Future Cyber Security Crimes - Research Paper Example

A Proposal on Future Cyber Security Crimes Student Name Institutional affiliation Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 A. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 B. Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5 C. Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 D. Research Methods………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 E. Summary of Contributions.…………………………………………………………………………………………………10 References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 Abstract The focus of this research paper is thus on examining the current and newer cyber-crimes that will be used in the future by cyber-criminals; the reasons behind these crimes; impact of these crimes; current and future measures that have been put in place and being tested to possible curb cyber-crimes. The first section of the paper provides a succinct introduction of cybercrimes and provides a definition of the term and purpose of the entire research. The next section provides a literature review section then the research questions and research methods, which is content analysis. Moving forward, the paper provides data collection and analysis used for content analysis; material texts are dated from 1940 and are comprised of journal articles, e-books, periodicals and government websites. The final section provides a summary of the overall contributions made in the paper. A. Introduction The nature of effective criminal investigations today has been a beneficiary of numerous breakthroughs in different aspects of crime profiling. In the early phase of criminal investigations, authorities were restricted with few elements of determining real culprits until the formulation of DNA profiling and use of fingerprints to nab criminals (O’Neill, 1940). DNA profiling was first used in criminal investigations by Professor Jeffreys in 1986 (Kilpatrick, 2010). The DNA technique adopted fingerprinting aspects in order to connect semen stain and samples that were collected from two crime scenes in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. In the United States of America, the use of DNA profiling and fingerprints in crime came about with the invention by Kary Mullis (Scottish Government, 2016). It is important to note that the use of fingerprinting and DNA profiling as a mechanism to conduct criminal investigations was adopted since details of any person’s fingerprints are indeed unique and even identical twins cannot have a similar fingerprint pattern. However, with the emergence of cyber-related crimes in the world, it is ascertained that these cyber criminals continue to devise new ways of making such techniques as DNA profiling and fingerprinting obsolete. Cybercrimes is a violation of criminal law that involves the use of one’s knowledge of computer-based technology for purposes perpetration, investigation and prosecution. of The focus of this research paper is thus on examining the current and newer cyber-crimes that will be used in the future by cyber-criminals; the reasons behind these crimes; impact of these crimes; current and future measures that have been put in place and being tested to possible curb cyber-crimes. B. Literature Review Klaper and Hovy (2014) notes that the immediate history related to cybercrime is documented haphazardly. It is noted that one of the earliest forms of modern cyber-attacks involved the creation of whistles for purposes of making free phone calls. The crime exploited the fact that the early phone systems in the 1970s adopted acoustic control signals, which were in-built devices that were later used to fake possible signals. Going towards the 1980s, financial institutions and more so the banks became the centre stage of these crimes that were mostly conducted by insiders with the help of self-replicating programs known as the worms. In the course of the 1990s, the emergence and fast-distribution of the internet resulted to an accelerated increase in the level of cybercrime. During this phase, cyber-criminals engaged intensively in the hacking of military services while the public users were a target of numerous viruses. A perfect example was the development of a malware known as Trojan horses that facilitated hacking of computers in remote access centres (James, 2009). In fact, it is also during this phase that there were a number of tools that were formulated for the purpose of enlightening people with little or no knowledge of hacking to learn the intrusion process hence attack others. In the period starting 2000, the cyber-crime related attacks were now diverse in nature and raged from key-logging passwords for identity theft to aspects related to industrial and military espionages that highly involved attacks made against large corporate websites. In the period starting later 2010 to present day, the attacks developed with the aid of script injections as well as cross site scripting for purposes of injecting malicious and damaging content into legitimate corporate websites (Schjolberg, 2014). The use of botnets made it harder to access this websites by different users positioned in different parts of the world. Schjolberg (2014) further notes that it is also during this phase that there was the emergence of such anonymisation software tools as Tor and Silk-Road platforms that ensured to offer all manners of criminal services and, also these cyber-attacks became a great deal of political propaganda like the infamous Wiki-leaks. Khadam (2012) identifies a great deal of ways cyber-related crimes