Cyber Crime in the United Arab Emirates - Report Example

Cyber Crime in UAE Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name. Course. Date. Abstract Information and Communication Technologies commonly referred to as ICTs have offered a vast array of gains to people, governments, organizations as well as businesses among others although it is also provides a platform where criminal activities are carried out. This research emphases on cyber victimization in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). This report will highlight the issues related to cyber victimization which will offer a proper understanding on how cyber victimization influences victims and associated technical, educational, professional and legal replies to cyber victimization. Law enforcement authorities in the UAE have set up strategies of battling a vast range of victimization issues associated with computers ranging from intrusion to property theft. This research consequently looks at the recent degree of cyber victimization in the United Arabs Emirates in order to fully realize the application of self-discipline as well as everyday activity theory to the study of cyber victimization. In addition, this research paper also identifies prior researches carried out related to cyber victimization and thus has been established on wider situation of replies victims offer in off-line setting. This is exactly the reason why cyber victimization will proceed as new aspects of ICT endures to change. So, comprehensive study into dynamic, impacts, types as well as prevalence of cyber victimization is required in order to notify any legal authority as well as provision of services to the afflicted victims. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Background of the Study 5 Literature Review 7 Cyber Victimization in the UAE 7 Data Collection 9 Questionnaires 9 Observation 9 Sampling Strategy 9 Results 10 Conclusion 10 References 12 Introduction Cybercrimes are unlawful offences which are conducted through the internet and are facilitated by various kinds of computer technology for instance, online social networks (EFG 5). Cybercrime is a comparatively modern type of offence with which the offenders can easily carry out the offences through the use of a computer or even through smartphones. There are a number of cybercrimes and they include: attacks on computers, cyber-bullying, email spam and phishing, identity theft, cyber-attacks, hacking, sexting, online scam or fraud as well as online trading issues to name a few (EFG 9). These crimes come about due to financial constraints. Whenever the return of investments is great, the risks associated with it is low therefore individuals often claim leverage over the circumstance. Gaining entry into sensitive data and information means a rich harvest of returns which leads to high rates of cybercrimes. As internet usage is growing progressively in a day-to-day basis, the world is in turn coming closer. While law authorities are busy trying to root out his problem, very many individuals are becoming victims of such crimes of hacking and identity theft (EFG 23). Therefore, in order to avoid such instances of becoming victims of cybercrimes, it is best to defend sensitive information by enforcing security measures which are impenetrable and that uses a unified system of software to manifest any form of information that is accessible through the internet. Therefore, this report will discuss cybercrimes within our society and the various types of cyber victimization in the United Arab Emirates. Background of the Study Legal system all over the world are experiencing huge challenges in a plight to discourse the issue of cybercrime. Cybercrime is considered a very quickly growing domain of crime that is complicated and assorted in nature (Kersten and Jansen 590). Furthermore, the consequences of this technology-directed area of crime are so dangerous that the idea of cyber victimization has come up to catch the point of view of the victim in realizing the whole operation. In addition, the international penetration of interconnected communications has disclosed various areas of the society to the fears of cybercrimes. Currently, organizations as well as state governments are considerably more probable to becoming victims of cybercrimes via the utilization of ICT than ‘conventional’ forms (Kersten and Jansen 596). Every member within this society are subjugated to various kinds of victimization and frequently, these online activities replicate traditional forms of crime. Individuals can end up getting hassled by unwanted digital communications or even interactions that are inappropriate and are threatening in nature (Kersten and Jansen 600). In addition, people can also be subjugated to recurrent use of digital bullying via humiliating comments or even personal identification of victims. Victimization can also be in the form of cyberstalking where people follow another person’s digital and social media and utilizes it to harass and intimidate the victims. Furthermore, governments, organizations and businesses are also exposed to cybercrimes which tend to have a serious financial and economic effects (Kersten and Jansen 588). This occurs through directing attention to their computer systems as well as data by hacking their systems or even by circulating viruses and malware that damage data and information leaving the institutions vulnerable. Literature Review Cyber Victimization in the UAE In the first place, Sales and Folkman conducted a research discussing comparative laws which take care of cyber victimization in the United Arab Emirates which has been considered to offer expressive information involving connected issues and their interventions (Kersten and Jansen 594). Additionally, another research conducted by Morris and Higgins indicated that a single facet of crimes connected with victimization are the people with thought of attacking their targets with negligible risk which means that they are very careful when intimidating their victims (Kersten and Jansen 592). Populi contributes that this set of criminals are often concerned with circulating viruses and malware to computer systems or even hacking systems. Furthermore, in the UAE individuals involved with cybercrimes frequently aim businesses as well as financial institutions. Then again, McCusker indicated that these ill acts are merely for financial gains and therefore the frequent cases of financial institutions being targeted such as banks and e-commerce sites (Kersten and Jansen 599). For example, back in 2008, a group of cybercriminals victimized United Arab Bank by invading their online banking sites and in the process took off with a number of personal identification numbers of ATM cards associated with customers of the bank. These criminals went ahead and offered the data to associates who in turn withdrew $1.6 from unsuspicious accounts (Reyns and Henson 312). As a point of departure, UAE has been identified as a nation that is vastly affected by cases of cyber