Computer Crimes, Ethics, and Privacy - Research Paper Example

Inserts His/her Inserts Inserts Grade (23, 10, Computer Crimes, Ethics, and Privacy Introduction The age of technology has made our world cozier to a great extent but at the same technology has negatively affected the moral values of the society in general. It is true that everything has two sides; a positive and a negative one. And on the basis of some negative effects the potential benefits of technology, such as computers and internet, cannot be ignored. But it is also important to understand the perils of computers and internet, so that one can attempt to avoid and eradicate such perils. The advent of computers and internet in our daily life has given rise to computer crimes, illicit activity that is carried out by the help of computers, and these crimes have had a ponderous impact on the moral values of the people, especially adolescents. In this paper we will attempt to highlight some computer crimes and explain how these crimes give rise to ethical issues. Also a detailed discussion will be made on the breach of privacy through computer crimes. The paper talks about computer technology and ethical issues it poses therefore it is perfectly related to the chapter. Computer Crimes Computer crimes are formally defined as crimes that involve a computer and a network (Moore, 4). Crimes that are carried out by the help of a computer or where computer is the target also come under computer crimes. The word cyber crime is also used interchangeably for computer crime. The most common of computer crimes include identity theft, financial theft, spamming, and breach of privacy. There has been seen a surge in cyber crimes mainly due to the increasing reliance on computers and network. Almost everything is run by computers these days and therefore can be targeted by cyber criminals. Malware (short form for malicious software) is the most prevalent form of computer crime where a person controls a computer by planting some malicious code. The attacker can install or plant the code on a system and then can enjoy great access to the computer without authorization of the user (Skoudis & Zeltser, 2). Common types of Malware include Virus, Trojan, and Worm. Malwares are used to gain access to computers, sometimes just for fun. They can delete important files and can also slow down the speed of the system. Identity theft is another computer crime that can make life of a computer user miserable. The effects of this computer crime are more ponderous than Malware as it can financially hurt the individual. Identity theft involves stealing information of extremely personal nature in order to use it for some benefit. Mainly hackers try to gain access to bank account passwords, credit card numbers etc to steal money from the users. The crime of identity theft is extremely prevalent and many people lose their money on a daily basis as a result of it. E commerce has given users opportunity to shop online using credit cards and online merchant accounts. This has in turn increased the chances of identity theft. Other computer crimes include cyber stalking, spamming, and child pornography. Cyber stalking refers to the use of internet for stalking purposes by using personal information of a person. Cyber stalkers use internet to repeatedly harass a person and therefore it is listed as a computer crime (Pot, 1). Spamming refers to the bulk messages that are sent to users. These are unwanted messages that fill the inboxes of users. Spamming is a big business for many people and causes problems for users. Child pornography is also propagated through internet and it is a serious offense. Children are left vulnerable because child pornography has become a business today through internet. Ethical Issues Involving Computer Crimes Computer crimes pose many ethical issues for the society. The main problem of computer crimes is that they are mostly conducted by teenagers or young people in general. This has posed many problems for the society at large. Younger generation is the pioneer of the future for any society but today there are involved in computer crimes. The moral values of the youth are seriously suffering as a result of computer crimes. The ease with which such crimes can be carried out is blurring the boundaries between right and wrong for the young people. Cyber stalking, for example, is extremely hard to catch and many victims even ignore stalkers. This also makes cyber crimes easy to carry out. Identity of a person is hidden when using a computer or internet and this makes the person feel that he or she cannot be caught. This alone is more than enough reason to get involved in cyber crimes for young people. The moral values that are prevalent today are totally different from past. Younger generation does not consider spamming or piracy as crimes. They rationalize all their wrongs and this is an extremely bad sign for the society. The exponential increase in the use of internet has given rise of technology specific criminal behavior (Ditzion et al, 285). This means that ethical issues are increasing because internet is available to many people. This is an