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.