The Effects of Cybercrime
When you purchase a home it comes with a door and a lock. You always will make sure that the door/lock exist and that the lock is working properly. If you want you can aim to further secure your home against any threats. You may purchase a new security system, an additional lock or maybe even a pet dog for added safety. Why would you not secure your investment? Would you invite criminals to use your home to commit additional crimes wherever he/she pleases?
When it comes to your PC or Network, you need to ask yourself the following questions.
When it comes to your PC or Network, you need to ask yourself the following questions.
- Would you like to have yourself, organization, corporation or business responsible for cyber-crime, without you knowing?
- Would you like to be prosecuted for something you did not do?
- Would you like to be sued for privacy violations?
- Would you like to be the base of operations for major crime?
- Would you like to become another survey statistics?
- Would you like to loose clients due to lack of public confidence in your Information Technology system?
- Would you like to be the VICTIM?
So how are criminals committing the crimes?
- Wireless networking technology poses the biggest problem, as an unsecured network can be hacked from someone outside using a simple radio antenna, PDA or cell phone.
- Password Crackers (Software designed to decrypt passwords, so they can gain access)
- Network Scanning software that looks for open ports to gain access to a network (software or hardware based)
- Illegitimate Websites (fake URLs), to lure you into giving information over the web or even hack an un-patched (updated) system
- SPAM (used to get email lists to possibly cause more damage)
What are general reasons, for hacking, by cyber-criminals?
- Gathering Trophies (quest to become famous)
- General Mischief
- Financial Gain
- Revenge
- Protest
- Criminal activity
- Identity Theft
- Forging Documents and Messages