Internet and Digital Crimes - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Internet and Other Digital Crimes Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Introduction Digital crime The general developments in technology have over the years build up new chances for criminal activities hence driving the process of the development of latest technology. The escalating development of the vast new technologies opens door for expanding alternatives for the inventive mind. There has been a significant development in technology of communication technology and mobile information such as mobile phones and personal digital assistant. In addition wireless infrastructures such as local area networks among others have been invented (Grabosky, 2003). There has been a tremendous growth in the application of computer technology by the department of the police in the world today. The police officers have been helped greatly in conducting their work since the mobile technologies were deployed in their department as a result of the invention of radio communication systems. In addition the new technologies have opened opportunities for people to study the application of mobile technologies. The end results that are released because of the technology are however mixed up since machines have been used as tools for strategic planning, machine to person interactions as well as for decision making. Many organizations together with its members are now currently able to employ enterprise mobility and this is made possible because of the mobile ICT. However there are challenges that impend the unlocking of enterprise mobility opportunities (Grabosky, 2003). Proactive policing The control of crimes that are mainly organized and contemporary policing engage in strategic planning, priority setting as well as the use of tools for strategic planning. There need to explore on the new methods and concepts in the literature section that is growing rapidly in the police force. This will assist in the strategic planning in organized crimes. Strategic planning and priority setting in organized crimes are the two characterized with a lot of uncertainties. Through scenario studies, the police force can acquire proper tools for strategic planning as well as provide good evaluation of security challenges. However the scenario studies can not under any circumstance provide information on future organized crimes (Verfaillie & Beken, 2008). Furthermore the studies are not a substitute to the information- gathering methodologies and applications in crime intelligence that sustain solid criminal investigations. The police agencies ought to apply computers in mapping crime and also in improving the strategies and methods in crime fighting. The middle managers and local commanders should be accountable for their activities in fighting against crime by explaining to executives the steps they prospect to take to reduce crime and plans they have set correct a particular crime to improve life quality. There is need for a strong support and coordination from the criminal justice agencies to help in investigation, correction and prosecution (Verfaillie &Beken, 2008). Technology and crime Just as many people use the growing technology for reasonable reasons, many have taken the advantage of the technology in committing crimes. Crimes that make use of digital technologies such as computer crime, Hi tech crime, Internet crime and cyber terrorism among others have notable characteristics. First and foremost, it is important to note that digital crimes have no respect of either legislative or international boundaries. Digital crimes especially those related to the internet are not attached to time and space in almost the same way as the conventional crime. Most of the time people commit such crimes because they have been motivated to do so. For example, one can illegally download a compact disk containing copyrighted music simply because it is available and free of charge. This is an indication that time and space does not constrain information access (Kshetri, 2005). The internet, authorities and organizations makes it difficult in controlling the access of information that may be ether dangerous or sensitive. It is impossible to track down and delete any information released after opening Pandora digital box. Secondly, digital crimes often take the advantage of ICT to spread information cheaply, continually as well as widely. A digital crime may bring high returns to the criminal though there is low time effort invested. Before a robber had to build up a team to rob a bank say steal one million pound. The case is different today because with the new technology the robber is able to do the task alone in a short period of time (Kshetri, 2005). Thirdly, a digital crime has a wider range for anonymity especially if performed over the internet. The anonymity is in terms of secrecy which is achieved through the presentation of a false identity. Fourthly, a significant defining or else explanatory factory of some digital crime is the crime’s virtual nature. This simply refers to the person’s sense of unreality accompanied with loss of self awareness and self accountability that drives such a person to perform mysterious actions online and hence on to the digital world. Disinhibition may further develop out of the sense of unreality. For instance, most people do not conceal the fact that they have been involved in a theft connected to intellectual property over the internet. They may have downloaded copyrighted music using programs referred to as the peer to peer. Such individuals would otherwise regard themselves as individuals who truly abide to the law and therefore consider themselves good citizens (Kshetri, 2005). Another characteristic is that some digital crime especially cyber crime are suspected to suffer from rising predisposition to legislative lag. This therefore lengthens the duration between the crime enterprise innovations and the response the state takes over such innovation. In addition this slows the action of agencies on law enforcement. This is kind of ridiculous as digital crime grows and afterwards changes very quickly. The crime hence may have assumed a different mode or even mutated before the legislation is enacted. Consequently, it looks like most digital crime are unreachable by the law and hence some will never be addressed by the contemporaneous legislation. The government of the UK does not disseminate information concerning the necessity of legislation. There is a notable change in the digital forms of communication as well as data storage in the many to many type of communication. The technology advent has led to a decrease in other forms of communication