important dimension of ethical issues related to computers and networks. The feeling of being invisible along side with the easy availability of technology is giving rise to a society where hard work is not considered the gate way to success, rather use of technology to manipulate the system is the new success story that is attracting youth of our times. Computer crimes have therefore seriously shaken the moral values of our society Breach of Privacy Breach of privacy is an important ethical issue that computer crimes pose for the society. The issue is of significant importance and therefore it has to be discussed separately. Internet has allowed people to share their personal information through social networking sites. There are loads of other ways through which people are sharing information with each other and with organizations. This information is of personal nature and therefore needs to be secured from any kind of theft. Computer crimes have made all the private information of people vulnerable to hackers. There are many uses of private information for hackers. They can easily sell the information to research companies. Private information is vital for marketing firms because they can screen customers that have specific traits. Excessive marketing is bombarding us everywhere from television to internet. This marketing is based on the information regarding demographics of potential customers. All this information is purchased from different sites or research organizations. This has made breach of privacy a financial rewarding crime and hackers are trying newer and better ways to gain information. The value of information is great today and it has become a valuable asset (Hoser & Nitschke, 181). Security incidents involving misuse of information mostly originate within an organization (D’Arcy, 79). This means that the survey forms we often fill on internet for security or other purposes are used for entirely different purposes. This kind of breach of privacy is a serious ethical issue which the world is facing today due to computer crimes. Our personal information is so easily used by organizations to make money and this is sometimes not even considered something against ethics. The problem again here is that computer crimes have blurred the differences between right and wrong. People who misuse private information don’t even consider it wrong because they think that no one gets hurt in the process. Technology is therefore shaping the moral compass of the society in an extremely negative manner. Privacy is important for all individuals. It is our right to live a life without any outside interference as long as we are not breaking the law. Unfortunately this is only a dream today because there are so many unwanted interferences in our lives because of internet and computer crimes. Trying to see the pictures of your classmate by trying to access his or her Facebook account is in no way different to peaking in your neighbor’s bedroom. But the youth do not understand this and therefore breach of privacy seems to have no end in sight. Protection of personal information that may be sensitive is not the only thing important for privacy. All information whether sensitive or trivial shared without consent of the user comes under breach of privacy (Kinkus, 1). This should be made clear to the young if future transgressions are to be avoided. The right of privacy has been seriously violated by computer crimes but proper training and education can help to control, if not eradicate, such crimes. Conclusion Computer crimes are illicit activities that are carried out with the help of a computer and a network. Technology has brought many benefits but many perils have also come to life as a result. Cyber crimes are raising serious ethical issues with respect to privacy of information. Spamming, identity theft, malware, child pornography, and cyber stalking are some of the computer crimes. Breach of privacy is the most serious ethical issue that computer and internet is posing today. The moral values of the society have changed in a negative way as a result of computer crimes. Works Cited Page D’Arcy, J., Hovav, A., and Galletta, D. “User Awareness of Security Countermeasures and Its Impact on Information Systems Misuse: A Deterrence Approach.” Journal of Information System Research 20.1 (2009): 79-98. Web 23 October 2011 Ditzion, R., E. Geddes, and M. Rhodes. “Computer Crimes.” The American Criminal Law Review 40.2 (2003): 285-337. Web. 23 October 2011 Hoser, Bettina and Nitschke, Tanja. “Questions on ethics for research in the virtually connected world.” Social Network 32.3 (2010): 180-186. Web 23 October 2011 Kinkus, Jane. “Science and Technology Resources on the Internet.” Issue in Science and Technology, 2002. Web. 23 October 2011 Moore, R. Cybercrime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime. Mississippi: Anderson Publishing, 2005. Print Pot, Justin. “Top Five Computer Crimes & How to Protect Yourself from Them.” Makeuseof.com. Makeuseof, 2010. Web. 23 October 2011 Skoudis, Ed, and Zeltser, Lenny. Malware: fighting malicious code. New York: Prentice Hall Professional, 2004. Print Read More