Computers and Crime Essay Example For Students

Computers and Crime Essay Computers and CrimeComputers are used to track reservations for the airline industry,process billions of dollars for banks, manufacture products for industry, andconduct major transactions for businesses because more and more people now havecomputers at home and at the office. People commit computer crimes because of societys declining ethicalstandards more than any economic need. According to experts, gender is the onlybias. The profile of todays non-professional thieves crosses all races, agegroups and economic strata. Computer criminals tend to be relatively honest andin a position of trust: few would do anything to harm another human, and mostdo not consider their crime to be truly dishonest. Most are males: women havetended to be accomplices, though of late they are becoming more aggressive. Computer Criminals tend to usually be between the ages of 14-30, they areusually bright, eager, highly motivated, adventuresome, and willing to accepttechnical challenges.(Shannon, 16:2) It is tempting to liken computercriminals to other criminals, ascribing characteristics somehow different fromnormal individuals, but that is not the case.(Sharp, 18:3) It is believedthat the computer criminal often marches to the same drum as the potentialvictim but follows and unanticipated path.(Blumenthal, 1:2) There is no actualprofile of a computer criminal because they range from young teens to elders,from black to white, from short to tall. Definitions of computer crime has changed over the years as the usersand misusers of computers have expanded into new areas. When computers werefirst introduced into businesses, computer crime was defined simply as a form ofwhite-collar crime committed inside a computer system.(2600:Summer 92,p.13)Some new terms have been added to the computer criminal vocabulary. Trojan Horse is a hidden code put into a computer program. Logic bombs areimplanted so that the perpetrator doesnt have to physically present himself orherself. (Phrack 12,p.43)Another form of a hidden code is salamis. Itcame from the big salami loaves sold in delis years ago. Often people wouldtake small portions of bites that were taken out of them and then they weresecretly returned to the shelves in the hopes that no one would notice themmissing.(Phrack 12,p.44)Congress has been reacting to the outbreak of computer crimes. The U.S. House of Judiciary Committee approved a bipartisan computer crime bill that wasexpanded to make it a federal crime to hack into credit and other data basesprotected by federal privacy statutes.(Markoff, B 13:1)This bill isgenerally creating several categories of federal misdemeanor felonies forunauthorized access to computers to obtain money, goods or services orclassified information. This also applies to computers used by the federalgovernment or used in interstate of foreign commerce which would cover anysystem accessed by interstate telecommunication systems. Computer crime often requires more sophistications than people realizeit.(Sullivan, 40:4)Many U.S. businesses have ended up in bankruptcy courtunaware that they have been victimized by disgruntled employees. Americanbusinesses wishes that the computer security nightmare would vanish like a fairytale. Information processing has grown into a gigantic industry. It accountedfor $33 billion in services in 1983, and in 1988 it was accounted to be $88billion. (Blumenthal, B 1:2)All this information is vulnerable to greedy employees, nosy-teenagersand general carelessness, yet no one knows whether the sea of computer crimes isonly as big as the Gulf of Mexico or as huge as the North Atlantic.(Blumenthal,B 1:2) Vulnerability is likely to increase in the future. And bythe turn of the century, nearly all of the software to run computers will bebought from vendors rather than developed in houses, standardized software willmake theft easier. (Carley, A 1:1)A two-year secret service investigation code-named Operation Sun-Devil,targeted companies all over the United States and led to numerous seizures. Of all the examples of injustice against humanity EssayI am the leader of HTH (High Tech Hoods) and we are currently devising otherways to make money. If it werent for my computer my life would be nothing likeit is today.(Interview w/Raven)Finally, one of the thefts involving the computer is the theft ofcomputer time. Most of us dont realize this as a crime, but the congressconsider this as a crime.(Ball,V85) Everyday people are urged to use thecomputer but sometimes the use becomes excessive or improper or both. Forexample, at most colleges computer time is thought of as free-good students andfaculty often computerizes mailing lists for their churches or fraternityorganizations which might be written off as good public relations. But, use ofthe computers for private consulting projects without payment of the universityis clearly improper. In business it is the similar. Management often looks the other waywhen employees play computer games or generate a Snoopy calendar. But, if thisbecomes excessive the employees is stealing work time. And computers can onlyprocess only so many tasks at once. Although considered less severe than othercomputer crimes such activities can represent a major business loss. While most attention is currently being given to the criminal aspectsof computer abuses, it is likely that civil action will have an equallyimportant effect on long term security problems.(Alexander, V119)The issueof computer crimes draw attention to the civil or liability aspects in computingenvironments. In the future there may tend to be more individual and classaction suits. CONCLUSIONComputer crimes are fast and growing because the evolution of technologyis fast, but the evolution of law is slow. While a variety of states havepassed legislation relating to computer crime, the situation is a nationalproblem that requires a national solution. Controls can be instituted withinindustries to prevent such crimes.Protection measures such as hardwareidentification, access controls software and disconnecting critical bankapplications should be devised. However, computers dont commit crimes; peopledo. The perpetrators best advantage is ignorance on the part of thoseprotecting the system. Proper internal controls reduce the opportunity forfraud. BIBLIOGRAPHYAlexander, Charles, Crackdown on Computer Capers,Time, Feb. 8, 1982, V119. Ball, Leslie D., Computer Crime, Technology Review,April 1982, V85. Blumenthal,R. Going Undercover in the Computer Underworld. New York Times, Jan. 26, 1993, B, 1:2. Carley, W. As Computers Flip, People Lose Grip in Saga of Sabatoge at Printing Firm. Wall Street Journal, Aug.27, 1992, A, 1:1. Carley, W. In-House Hackers: Rigging Computers for Fraud or Malice Is Often an Inside Job. Wall Street Journal,Aug 27, 1992, A, 7:5. Markoff, J. Hackers Indicted on Spy Charges. New York Times, Dec. 8, 1992, B, 13:1. Finn, Nancy and Peter, Dont Rely on the Law to Stop Computer Crime, Computer World, Dec. 19, 1984, V18. Phrack Magazine issues 1-46. Compiled by Knight Lightning and Phiber Optik. Shannon, L R. THe Happy Hacker. New York Times, Mar. 21, 1993, 7, 16:2. Sharp, B. The Hacker Crackdown. New York Times, Dec. 20, 1992, 7, 18:3. Sullivan, D. U.S. Charges Young Hackers. New York Times, Nov. 15, 1992, 1, 40:4. 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Issues Summer 92-Spring 93. Compiled by Emmanuel Goldstein.