such as one to many and many to one. It means therefore that many people in big organizations, prisons get a chance to share information concerning improved methods of committing burglary. Even though such information is limited in a specific area, it spreads slowly in a vast area. The internet has increased the many to many mode of communication and hence peers who are not under the control of the authorities will tent to share information particularly that which involve criminal activities (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). Finally, the full nature of digital crime raises some forms of challenges in investigation and specific detection. For instance, the use of steganography which is a practice of hiding an object in another can be used to conceal images of child pornography and other images not intended for the public. Steganography is different from cryptography in that the later leads to the change of original information while the former does not. Criminals have learned to use steganography in selling or sharing child pornography and this is according to well documented cases. It is not however proven that the terrorist apply this form of technique. It goes without saying that the steganography application brings serious challenges to detectives as well as digital investigators. This is because it is quite difficult to identify by naked eyes illegal images that are under steganography. Sophisticated techniques should be utilized in identifying a file that has been altered through steganography and recovering the original one in the best way possible. In most cases a password, of which would be unknown to the investigator, is needed to recover the original file. The investigation may be difficult in cases where some criminals use some sort cryptography in the process of steganography (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). Analogue and digital The growth of communication and information technology tends to place in a popular culture of digital world. The digital world brings the representation of data in many states. The digital format that is used in the storage of music has replaced the analogue methods that were used before. The digital format is likely to be shared through the internet simply because it is easy to reproduce the simple patterns used in the format. Since the information is characterized by digital signal, the sharing and copying of the information causes no quality loss and therefore one can make as many as copies as he desires. The robust nature of the digital data makes it easy for data transmission (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). The integration of systems and devices is facilitated by information storage in digital form. The differences in storage and reproduction of data in analogue and digital means may look a bit technical but the differences help in understanding the digital crime nature. For instance, the digital media has led to an increase in distribution and availability of adult pornography. In the 1980s it was quite difficult to make copies of such information because of loss of data. Currently, the digital format provides an easy and a fast manner of the reproduction. These changes of distribution have greatly affected crime and also influence the response from regulatory and legislative. The digital data occupies a less space than in analogue. The space can be further reduced through compression technique without quality loss. This is also a threat to legislative response (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). Growth of digital technologies The first device for two- way communication was the telephone but it never took long before every household in developed countries to install one. Later on the radio came into the market and these seemed as a route of the invention of other digital devices. The processing power is responsible for the increase in digital devices. The increase of digital devices has led to the decrease in their prices. The decrease in digital devices prices goes hand in hand with the increase in power and functionality of the devices which trigger increase in specialization. The digital technology growth and their rapid adoption have opened new opportunities for people to indulge in crime. Storage memory in devices and microprocessors provide chances for investigators, more modes of evidence, sophisticated ways of law enforcement and investigative methods. Such information is useful in investigation or used in court as evidence. Investigators should therefore be interested with digital devices that contain memory to help ease their job (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). Digital crime growth and development The technology changes are responsible for new opportunities for digital crime. It is however complicated to gauge the extent to which crime have increased as a result of growth technology. Piracy associated with copying of films was limited in the 1980s to those who has access to the specialized equipment. During this time there was no increase in digital crime. However, crime increase began in the late 1980s after the production of CD recorders and this led to the fall music growth. The situation worsened after internet invention and it is true that digital crime have tremendously increased since then (Kshetri, 2005). A new criminology Terms related to conventional criminology can be used the police force understand digital crimes. However, it is important to note crimes that are new in terms of the new modes of criminology. It may appear difficult to conclude a certain crime is new. It is argued that there are notable new and different modes of criminal behavior that have emanated in the ways people interact and communicate with each other (Kshetri, 2005). Conclusion The increase use of communication technologies and mobile information in the organizational site requires people to understand fully and conceptualize the connection between job activities, job context and the application of mobile technologies. The organizations therefore should be able to establish working practices and systems that are fit for the organizations and the individuals. People have to come to terms with the growing technology and the negative impacts associated with the growth. Though the development in communication and technology have brought many positive end results, the negative ones are inevitable. If proper management and control of crime is not provided within a short duration, our global world will continue to suffer greatly in the hands of those who commit digital crimes (Sorensen & Pica, 2005). Bibliography Bryant, R. 2008. The Challenge of Digital Crime. March 19, 2008/. Read More

