CYBER CRIMES

Generally computer crimes can be categorized into three
1. The computer as a target - attacking the computers of others (spreading viruses is an example).
2. The computer as a weapon - using a computer to commit "traditional crime" that we see in
the physical world (such as fraud or illegal gambling).
3. The computer as accessory - using a computer as a "fancy filing cabinet" to store illegal or
stolen information.
Reports of alleged computer crime have been a hot news item of late. Especially alarming
is the realization that many of the masterminds behind these criminal acts are mere kids. In fact,
children no longer need to be highly skilled in order to execute cyber-crimes. "Hacker tools" are
easily available on the Net and, once downloaded, can be used by even novice computer users.
This greatly expands the population of possible wrongdoers. Children (and in some cases - their
parents) often think that shutting down or defacing Web sites or releasing network viruses are
amusing pranks. Kids might not even realize that what they are doing is illegal. Still other kids
might find themselves hanging out online with skilled hackers who share hacking tools with them
and encourage them to do inappropriate things online. Unfortunately, some of these kids don’t
realize that they are committing crimes until it is too late. Even more distressing and difficult to
combat is the fact that some in the media portray the computer criminal as a modern day Robin
Hood. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cyber-crime generally refers to criminal activity where a computer or network is the source, tool,
target, or place of a crime.