victimization. The rate of cyber victimization in the UAE has been growing progressively and the expected yearly cost of over the nation’s cybercrimes is $10 million which is a bit lower than that in the United Kingdom of $14 million (Reyns and Henson 311). From the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, the victims of cyber victimization in the UAE is 13 million. On the other hand, women in the UAE are rarely affected by cyber victimization due to existing cultural restrictions which limit their exposure to computers (Reyns and Henson 314). Based on the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, most occurrences in the UAE comes from the spreading of malware, viruses and Trojans (Reyns and Henson 312). According to Neilson Ratings Trojans and viruses are the largest contributors to cybercrimes because they have the capability to enter into a victims system without their agreement. This is simply due to the ease of an offender sending a victimizing message compared to other cybercrimes such as data crimes or phishing. Available statistics indicate that cyber victimization in the UAE has been growing and is expected to grow. Furthermore, Patnaik reports that the course is random because cyber victimization attacks anyone, anywhere which makes it very hard to predict. Telecommunication Regulatory Authority is a body that focuses on cyber victimization and performs surveillance on actions within the internet so as to lessen the cases of cyber victimization within its boundaries (Reyns and Henson 313). Cyber victimization in the UAE is considered a very dynamic operation which makes researchers focus on numerous strategies these offenders use to commit these crimes. Then again, the authority in the UAE responsible in curbing such activities are known to keenly establish the process of cyber victimization and at the same time criminalize phrases as well as actions that impact ethics, and public morals via the internet or other technological means (Reyns and Henson 312). Data Collection Questionnaires Questionnaires developed for this research were selected on the basis of various sources which were pegged on the research question. Furthermore, questions such as “Does your country have legislation guidelines on incidences of cyber victimisation have identified above?” were gotten from the personal relationships the authorities have been having with the victims of cyber victimization mitigation in the United Arab Emirates (EFG 34). In addition, for online distribution, the queries were emailed to the cyber victims and were of a similar concept as the written ones. There were three sets of queries: pre-questionnaire, post-questionnaire and post-post-questionnaires which focused on the respondents. Therefore, the respondents were obligated to provide their feedback using five scales: 1 – never true; 2 – usually not true; 3 – somewhat true; 4 – usually true and 5 – always true (EFG 34). Observation Observations were conducted in the legal and financial institutions such as banks so as to attain the ways in which cyber victimizations took place. In addition, observations were conducted to identify whether the various strategies set up were effective in comparison with the demographics on the crime (EFG 29). Furthermore, an observation sheet was used to recognize the materials utilized in determining the crime, task objectives, victim’s role and activities, task audience and the grouping method and the strategies used by the authorities among others. Sampling Strategy In order to have a sample that provides reliability as well as validity, 20 financial institutions, 20 non-governmental organizations, 20 religious organizations and 50 individuals were selected from various economies of the United Arab Emirates (EFG 30). The purpose of sampling is to offer guidance on the circumstances of cyber victimization, the purpose of the offenders as well as the status of the attacks. Results Many communication as well as business activities are occurring online and the threat of cybercrimes are increasing in a daily basis focusing on citizen, governments as well as businesses at an alarming rate (EFG 17). Current statistics have indicated a spectacular increase in the rates of cybercrimes in the United Arab Emirates and commonly targeting emerging markets. The number of cybercrimes in Dubai has indicated a dramatic 88 per cent from the previous year. The department of Dubai Police dealing with cybercrimes reported a total of 1,419 reports in 2016, 792 in 2015 and 588 in 2014 (EFG 20). This has been primarily because of the rapid increase in the number of smartphones usage within the country which have direct access to the internet. This has created a window of opportunity to malicious individuals to take advantage of the situation and solicit innocent individuals. Conclusion To sum up, through the use of Information and Technology, businesses, institutions as well as governments have opened up a gateway for participation of various cybercrimes all over the world. The use of internet has brought people closer to each other than ever before. This in turn has increased the prevalence of such crimes to the masses. In addition, these cybercrimes have resulted to cyber victimization of innocent individuals. The offenders carry out these crimes in a number of ways such as: cyber bullying, cyber harassment, sexting, sexual exploitation, identity theft, cyber-attacks and hacking among others. Due to the ever growing usage of Information and Technology on a daily basis, more and more people as well as institutions and governments are becoming victims to such crimes. The United Arab Emirates is a perfect example of a nation that is experiencing vast cases of cybercrimes. In the UAE, cybercriminals aim mostly at financial institutions such as banks and e-commerce sites for their own financial gains. The rates of cyber victimization in the UAE is continuously growing and has been recorded to be among the leading nations suffering from cyber-attacks after the United Kingdom. In the effort to fight such crimes, boards such as Telecommunication Regulatory Authority have been created to monitor such crimes and simultaneously protect individuals from cybercrimes. Although cybercrimes are hard to identify due to their random occurrences, individuals can also protect their sensitive data from such circumstances by enforcing various security measures which are impenetrable and utilizes a unified system to manifest any form of information that is accessible via the World Wide Web. References EFG, Ajayi. "The Challenges To Enforcement Of Cybercrimes Laws And Policy". IJISC, 4.2 (2015): n. pag. Web. Kerstens, Joyce and Jurjen Jansen. "The Victim–Perpetrator Overlap In Financial Cybercrime: Evidence And Reflection On The Overlap Of Youth’S On-Line Victimization And Perpetration". Deviant Behavior, 37.5 (2016): 585-600. Web. Reyns, Bradford W and Billy Henson. "Security In A Digital World: Understanding And Preventing Cybercrime Victimization". Secur J, 26.4 (2013): 311-314. Web. Read More