Cyber crime

Tahir Ali
The rapid growth of the internet and computer technology over the past few years has led to the growth in new forms of crime-dubbed as cyber crime-throughout the world.
You receive a mail that you’ve won a lottery worth 10 million dollars and out of curiosity and excitement you unwrap it and are disappointed. Then about a couple of weeks later though you did not receive the prize money, receive all sorts of bills that have to be paid. Your mother receives bills for many different things that had been purchased under your account on the internet. She feels very annoyed thinking that your brother or you have purchased all those items. So you call the Company and find that your computer had been hacked into. And the so called hacker purchased  items on behalf of your account number. And you find that the hacker gained entry by a message that you had opened. So you end up paying only a few thousands. Before even you realize you become a victim of so called cyber crime or cyber terrorism that has attacked you from your computer screens and made your lives miserable.
Cyber crime is defined as crimes committed on the internet using computer as a tool and we innocents are the target. There are various forms of cyber crime like Spamming. I am sure all of us have encountered unwanted product advertisements. Piracy is also a serious threat that involves illegal reproduction and distribution of software applications, games, movies and audio CDs which is causing a huge monetary loss to entertainment industry worldwide.
Hacking is also a serious crime by a hacker who is simply a talented computer user who misuses his vast knowledge for unethical purpose. Virus attacks  that say ”I love you” enters our computer and destroys all the computer information pose a serious threat. Computer frauds, thefts and harassments through social networking sites are undoubtedly affecting business and individuals alike.
One should not remain at the receiving end of the threat to their privacy. The fight against cyber crime should start from your home first. Do not reply to any e-mail from unknown source and should immediately report it as spam to the e-mail servers. Safeguard your privacy by not uploading any personal information on social networking sites or providing account details on other such sites. Use of antivirus software can be a great help to fight against such viruses and worms.
Fighting cybercrime requires IT intelligence and knowledge, instead of regular police force investigating crimes committed over the internet, IT experts should be recruited into law enforcement agencies to assist in the fight. At this hour when cyber crime is growing by leaps and bounds with growing technology, the  Government needs to increase strict criminal penalties against computer crimes; all nations should come together and work to harmonize laws against cyber crime internationally; and improve coordination among law enforcement authorities falling under different jurisdictions. Most importantly there should be a responsive 24*7 helpline to tackle the menace. Many cyber crimes go unreported as there is fear of losing the identity of the victim/reporter. Hence all measures should be taken to ensure their confidentiality.
There will always be new and unexpected challenges to overcome  on a regular basis but we can win the battle against this evil if the people and Government go hand in hand. There is much we can do to ensure a safe, secure and trustworthy computing environment. It is crucial not only to our sense of well-being, but also to our national security and economy. All that one needs to do is to stay alert and keep himself updated about various laws and  tools present for his protection.
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