1. THE CYBER WORLD
The cyber world or cyberspace is an online
environment of computer networks through which you
can communicate with other people.
It provides users with ways to conduct business and
network with other people as easily as they do in the
physical world .For example ,online shopping has
reduced trips to the market and social networking sites
allow you to connect with friends staying thousands of
miles away. In addition to all the benefits , there are
some serious concerns too that the cyber world offers.
Let’s learn more about the dangers of the cyber world
so that we can keep ourselves safe.
2. CYBERCRIMES
Cybercrime is a broad term used to define any unlawful activity
where a computer is either used as a tool or a target to both to
commit a crime.
From banking to social networking, millions of people use the
internet every day for various purposes. There has been a
phenomenal rise in the number of internet users in recent times.
However, the ease and anonymity with which people can use the
internet has led to an increasing number of cybercrimes.
3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CYBERCRIMES
Just like there are many types of activities you can perform on the internet ,there
are different types of crimes too. Let’s have a look at the most commonly
performed crimes.
According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyber bullying takes place “
where the internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or
images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.”
Cyber bullying involves acts that seek to control ,manipulate ,falsely
dishonor, or humiliate a person or entity using the computer as a mode
of communication. The actions are deliberate and done repeatedly on
purpose with the sole intention of causing harm.
Cyber bullying is being increasingly used in schools. In a recent incident a young
school boy who was excellent in basketball was bullied by his jealous seniors over the
internet as they could not prove themselves better at the basketball court. As a result
,the young boy started to withdraw and his sport suffered.
This is incident of cybercrime, and if reported, the accused may have to face serious
legal consequences.
4. A person is said to “cheat by personation” if he/she cheats by pretending to be some
other person. By providing a false identity, the person does not feel responsible for
his/her words or actions and thus behaves badly or uses his/her false identity to
gather the other person’s personal details. These personal details may then be
misused. However, it is important to keep in mind that if such an incident is reported,
the cybercrimes branch can easily track the person who is cheating and take legal
action against the persons.
The distribution of obscene publishing material in electronics form is a criminal
offence. Committed with the purpose to sexually exploit underage children , child
pornography uses electronic media and its network to create , distribute , and
access different types of obscene and indecent material .
5. Sending offensive messages through online media to threaten the receiver is also
a cybercrime. Such messages could include the following:
1. Information that is grossly disrespectful.
2. Consistently sending false information using various communication device with
the aim of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury,
enmity, or hatred.
Cyber defamation takes place when :
1. Hurtful word intended to be read online are published on websites or circulated
using emails to damage the reputation of an individual.
2. Hurtful signs or visible representation are circulated online with the intention to
damage the reputation of an individual, group of individuals, brand, or a product.
6. Pursuing or following a person online is called cyber stalking. The privacy of the
individual is threatened and every move is watched. The internet and other electronic
means are used to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization. The purpose
of cyber stalking may include false accusations, defamation, monitoring, identity theft ,
threats, or gathering information with an intention to threat or harass.
Phishing is a cyber crime where people (called phishers ) use spam, fake website,
crimeware, and other similar techniques to trick people into divulging sensitive
information, such as bank account numbers, debit / credit card account details,
passwords etc.
The stolen details are then misused to use the victim’s bank account or the details
are sold in the black market. Phishers often use scare tactics that threaten to
disable accounts or delay important services.
Phishing can be avoided by deleting fraud emails and not clicking on any suspicious
link in emails. In addition, always remember to sign out from your account s when
using a public computer.
7. Hacking is defined as identifying weakness in computer system and / or network. The
weakness are exploited to gain access to the computer system and destroy / misuse
data as well as computer programs.
People who follow the practice of hacking are called hackers. Computer hacking is
unethical when the hackers brake into the system to peek in to the extreme details of
computer applications, programs, or the whole system with the purpose to either
extending its capabilities or modify its functionalities.
Based on their intentions, hackers are classified into the following types:
. Ethical hackers – white hat
An ethical hacker access the system to fix identified weakness. They may
also perform tests and exposure assessments.
. Cracker – black hat
A cracker gains unauthorized access to computer system for personal gains
with unethical intentions, such as staling corporate data, violate privacy
rights, stealing funds, etc.
8. Skimming is a cyber crime where scammers steal your credit / debit card details by
fitting a skimmer device to an ATM machine. The device reads and record the card
details from the magnetic strip on the card, resulting in misuse an frauds.
The information from the strip is ‘skimmed’ to create a fake or cloned card with
the stolen details. The personal details and account numbers are used to borrow
money or take loans in the victim’s name.
You can protect yourself from card skimming by keeping these simple pointers
In mind:
. Keep all your bank detail in a safe place. Refrain from sharing your Personal
Identity Number (PIN) with anyone.
. Check your bank account statements. Report any suspicious or unexplained
transaction to the bank.
9. Referred to as the crime of the new millennium, identity theft is defined as stealing and
using someone’s personal information primarily for monetary gain.
Identity theft is a crime in which the imposter obtains important personal identity
information, such as electronic signature, passwords, and driver’s license numbers, and
uses them for their personal gains. The nature of the crime varies widely and can
include credit card frauds, cheque frauds, identity theft, etc. Phishing, hacking,
skimming also lead to identity theft.
Viruses are malicious programs that infects other programs in computers.
A virus can also make copies of itself and spread to other programs. Viruses
Affects the data on a computer, either by altering or deleting it. Examples of malicious
programs include worms, Trojan horse, Time bombs, Rabbit, and Bacterium.
Technical awareness, common sense, using antivirus, choosing strong passwords
and protecting personal information can help prevent your computer from virus
attacks.
10. Financial frauds are the direct result of hacking, phishing, skimming, virus attack, and
Identity thefts. In such cases, the victim’s personal and confidential information is
obtained to access their bank account and use their money.
