Cyber-Crime: What Is Cyber Crime?

What is Cyber-crime?

Cyber-crime, or computer crime, refers to any illegal action that involves a network or computer. In this sense, the network or computer may have been used to commit a crime or may be the target of a crime. In the latter scenario, a hacker or computer thief, for instance, may steal information that was stored on the targeted system.

Many times people may be confused as to the classification of what constitutes cyber-crime. Although this classification is somewhat confusing, due to the relative novelty field or lack of tangible nature, cyber-crime refers to any illegal action that is committed through an electronic-based medium or targets a computer-based platform.

When debating what cyber-crime is, you must evaluate whether

There is evidence of telecommunications equipment being used to facilitate organised drug trafficking, gambling, prostitution, money laundering, child pornography and trade in weapons (in those jurisdictions where such activities are illegal). The use of encryption technology may place criminal communications beyond the reach of law enforcement. The use of computer networks to produce and distribute child pornography has become the subject of increasing attention. Today, these materials can be imported across national borders at the speed of light (Grant, David and Grab sky 1997). The more overt manifestations of internet child pornography entail a modest degree of organisation, as required by the infrastructure of IRC and WWW, but the activity appears largely confined to individuals. By contrast, some of the less publicly visible traffic in child pornography activity appears to entail a greater degree of organisation. Although knowledge is confined to that conduct which has been the target of successful police investigation, there appear to have been a number of networks which extend cross-nationally, use sophisticated technologies of concealment, and entail a significant degree of coordination. Illustrative of such activity was the Wonderland Club, an international network with members in at least 14 nations ranging from Europe, to North America, to Australia. Access to the group was password protected, and content was encrypted. Police investigation of the activity, codenamed "Operation Cathedral" resulted in approximately 100 arrests around the world, and the seizure of over 100,000 images in September,