The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society - Research Proposal Example

? The Negative Impact of Cybercrime on Business and Society The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society Introduction From the early days of civilization, there has always been crime. In recent years, however, technological innovation have made it not only easier on certain criminal elements within society, but it has also made it more difficult to detect and stop such crime. Computer crime (commonly referred to as cybercrime) is a reference to any type of criminal activity that involves the use of a computer or an internal/external network. This type of activity has been increasing at alarming rates over the past few decades, to the point that seemingly no one is immune from becoming a victim (Dearne, 2002, p. 262). Cybercrime can take on many shapes and forms. It can begin as something seemingly harmless, and rise to one of the gravest threats to personal and national security that exists today. It is also a troubling trend that the majority of the perpetrators of such crimes appear be young people under the age of 26. They often justify their actions initially as harmless hacking just for fun, but they quickly realize that their actions could prove to be quite lucrative. The harm done to victims of cybercrime, however, are immense. It is important to note that cybercrime does not only involve a financial element. There are crimes being committed that involve spam, harassment, threats, child pornography, and child endangerment just to name a few (Lee, 2012, p. 14). This proposal will detail the reasons why cybercrime is a serious issue today and explore the basis for future research and study that will be conducted in this area. Problem Statement The problem is that cybercrime has become so pervasive in society today and many people are fearful of the damage, both psychological and and financial, that can be perpetrated on them via technology. In addition, the problem has persisted to the point that it is costing society hundreds of millions of dollars a year in damages and preventative measures. Network security has been compromised to the point that clients and IT professionals globally has lost trust in conducting many types of electronic commerce transactions. Tremendous and organized efforts are currently underway to tackle this problem, but it is requiring an inordinate amount of manpower and resources, further compounding the financial cost to society. In addition, resources are having to be reallocated to this area, limiting technological progress and business expansion that could be otherwise achieved, largely owed to the sophistication that the average cyber criminal is exhibiting today (Gray, 2004; Lin, Fofanah, & Liang, 2011). This is a problem and issue that is serious and requires immediate attention. The rapid globalization take place today requires technological innovation. Companies and countries around the world are in a constant struggle to maintain a competitive advantages over others in the same industry (Kolsaker & Lee-Kelley, 2008). Cybercrime has impacted companies by threatening their infrastructure and their financial well being. Furthermore, cybercrime has impacted the countries around the world by enhancing certain espionage activities that serve the threaten and raises issues of national security across the board. Finally, cybercrime impacts the individual citizen on multiple fronts. Identity theft, for example, has become a common method of cybercrime whereby an individual’s very identity is stolen for personal gain. Not only does this create a loss of trust in technology by the victim, but it can create immense financial and emotional trouble that can take years to unravel and correct. In addition, computer crime has made it much easier for a certain criminal element to prey on innocent children around the world. These issues alone demonstrate the importance of examining this problem with a united and global front. Let us now examine the relevance and significance of this proposed study. Relevance and Significance The security of networks and computers globally has been called into question in recent years. Globalization has increased the presence the cyber criminals, compounding efforts to truly secure and maintain reliable networks that can be trusted. Even the most secure of networks, be them owned and operated by government or private individuals, have been hacked into from time to time, leading one to wonder if true security is even possible (Kirschner, Buckingham, & Carr, 2002). This problems become relevant because the job of maintaining network security has fallen on individual companies, reducing their ability to expand as rapidly and profitably as possible. This is the result of the reality that the insecurity of their networks has become a primary concern (Layton, 2007). Rather than devoting more resources to research and development, for example, many agencies are need to reallocate resources to combatting the increasing prevalence of cybercrime. Current research alludes that, in the face of growing concerns with cybercrime, and with the lack of true network society, individuals are becoming more and more hesitant to use networks to conduct commerce and financial transactions (Peltier, 2001). While it is true that Internet usage is up, trust in conducting electronic transactions is going down. Should this continue, the rapid globalization that we have experienced to this point will likely be compromised (Hung, Chang, & Yu, 2006). To further examine the relevance of this problem, it is helpful to briefly touch on the various types of crimes that are commonly committed via computer today. Fraud Financial fraud is perhaps the first area of cybercrime that most people think about. Such criminal