Technology and Cybercrime, Essay Example

Communication has evolved over the years, adjusting to each changing society. As society evolves so does technology. At an increasing rate technology is continuously changing, adapting to human wants, and constant interaction that create ideas for making activities easier. Computers and other devices that are frequently used to hook up to the internet are in about a majority of everyone’s homes. This has created new barriers in which people communicate why also creating more ways for people to stay in touch, but also has allowed people to overshare their information. This has led to the vulnerabilities of the internet to be exposed and targeted for cyber criminals. Cybercrimes have become more prevalent as the number of people that communicate and perform transaction on the computer increase. One of the biggest targets are through E-commerce and email attacks. People frequently use both and they are not all aware of the dangers that lurk in the background. The purpose of this paper is to outline how people communicate on the internet, the vulnerabilities’ in web applications (browsers), and how this makes people more susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Believe or not technology has changed the way people communicate, for better or worse. There are certain things that people don’t do any more. No longer are children taught cursive, to write letters, love notes, or even write their own papers. Writing has now moved towards mobile devices, or keyboards. Communication is seen as sending a messaging to someone who receives it. Communication exists when people talk to other people. This can be done through visuals aids, sign language, through the voice or music, and such as inaudible through touch. With the paradigm shift in technology it has driven a new information period in which people no longer communicate as people did even a decade ago. Conventional communications that is known as face to face conversations are not yet obsolete however, they are slowly being replaced with mobile technology and communicating over the internet. This is problematic within itself, as PEW internet found that about 35 percent of teenagers’ communication through personal interaction in communicating every day. (PEW Internet 2010) Technologies for the growing generations are focused on text messaging, instant messaging as their primary means of communications. Computers or some form of communicative technology exists in millions of peoples’ homes all around the world. In today’s society the internet has been a tool that has helped to cross the racial, cultural, national, financial, and education boundary in regards to ushering in the information age. Technology has become an integrated aspect of modern society. People have adapted to technology and computer devices that if they were to cease to exist, people would curl up in a ball and cry. As much as people want to believe, computers and the internet play an intricate part in peoples’ lives from the school, work, the government, military, and numerous other places.

Advances in technology that has reached our mobile devices with tablets, smartphones, watches, and now even glasses allows for people to send and receive information farther, faster, and at any time. As the advances in technology increases so does human dependency. There are certainly many benefits to using other means of communication, as a matter of convenience. The instant gratification of sending and receiving messages creates a sense of wherewithal where communication must be at an instant. No longer time for visits, or long conversations on the phone. Now people have moved to typing long letters, longer emails, blog posts, wall posts, etc. Communication on the internet first begins when people send and receive emails. People place much information in documents that they attach, file share, and steam information through their emails. People go alone every day and all times of the day to stay connected. The interconnection of the computers on millions of networks allows for communication through electronic mail, file transfer, and others. With new businesses join the internet they advertise profusely through email and marketing campaigns in order to reach out to new and old customers. People place their email and other information on the internet when they sign up for web promotions, contests, and other effects when they want to receive information, invites, or updates on certain events. Less common presently is the channel of communicating through chartrooms and instant messaging that was created for more people communicate at an instant. This is now mainly seen as text messaging through where individuals tend to overshare by sending files such as videos, music, pictures, and other information that leaves them open for negative consequences. At the time chat rooms, instant messaging, text messaging, and email where the biggest socializing phenomenon that people have ever seen. As it has brought together people from all around the world at an instant.

One of the biggestphenomena includes social networking and E-commerce. Social networking has provided people generally younger people with a fun way to interact with family and friends, communication, and waste time. The most popular platforms include Twitter, Facebook, once upon a time, Myspace, LinkedIn for the professional group, and others that have sprung up around the internet. These social networks billions of data in information that includes personal information, demographics, geographic location, pictures, videos, and other information that is splashed over their social profiles. Social network that is access through mobile technology provides people with the outlet to update their friends and family at what they’re doing, where they are, and other information that if saw by the wrong person could be harmful. Now there are new websites such as Instagram, Vine, and chat applications on mobile phones that allow people to send and receive messages anonymously. In order to gauge the popularity of social media Statistic Brain reports that 58 percent of people use social networks, with a total of 1.4 billion Facebook users worldwide. (Statistic Brain 2013) Through their mobile phones an estimated 250 million user’s access Facebook, with 490 million people using YouTube each month, and 70 billion worth of content shared on Facebook each month. (Statistic Brain 2013).

E-Commerce has proven to be a viable industry as well, with the companies such as EBay, Amazon, online stores, and other popular sites, shopping online has become such the norm that after the annual Black Friday that caters to in store consumers, is cyber Monday where people score deals online. The amount of information on ecommerce sites has led people to share personal information, credit card information, and other information that can be potentially dangerous. There are several applications that have been developed to protect user’s information that includes Pay Pal, Pioneer, Dwolla, and others to help in securing people’s information. However they are so many e-commerce sites that are created every day, people can be easily persuade to enter their information into the system for purchases.