impact the world today especially since it direct affects the greater aspect of social life of human beings as a whole. In regard to the economic impact, it is argued that it results from attacks directed towards the damaging of both public and private-set entities. Research indicates that companies have come under great level of threat as a result of hacking of client’s information thereby loosing customer trust privileges. In the commercial sector as a whole, Wall (2010) notes that most cyber-related breaches are not reported to relevant authorities for fear of defamation in the event that a security problem is exposed to its immediate rivals. Banking institutions have come in a face-to-face with this level of impacts and would rather refuse to report intrusion as opposed to reporting to police authorities thereafter causing a public chaos and panic. In essence, the criminal activity results to social impacts especially in poor and developing markets across the globe. Research indicates that the process involved with the handling, prosecution and investigation process might prove to be a challenging activity first because it is expensive and secondly because it requires lots of professional technological expertise (Brenner, 2002). Thus, engaging in the process of investigating this activity might result to these poor markets to divert resources from socially- beneficial activities thereby overlooking aspects related to growth and basic service-provision. Interestingly, studies have shown that these developing economies might thus restrict their activities from technological advancements due to the fear of possible cyber threats and insecurity and as a result, miss the opportunity to trigger social networking amongst people; a factor that possess the capability to hinder social networking amongst citizens. There has been a negative perception by the youth in relation to viewing white collar jobs as being a means to good life while failing to ascertain the degree of damage this has on their overall social life. There is also the aspect of political impacts that relates to cyber-crime activities. Numerous studies show that the politically-motivated cyber-crimes have continued to increase since the early 1980s as government-based computer networks become a target of extensive attacks (Yar, 2005). Due to these attacks, it is established that there would always be a decrease in the level of investments made to small economies through FDI. Notwithstanding, the great popularity of white-collar criminal jobs has resulted to a certain increase in the level of possible funding that are directed towards development and strengthening of wars and rebellions against governments (Yar, 2005). In essence, the activity related to the hacking of numerous government-based websites as well as political party websites has ensured to dethrone and expose extensive rots happening in some countries, which affects the political stability of these areas as a whole. The current cyber-related crimes are mainly in form of hacking and cyber terrorists. Hackers have continued to feature in numerous stories across the globe by way of gaining unauthorised access to computer systems and platforms. The activity has continued to be a conventional way of targeting the media with an overall standard approach being to present specific images or even insidious level of threats (Furnell & Warren, 1999). Modern hacking is a cybercrime activity that thrives on numerous set of motivations that include; financial gains; revenge and ideological perception or even plain mischief. Notably, hacking has grown to involve the altering of data or even service provision thereby affecting the level of integrity in such areas as modification of medical records; monitoring of telecommunication services as well as activities related to breaching of military systems (Furnell & Warren, 1999). Cyber terrorists is another form of cybercrime that has been used for purposes of furthering terror threats that motivated by political or even ideological agendas for purposes of supporting their immediate level of actions. In the future of cybercrime, the reorganisation of criminal labour through network technology is going to assume a centre stage as most of the drivers or rather ways of conducting these crimes will greatly change. Research indicates that there would be empowered single agents that would enjoy an international outreach and total control over most aspects (Furnell & Warren, 1999). There will be new form of flat criminal organisations that would appear within the online setting for purposes of intruding online business practices. In fact, as a result of this new development, the relationship that exists between the offender and victim will now be brokered by a set of extensive affiliates. Of particular interest to note, there is expected to be easier ways of having online access to new specialist skills and especially through crime-ware as a distinct service. According to Wall (2008), the once scarce level of skills and expertise that was previously a preserve of the technological elites would not be available within the online platform. Studies indicates that malicious software that are currently simple in nature will be sophisticated since it will encompass a great deal of blended threats; such as a mixture of worms, viruses, Trojan horses and malicious codes that would exploit servers and internet-based vulnerabilities for purposes of initiating, transmitting and spreading possible attacks. Furnell and Warren (1999) identifies different sets of responses