activity can be accomplished in numerous ways. The most common means of financial fraud involve altering, destroying, or outright stealing data from a computer. This could amount to altering one’s bank account, stealing from another, or eliminating credit balances in extreme cases. Hackers can also maliciously write code that invades a network for the express purpose of committing fraudulent activity (Vasilios & Bednar, 2008, p. 24). Fraud can also be perpetrated by extorting another person, committing bank fraud, stealing another individual’s identity, or via the theft of classified information. Harassment and Threats As mentioned previously, most people think of the financial ramifications of cyber crime. There is, however, an entirely different underworld criminal element that would seek to use the computer to harass and threaten others. It is important to understand that such behavior is serious, no matter if the threats are harassment take place in person or in the cyber world (O’Neil, 2001, p. 28). Emotional trauma and physical harm can just as certainly be the end result. This type of cyber crimes involves sending derogatory messages or threatening bodily harm via the computer. It is often difficult to catch such individuals if they keep themselves anonymous and use public networks. As such, the criminal gets away with the behavior, while the victim is left to suffer the emotional baggage left behind. This further demonstrates the relevance of studying this problem in details to determine how to best avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime. Identity Theft Before computers, it was highly unlikely that anyone could steal another’s identity for very long and get away with it. While it was accomplished in certain instances, it was certainly common place. That has all changed, however, with the advent of technology. This type of cyber crime is perhaps the most damaging to society because it involves individual people, their finances, and their trust. In some cases, it involves the stealing of identity for medical insurance purposes, putting yet another financial burden on an already troubled industry. When people have their identities stolen, they can unfairly become subject to a whole host of difficulties. These include difficult in finding employment due to failing background checks, a decline in credit score resulting in great difficulty securing loans, and even the possibility of encountering trouble with various law enforcement agencies (Orlov, 2012, p. 3). When such a cyber crime occurs, victims must set out to prove that their identity was stolen. This often causes a great deal of anguish, wasted time, money, and heartache. It is a problem related to cybercrime, and one the must be better tackled in the future. Espionage A final area of cyber crime that will be the focus of this proposed study is that of espionage, or spying. The Cold War might be over, but the act of one country spying on another is certainly alive and well. In fact, it is more developed and advanced than ever. In addition, it is important to consider corporate espionage and individual spying as well when talking about this particular type of cyber crime. Computer and Internet technology has opened up a whole new world of espionage that is hidden and often difficult to detect. The illegal use of the computer or a network to spy on another individual country is certainly harmful to society as a whole. This problem has necessitated the development of entire organizations who are charged solely with the task of preventing espionage. This adds an undue burden, both in terms of money and manpower, the is further born by society as a whole (Adomi & Igun, 2008, p. 718). It also serves to demonstrate why the problem of cyber crime must be taken seriously moving forward, in addition to providing a firm foundation for this proposed study. Conclusion Efforts have been underway for some time now to tackle the problem of cyber crime. It is costing society millions of dollars a year, with no end in sight. The reality is that it is a crime that is often hidden from the eyes of society, so many people never give it a second thought until they become a victim of such behavior themselves. This has put the issue on the back burner and caused it to not be given the amount of attention that it really needs and deserves. Just as an individual, company, or country tackles one area of computer crime, another pops up that is even more difficult to prevent. The problem is almost spiraling out of control. This study will explore the various types of cyber crimes currently in existence today. It will examine the negative impact and ramifications that this type of criminal behavior has on society and will explore ways that its effects can be minimized. The hope is that studies such as this one will highlight the seriousness of the issue and cause society to begin to look for cyber criminals and prevent them from doing harm. By examining various case studies, research, and personal accounts of cyber crime, the researcher will arrive at various conclusions design to better educate and inform the public about how to prevent and deal with this new, modern type of criminal activity that has been thrust upon them. References Adomi, E., and Igun, S. (2008). Combating cyber crime in Nigeria. The Electronic Library, 26(5), 716-725. Dearne, K. (2002). Cyber crime boom. Information Management and Computer Security, 10(5), 262. Gray, D. E. (2004). Doing Research in the Real World. London: SAGE Publications. Hung, S.-Y., Chang, C.-M. & Yu, T.-J. (2006). Determinants of user acceptance of the e-Government services: The case of online tax filing and payment system, Government Information Quarterly, 23(3), pp. 97–122. Kirschner, P.A.; Buckingham S. 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