Cybercrime, also called as computer crime is the use of a compu
ter as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing identities or violating privacy.
With the growth of technology cybercrime’s footprints across the world are getting bigger and bigger day by day.
Cybercrimes are committed either by usage of computers as a weapon or as a target. The harm resulted by cybercrimes may be caused to persons or properties or both.
Cybercrimes resulting in harm to property
This kind of crime is generally carried out using cracking techniques and they are as follows:
· Flooding : It is a form of cyber space vandalism resulting in denial of service (DOS) to the authorized users of a site or a system
· Virus and Worm : This is mainly caused in order to corrupt data and erase them.
· Spoofing : It is the appropriation if cyber space of an authentic user’s identity by non-authentic users, causing fraud and critical infrastructure breakdown.
· Phreaking : It is a form of cyber space theft or fraud consisting of using technology to make free telephone calls.
· Infringing Intellectual Property Rights and Copyrights : This form of cyberspace theft involves copying of a target’s information or software without consent.
Cybercrimes resulting in harm to persons
Crimes resulting in harm to persons are as follows:
· Cyber Stalking : It is the use of yberspace to control, harass or terrorize a target to the point that he or she fears harm or death, either to self or to others close to him or her.
· Cyber Pornography : It is the use of cyber space to possess, create, import, display, publish or distribute pornography (including child pornography) or other obscene materials.
