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What
Everyone Should Know About Cyber Crime
by Nick Messe
The use of computers and the internet has expanded exponentially
over the years. Along with this increased use of the World Wide Web comes a
surge of crimes that are specific to the cyber world and very detrimental to a
society that relies on these computers. Everyone who uses the internet is a
potential victim. In the enforcement of these criminal offenses, it is
imperative to incarcerate the small percentage who are criminal users and to
protect the majority of users who are innocent. There is a broad spectrum of
computer and internet crimes and they are often covered by both state and
federal laws.
Computer offences can be defined as a crime in which a computer, or a
network of computers, are used in the commission of the crime. If an individual
takes advantage of the internet in the commission of a crime, this is sometimes
called a netcrime. The direct victim of a computer crime can either be the
computer, or network, itself. These crimes can victimize something independent
of the network such as a consumer by simply using a computer during the crime.
Crimes that target computers specifically include things such as the
implementation of computer viruses. Another type of this crime is sometimes
referred to as a denial-of-service attack which is aimed at bringing down a
particular network. The introduction of malware to a network is also a direct
attack on a computer. Examples of malware are trojan horses and spyware. These
are forms of unwanted software which infect a computer and are also referred to
as a computer contaminant. Cyber terrorism is a form of this type of crime in
which the perpetrator attempts to bring down a large scale computer network to
interrupt its users and create panic.
Examples of computer crimes with independent victims are cyberstalking,
identity theft, and phishing. Some other common examples that are often
publicized in the media are the distribution of child pornography and hate
propaganda. Cyber terrorism and those distributing hate propaganda are directly
linked because they are often perpetrated by the same organization or
organizations with similar goals.
With such a variety of offenses related to the cyber world, many worry that
they will be subject to prosecution if they wander into an inappropriate website
or inadvertently spread malware. The truth of the matter is that in the majority
of state and federal statutes regulating computer crimes, the laws are written
specifically to target those who indicate that they "knowingly" and/or
"willingly" perpetrated one of these offenses.
The agents who investigate these crimes, along with the prosecutor, carry
the burden of showing that a person had the intent to commit the computer crime.
A knowledgeable criminal lawyer can provide the expertise to defend those who
may find themselves prosecuted for something that they did not have the intent
to commit.
Nick Messe is president of Lead Frog LLC. When you need the help
of an exceptionally experienced and dedicated criminal defense attorney contact
Steven Louth for a free case evaluation. Steven Louth is a
Boulder criminal lawyer who only practices criminal defense law. |
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