In the same instant it has also created a breeding ground for criminals to access individuals’information that people leave for the taking. In order to understand how people are able to freely communicate and share information a comprehension of building blocks of networks is needed. In a nutshell. All networks that interact on the internet are small or large and each require a specialized network hardware that enables them to work. These networks are build using the basic building blocks of computers (client) that end users utilize in accessing the networkers. At schools or on the jobs they are usually located on the user’s desk, and they run desktop versions of Windows, MAC, or other applications. They can generally be referred to as workstations. (Paquet 2013) Other computers include server computers that use shared resources such as printers, fax, scanners, disk storage, network services, internet access, and email applications. These computers run on a specialized network operating system that provides them with the network services. (Paquet 2013) The network interfaces referred to as network ports are installed in the computers that permit the computers to communicate with the networks. There are generally all connected through the standard Ethernet. Computers are connected using the cables where most differ but the most popular are located at the10BaseT that are considered the twisted pair named Cat-5 or Cat-6 cables. (Paquet 2013) The computers are connected by the cables that uses a switch. The switch enables the computers up to eight to connect to the network. By connecting other networks to each other they can build a larger network. Other basic building networks include the wireless networks where switches and cables are made for wireless network connections, that communication through radio signals (radio transmitters and receivers). (Paquet 2013) The last part of the network that is critical to the network hardware is the network software. The networkssoftwareis what makes the networks works, using a network operating system to function efficiently, and provide access to the networks.

Understanding how the network works, is essential in understanding how this works for security with the internet and web applications such as browsers. The vulnerabilities’ in the web browsersinclude weak encryptions for passwords, lack of efficient and effective anti-virus software, and critical flaws in the client applications that can lead to attacks. Other weakness and vulnerabilities include unauthorized access that makes it easier for intruders to gain information. Vulnerabilities are spotted in web applications configurations, equipment, and the security policies in place at schools, work, and in the home. Knowing the network, can also pinpoint vulnerabilities that stem from the hub, switch, the routers, and the network operating systems. Other vulnerabilities include the constant flow new technologies that make older browsers obsolete. Each month new updates are being sent for security, software, and other protocols that help to make the browsers and other web applications more secure and faster for the users. The networks have to be secure in their security, development, and set up that allows for private access and authorized use to combat attacks such as viruses, malware, intrusion, phishing, and others.

Cybercrime targets individuals that leave their selves open for attack. According to the FBI, cybercrime is a federal offense, and one of the most increasing crimes in the world. Cybercriminals acts in the form of anonymity and makes it difficult for authorities to pinpoint who did it, and where are they located. “Even within cybercrime, there are different subcategories, suchas direct theft of money from bank or credit card accounts, identity theft, as well as theft of intellectualproperty where the financial costs are indirect (potential loss of sales revenue).” (PayPal, 2011) There is also other crimes such as intimidation, bullying, child enticement and other sexual crimes. According to Kitchen and Fulks (2010), “any crime committed via the internet is a cybercrime. Most cybercrimes cannot be placed into a single category, thus making cybercrime statistics difficult to compile.”(Kitchen and Fulks 2010) Cybercrimes are not a victimless crime as the impact users around the world and the criminal justice system as they have become difficult to detect more or less punish.

The way in which individuals communicate leave people open to attacks. Cyberspace defined as, “a global domain characterized by the use of electronics and the electromagnetic spectrum to store, modify, and exchange data via networked systems and associated physical infrastructures” (Andress, Winterfied , 2011, pg2). Cybercrimes are committed through cyberspace (internet), and they are can affect anyone no matter location, age, demographic, or level of income. They frequently use portals such as social media, blogs, chat rooms, emails, ecommerce sites, and other platforms where people communicate frequently. Cybercriminals use the portals as they main type of gathering information and committing crimes. The crimes that are committed the most include identity theft and information theft, where billions of data is sent each day When people use social media and ecommerce sites to purchase products and goods where criminals are able to obtain and gain access to credit card information used to purchase goods and drain individuals bank accounts.

Cybercriminals not only attack to gain information from consumers are businesses but also problems in cyberespionge, where people hack into computer systems to steal confidential and personal information. (PayPal 2011) There also concerns with cyber-terrorism that is seen as attacks on parts of the internet that is intended to prevent users from being able to access internet services. The point of cyberterriorism is to instill fear into the masses and fear that they system or infrastructure has been compromise. (PayPal 2013) Cyber-warfare different from cyber terrorism is prevalent as well and it operates on a threefold systems: intention, actor, and scale. The reasons behind cyber war are “power/greed versus protection of self/country.” (Andress, Winterfeild, 2011, pg 4) In order to combat these cybercrimes and issues from arising even further is by instill a system that protects the individuals.

Communication is a critical part of our society. People constantly need to communicate in order to function and interact with other people. The advancements in technology have made it easier for people to communicate at an instant and around the globe. The way in which people communicate on the internet has create problems. Social media allows for share information to become a public fixture. E-commerce sites have provided cyber criminals with the ability to gain access to credit card information and personal information. Emails, instant messages, and text messages allow for file sharing, streaming, and other ways to not only communicate but also open the door for problems. Knowing how the network is built is essential in knowing how to sport the vulnerabilities in the web applications and protect against from cybercrimes.

References

Anress, Jason, Winterfield, Steve. (2011). Cyber Warfare: Techniques, Tactics and Tools for Security Practitioners. Syngress. Massachusetts.

Barnett, Micheal, Steingruelbl, Andy, Smith, Bill. (2011). Combating Cybercrime. PayPal. Retrieved from https://www.paypal-media.com/assets/pdf/fact_sheet/PayPal_CombatingCybercrime_WP_0411_v4.pdf

Kitchen, E. C. & Fulks, B. (2010). “Cyber Crime Facts and Cyber Crime Growth.” Brighthub. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/internet/security-privacy/articles/83739.aspx.

Lenhart, Amanda, Rich Lin, Scott Campbell, Kristen Purcell. (2010). Teens and Mobile Phones. PEW Internet. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx

Paquet, Catherine. (2013). Network Security Concepts and Policies. CISCO. Retrieved from http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=1998559

Social Networking Statistics. (2013). Statistic Brain. Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/

Smith, Aaron. “Smartphone Ownership 2013.” Pew Internet. 5 Jun 2013. Web. 11 Aug 2013. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-Ownership-2013.aspx

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