The Computer Dependent Age

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Now-a-days world became totally dependent on computerized systems by using them in every part of their life from traffic control systems to medical services. Systems on co paradise human lives. The society depends on computer system, therefore has profound human dimension too.

The rapid expansion of large-scale computer networks and the ability to access systems through regular telephone lines increase the vulnerability to these systems. And it also increases the opportunity for misuse or criminal activity.

Security is needed for both external and internal threats.

1.2 History of computer crimes:

It is hard to find when the first crime involving a computer actually took place. Since from the abacus the computer has been in one or the otheir form, which is known to exist in 3500BC in Japan, China, and India.

In 1801, profit motives encouraged Joseph Jacquard, a textile manufacturer in France, to design the forerunner of the computer card. This device allowed the repetition of services of stamps in the weaving of special fabrics. However Jacquard’s employees were committed to discourage further use of new technology.

1.3 Definition of computer crimes:

Experts argued on what exactly constitutes computer crime or a computer related crime. Even after several years there is no internationally recognized definition of these terms. A global definition of computer crime has not been achieved. Computer crime has been defined as "any illegal processing or transmission of data by unauthorized".

Threats come in two categories:

Passive threats.

Active threats.

Passive threats:

This involves monitoring the transmission data of an organization.

Here the goal of the assembler is to obtain information that is being transmitted. Passive threats are difficult to detect because alterations of data is not performed here. These are of two types:

Release of message content.

traffic analysis.

Active threats:

These are some what easy to detect when compared with passive threats as these threats involve in modification of data or the creation of a false stream of data. These are of three types:

Modification.

Denial of message service.

Masquerade.

2. TYPES OF CYBER CRIMES:

2.1 Fraud by computer manipulation:

Changing the time on your computer was a big form of Computer Manipulation and although this has been tackled. 

When a software gave you a trial period to use their software you could easily set back the time and day of your computer to continue using the software. 

And of course the biggest form of Manipulation is Hacking... or virus, which can look like a system file you want, but do something else entirely different like open up a backdoor to your computer.

Computer manipulation refers to the use or manipulation of a computer to perpetrate a crime. Computer manipulation crimes are often referred to as computer fraud crimes.

Fraud by Input Manipulation:

Fraud by input manipulation occurs where false or misleading data are input into a computer to achieve a specific criminal purpose: for example, decreasing the amounts entered into a store inventory database to hide the theft of a product.

Fraud by Output Manipulation:

Fraud by output manipulation occurs where data or software is input into a computer in order to affect what the computer outputs: for example, using a stolen bank account number to make unauthorized withdrawals from an ATM.

2.2 Computer Forgery:

Computer forgery occurs whenever a computer is used to create a fraudulent document or illegally alter an otherwise legal document: for example, using a computer to create a fake identification badge.

The widespread of computer networks is the need for people with common and shared interest to communicate with each other. Information can easily be represented and manipulated in electronic form. To meet the needs of sharing and communicating information, the computers need to be connected which is called data communication network.

2.3 Damage to Data/Programs:

This category of criminal activity involves either direct or search unauthorized access to computer system by introducing new programs known as viruses, worms or logic bombs. The unauthorized modification suppression or erasure of computer data or functions with the Internet to hinder normal functioning of the system is clearly a criminal activity and is commonly referred to as computer sabotage.

VIRUS: (Vital information resources under seize).

A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

WORMS: (Write Once Read Many).

A worm is similar to a virus by design and is considered to be a sub-class of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the capability to travel without any human action. A worm takes advantage of file or information transport features on your system, which is what allows it to travel unaided.

LOGIC BOMB:

Destruction or modification of data at a specific time in the future which involves programming.

2.4 Unauthorized access:

Access to computer system by unauthorized. The desire to gain unauthorized can be prompted by several motives:

From simple curiosity.

To computer sabotage.

International unjustified access by a person not authorized by the owners or operators of a system may often constitute criminal behavior.

Unauthorized access creates the opportunity to cause additional unintended damage to data and system crashes. Accessing is often accomplished from a remote location along a telecommunication network by one of several means. The intruder may be able to take advantage of security measures to gain access or may find loopholes in existing security measures or system procedures. Frequently hackers impersonate legitimate users. This is especially common in systems.

3. PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT COMPUTER HACKING:

Nobody’s data is secure completely safe. But everyone can protect computers against hackers. By using following.

3.1 Firewalls:

A firewall is a protective system that lies, in essence, between your computer network and the Internet. When used correctly, a firewall prevents unauthorized use and access to your network. The job of a firewall is to carefully analyze data entering and exiting the network based on your configuration. It ignores information that comes from an unsecured, unknown or suspicious locations. A firewall plays an important role on any network as it provides a protective barrier against most forms of attack coming from the outside world.

3.2 Password protection:

A password that is difficult to detect by both humans and computer programs, effectively protecting data from unauthorized access. A strong password consists of at least six characters (and the more characters, the stronger the password) that are a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (@, #, $, %, etc.) if allowed. Passwords are typicallycase-sensitive, so a strong password contains letters in both uppercase and lowercase. Strong passwords also do not contain words that can be found in a dictionary or parts of the users own name.

3.3 Viruses:

Virus protection software is designed to prevent viruses, worms and Trojan horses from getting onto a computer as well as remove any malicious software code that has already infected a computer.

Most virus protection utilities now bundle anti-spyware and anti-malware capabilities to go along with anti-virus protection. Internet security suites go a step further by including additional capabilities like anti-spam, anti-phishing, firewall, file protection and PC optimization.

3.4 Encryption:

The translation of data into a secret code. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key or password that enables you to decrypt it. Unencrypted data is called plain text ; encrypted data is referred to as cipher text.

There are two main types of encryption: asymmetric encryption (also calledpublic-key encryption) and symmetric encryption.