Unit 1 Assignment 1 Digital Computer Crimes

Assignment 1: Digital Computer Crime

Evette Davis

Dr. Lisa Kramer

CIS 170 – Information Technology in Criminal Justice

July 19, 2015 Crime has been around for many, many years; anything from rape, murder, extortion, theft, illegal drug activity and more. Then along came our introduction of computers. This was a new technology that almost everyone was curious and excited about. Computers brought about a new generation of crime called cybercrime. No one would ever imagine the new crimes that would arise from this great technology and how it would affect the lives of society and our government for many years to come.

Although there are many cyber-crimes, the four major categories of computer crimes are: the computer as a target, the

Using confidential information from customers, human resources and security information are also forms of using computers as an instrument. Computer intruders can alter information when shopping online. Computer fraud takes place when the intruder purchase merchandise online and alters prices before submitting it for payment. Some of the merchant programs can catch this but there are some that do not. Cyberstalking can include sending emails containing threats. Cyber bullying is a big problem among school aged kids. It has reached a point where some kids that were targeted have taken their own lives. Adults (and I use the term loosely) have also been known to be a

Police Departments all over the country have created special task forces to oversee this crime. Pictures of young kids and teens are sold to pedophiles through child pornography web sites. While computers undoubtedly have simplified our lives in some respects, they have also created an avenue for widespread crime. From 2009 to 2011, there was a seventeen fold increase in computer attacks on American infrastructure. These attacks were initiated by criminal gangs, computer hackers and even foreign governments. For example The York Times and The Wall Street Journal have been victims of computer hacking traced back to China. The depth of the attack imposed on the New York Times had the potential to completely destroy its entire computer network. However, cyber-attacks are not limited to news media outlets. General Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Agency, stated that cyber-attacks are "causing 'the greatest transfer of wealth in history '" and estimated that the global cost of cybercrimes is $1 trillion. Anderson, A. (2013). In my opinion computer hacking poses the greatest threat than any of the other digital crimes. Hackers have the ability to access military confidential information and sell the information to foreign countries that are against the United States. As stated above hacking could bring down corporations for hours or even a