He Impact of Cybercrime on Society Today, Essay Example

Internet Crime and particularly illegal entry into other computer systems i.e. hacking is deemed to be a Federal Offence in the USA and falls under the investigative jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Criminal computer hacking has been legally defined as any person who willingly and knowingly commits an act of cyber terrorism, credit card fraud, malicious vandalism, identity theft or other cyber-crime by hacking into a Corporate or Government system.  Such criminal acts are treated very seriously in the USA and will be subject to harsh penalties.  Such intrusions are capable of creating a tremendous amount of malicious damage. They may potentially threaten national security, may cause serious service disruptions e.g. hospitals, emergency services etc.  May create economic and financial instability by intrusions to Banks or large Corporate Offices.

One such example is that of David Smith a computer hacker launched the Melissa Virus in March of 1999. The virus that he placed into the internet spread to over 1.2 million computers causing an estimated $80 million in financial damages to businesses. Smith was convicted of computer hacking and the courts sentenced him to 40 years in prison.  He was release some 20 months later after agreeing to work with the FBI in their fight against cyber-crime. (Criminal Law Lawyer Source, 2011).  Garry McKinnon in the UK has been found guilty of hacking into 96 US Military and Defence systems and could face up to 70 years imprisonment. He is currently awaiting extradition from the UK. In general terms’ hacking is a form of cyber terrorism and as such is a criminal act. There is no legal justification for this and even those individuals that attempt this for an intellectual challenge are breaking the law.  It is not only a gross invasion of privacy but a complete act of irresponsibility that potentially can unleash very serious and grave consequences for the public.

The only ethical concept of permitting hacking within a computer security firm might be that of testing a computer firewall or security system in place.  The services of a hacker may prove useful in probing and testing for points of vulnerability.  Mobile and wireless devices were particularly vulnerable and had gaping security breaches in them. Hackers working in a controlled environment were able to identify these and thus compile a dossier on the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the system.  The FBI have seen fit to use Hackers that they have turned from the dark side to the light and as such use their services to help track and locate other hackers that are involved in criminal activities.  It is likely that Cybercrime will continue over the next decade as the internet expands in sophistication and technology. More e-business is likely to attract more cybercrime. Infiltrating National Defence system is perhaps the most heinous crime as disclosure of classified information can put service personnel lives at risk and endanger interests of National Security.

Works Cited

Criminal Law Lawyer Source. (2011). Computer Hacking. Retrieved 5 27, 2011, from Criminal Law Lawyer Source: http://www.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms/computer-hacking.html