages annonymously, his identity
was discovered after he printed a leaflet
with details of his trolling activities and
distributed it to his neighbours.
The judge said that the man did not feel
any sorrow for what he had done and
that he had even enjoyed hearing the
details of his actions read out in court.
The judge also refused to allow a report
into the man’s mental health saying that,
in his view, he had known exactly what he
was doing.

Discussion
1. Which of these do you think was the most serious crime?
2. Should the computer hacker be sent to America for punishment?
3. Should the troller have been sent to prison?
4. What punishment, if any, would you give to the two men?

Pearson Central Europe / PHOTOCOPIABLE 2

Grammar
1. Complete these extracts from the text with the verbs in brackets in the correct form.

1. The US government claimed that he (delete) __________ files and shut down their
computers for 24 hours.
2. The man admits (obtain) __________ access to the American computers.
3. … but denies (do) __________ any damage.
4. He said that he (look) __________ for evidence of UFOs.
5. He now says that the American claims (be) __________ untrue.
6. America wants Britain (send) __________ him to America to be punished.
7. The judge said that the man (not feel) __________ any sorrow for what he (do) __________.
8. The judge also refused (allow) __________ a report into the man’s mental health…
9. …saying that, in his view, he (know) __________ exactly what he was doing.

2. Now write what the people actually said:

1. (The US government): “He ______________files __________________________ for 24 hours.”

2. (The man): “Yes, I _______________________American computers but ________________________

damage.”

3. (The man): “I ________________________________________________ of UFOs.”

4. (The man): “The American claims _______________________.”

5. (The judge): “You _______________________ for what ________________.”

6. (The judge): “I’m not going to allow a report into your mental health because, in
___________________________________________________________.”

Pearson Central Europe / PHOTOCOPIABLE 3

Punishments
A
* Probation – a system that allows some criminals not to go to prison or to leave prison, if they
behave well and see a probation officer regularly, for a particular period of time.
* Fine – money that you have to pay as a punishment.
* Suspended sentence – a punishment given by a court in which a criminal is told they will be
sent to prison if they do anything else illegal within the time mentioned.

B
* Community service – work that is not paid that someone does to help other people,
sometimes as punishment for a crime.
* Imprisonment – the state of being in prison, or the time someone spends there.
* Detention – a punishment in which children who have behaved badly are forced to stay
at school for a short time after the others have gone home.

Discussion

1. Mr X, an 18-year-old student, hacked into an examination board computer

and downloaded copies of the final school exams to his computer. He then sold these
to other students at his school.

2. Miss Y, who has just started her own internet clothes shop, bought a list of email
addresses and sent out spam emails advertising her shop to over 100,000 people.

3. After Mr G lost his job, he joined several internet forums and opened Facebook pages.
On all of these, he tried to persuade people not to buy things from the company that
he used to work for and lied about their products and prices.

4. Miss T, a 17 year old, put a message on Facebook saying that Miss L, a girl in the same
class, was having a party and that anyone was invited. She posted the address and over
300 people turned up, causing a lot of damage to Miss L’s parents’ home.

5. Mr K found out his neighbour’s password for his wifi internet connection and used it
for several months to have free access to the internet. He also downloaded films and
music illegally.

Pearson Central Europe / PHOTOCOPIABLE 4