There is need for a strong support and coordination from the criminal justice agencies to help in investigation, correction and prosecution (Verfaillie &Beken, 2008). Technology and crime Just as many people use the growing technology for reasonable reasons, many have taken the advantage of the technology in committing crimes. Crimes that make use of digital technologies such as computer crime, Hi tech crime, Internet crime and cyber terrorism among others have notable characteristics.

First and foremost, it is important to note that digital crimes have no respect of either legislative or international boundaries. Digital crimes especially those related to the internet are not attached to time and space in almost the same way as the conventional crime. Most of the time people commit such crimes because they have been motivated to do so. For example, one can illegally download a compact disk containing copyrighted music simply because it is available and free of charge. This is an indication that time and space does not constrain information access (Kshetri, 2005).

The internet, authorities and organizations makes it difficult in controlling the access of information that may be ether dangerous or sensitive. It is impossible to track down and delete any information released after opening Pandora digital box. Secondly, digital crimes often take the advantage of ICT to spread information cheaply, continually as well as widely. A digital crime may bring high returns to the criminal though there is low time effort invested. Before a robber had to build up a team to rob a bank say steal one million pound.

The case is different today because with the new technology the robber is able to do the task alone in a short period of time (Kshetri, 2005). Thirdly, a digital crime has a wider range for anonymity especially if performed over the internet. The anonymity is in terms of secrecy which is achieved through the presentation of a false identity. Fourthly, a significant defining or else explanatory factory of some digital crime is the crime’s virtual nature. This simply refers to the person’s sense of unreality accompanied with loss of self awareness and self accountability that drives such a person to perform mysterious actions online and hence on to the digital world.

Disinhibition may further develop out of the sense of unreality. For instance, most people do not conceal the fact that they have been involved in a theft connected to intellectual property over the internet. They may have downloaded copyrighted music using programs referred to as the peer to peer. Such individuals would otherwise regard themselves as individuals who truly abide to the law and therefore consider themselves good citizens (Kshetri, 2005). Another characteristic is that some digital crime especially cyber crime are suspected to suffer from rising predisposition to legislative lag.

This therefore lengthens the duration between the crime enterprise innovations and the response the state takes over such innovation. In addition this slows the action of agencies on law enforcement. This is kind of ridiculous as digital crime grows and afterwards changes very quickly. The crime hence may have assumed a different mode or even mutated before the legislation is enacted. Consequently, it looks like most digital crime are unreachable by the law and hence some will never be addressed by the contemporaneous legislation.

The government of the UK does not disseminate information concerning the necessity of legislation. There is a notable change in the digital forms of communication as well as data storage in the many to many type of communication. The technology advent has led to a decrease in other forms of communication such as one to many and many to one. It means therefore that many people in big organizations, prisons get a chance to share information concerning improved methods of committing burglary. Even though such information is limited in a specific area, it spreads slowly in a vast area.

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