that relate to the current and future measures aimed at tackling the vice altogether. These efforts are discussed as follows; first, there is the element of policing and law that operates under a perspective of political strategies and certain laws related to cyber security (Klaper & Hovy, 2014). The advent of the internet resulted to a challenge of imposing restrictions on persons within a particular physical boundary thereby posing the need for comprehensible cyber-security policies. However, such governments as the US and UK have managed to come up with effective and relevant cyber-security laws and policies that protect possible intrusion of their data platforms. Figure provides a framework put in place by UK authorities to oversee cyber security related crimes. In addition to this, there has been extensive degree of education offered for purposes of enlightening people on the need for protection against cyber security as well as education of the general users under such initiatives as National Initiative for Cyber security Education(NICE) (Klaper & Hovy, 2014). In future, awareness efforts that would focus on expanding initiatives and tools will be intensified so that the entire population will be aware of different tools to adopt to improve protection of cyber security infrastructure as a whole. Figure 1: C. Research Questions What is the history behind cyber security in relation to criminal investigations? What are some of the impacts that have been brought about as a result of cybercrimes? How has cybercrimes changed over the years? What are some of the possible remedies that have been devised to tackle the issue related to cybercrime now and in the future? D. Research Methods Given the fact that this research study seeks to ascertain human behaviour and specifically so, why they engage in cyber-related crimes, it focuses more on qualitative research method; content analysis. The study has adopted a set of journal articles; government websites; periodicals and mere university informational websites to gather information related to cybercrimes; its early development to the current state. Content analysis is a research technique that adopts empirical and methodological controlled analysis of texts in relation to the specific context for which they provide information (Mayring, 2000). E. Data Collection & Analysis In collecting the informational data used in this study, I have relied more on journal articles; e-books and some government-based websites. The collection period for this material resource is between 1940 and the present time. I resorted to using different academic databases to retrieve resourceful journal articles as well as e-books like EBSCOhost and Google Scholar, which possess a diverse range of material texts for the analysis. F. Summary of Contributions The research paper has successfully noted that the period after the launching of the internet provided a viable and resourceful platform for increase in cyber-related crimes. In the beginning these crimes were merely for gaining popularity and hacking telephone services; however; now the motivation behind it rests with financial gain; political and ideological differences as well as for purposes of satisfying individual ego. There have current policies and laws; education initiatives as well as awareness efforts meant to ensure that the larger public have knowledge on protecting their cyber space. In the future, the development of cybercrimes is set to focus on creating different crime-wares that would integrate crime groups appearing online for different purposes altogether. References Brenner, S. W. (2002). Organized cybercrime-how cyberspace may affect the structure of criminal relationships. NCJL & Tech, 4, 1. Furnell, S. M., & Warren, M. J. (1999). Computer hacking and cyber terrorism: The real threats in the new millennium? Computers & Security, 18(1), 28-34. James, R. (2009). A Brief history of cybercrime. Retrieved from Time USA: http://www.time.coom/time/nation/article/0, 8599(1902073), 00. Kilpatrick, R. (2010). East Midland Forensic Pathology Unit; History of DNA Profiling. University of Leicester. Accessed from http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/emfpu/genetics/explained/profiling-history Khadam, N. (2012). Insight to Cybercrime. Justice YatindraSingh. Klaper, D., & Hovy, E. (2014). Taxonomy and a knowledge portal for cyber security. In Proceedings of the 15th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (pp. 79-85). ACM. Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative Content Analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 1(2). Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1089/2385 O’Neill, M, E. (1940). Fingerprints in Criminal Investigations. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 30(6). 929. Scottish Government. (2016). The Role of DNA and Fingerprints in Investigations. Accessed from http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/law/dna-forensics/dnaandfingerprinting/dnaroleininvestigations Schjolberg, S. (2014). The History of Cybercrime: 1976-2014. BoD–Books on Demand. Wall, D. S. (2010). Criminalising cyberspace: The rise of the Internet as a’crime problem’. Handbook of Internet Crime, 88-102. Wall, D.S (2008). Cybercrime and the Culture of Fear: Social Science Fiction and the Production of Knowledge about Cybercrime. Information communications and Society, 11(6), 861-884 Yar, M. (2005). The Novelty of ‘Cybercrime’ An Assessment in Light of Routine Activity Theory. European Journal of Criminology, 2(4), 407-427. Read More