Types and Measures of Cybercrimes - Coursework Example

Examples of hacker’s objectives include illegal funds transfer and retrieval of information such as in cases of deformation need to undermine competition. Another type of cybercrime is “cyberstalking”, defined as continuous harassment initiatives or actions, over the internet that induces considerable threats to a victim (Gupta, 2006, p. 7). Examples of cyberstalking include the online sending of intimidating messages or calls (Gupta, 2006).

Another type of cybercrime that has developed with the increased level of dependence on the electronic system is “software piracy” (Gupta, 2006, p. 9). Pirating software means stealing software or illegally obtaining and distributing its counterfeit copies. Business organizations’ reliance on software for data recording, storage, and analysis identifies enterprises as prime victims of software piracy. Piracy has several disadvantages to the victim businesses, buyers of counterfeit software, who cannot obtain rights of usage and warranties on the products besides risking hardware because the pirated products are hardly tested for approval (Gupta, 2006). Infecting other parties’ system through spreading viruses is another type of ‘cyber-classified’ crime. This involves the dissemination of a harmful program to other parties’ systems and may aim at paralyzing a business’ network to interfere with its operations. Other cybercrimes include jamming networks and committing fraud over the internet (Siegel, 2008).

One of the effective measures to warding cyber crimes is legal deterrence, an initiative that can be achieved by reporting, to law enforcement authorities, cases of cyber crimes or behaviors suspected to possibly lead to cyber crimes. This, together with the provision of evidence, facilitates the successful prosecution of offenders and discourages others from engaging in cyber crimes. Reporting suspected behavior however directly prevents possible crimes (Pardesi, 2007). Other useful techniques for warding crimes in business organizations include the application of antivirus programs, the use of passwords and programs to protect business network systems, the identification of potential perils, the implementation of security policies, and ensuring data backup systems (Gupta, 2006).

Hacking an organization’s computer system by a competing company to retrieve a formula for the victim’s new product, for producing a similar commodity, is an example of a cybercrime. This can, however, be prevented by the application of passwords for entry into the organization’s network and the implementation of security policies such as restricting the network’s access to particular personnel, and continually updating access passwords (Gupta, 2006).