Cybercrime classification framework for transnational law enforcement

Cyber Crime

Purpose & Audience

Organization of the Paper

Forms of Online Abuse and Crime

Social and Economic Impact of Online Crimes

Likely Victims of Cyber and Internet Scam

Youth

Elderly People

Financial Institutions

Government, Health Care, and Academic Organizations

The cybercrime classification framework (CCF) will help in making cybercrime language formal and the results of this framework will be consistent within specified jurisdictions & remain consistent around the globe. This type of framework will help the authorities worldwide to better communicate and cooperate between certain jurisdictions. This framework will also enhance compatibility between reporting agencies of international or national cybercrime, which will allow a very true representation of incidence of cybercrime to be accepted and realized throughout the globe.

By using CCF summarized in this article, Stabek et al. identified seven types of scams with 4 key processes of scammer business. This information can use specialized law enforcement agencies and cyber crime and fraud task force in its recognition, tracking and monitoring of cyber crime and contributions to the cyber crime investigation methods, the use of blend.

Victimization in society results from many types of harmful behaviors committed by individuals or groups against other people. Behaviors considered negligent or abusive, or that otherwise are considered criminal in a particular place, often depends on the amount of harm inflicted, the technological means employed, and existing laws that forbid specific activities. Technological means used to commit cyber crimes refers to a combination of networked systems, hardware devices, software tools, and methods that people use on the Internet. (Wall 2007) Modern information technology (it) hardware like computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, and gaming devices can be used offline (in standalone mode), online, or wirelessly, from private or public places, in ways that are not easily recognized as illegal and that transcend more the one geopolitical or legal jurisdiction. In addition, illicit use of computing devices can facilitate many forms of traditional in-person crimes.

Purpose & Audience

The purpose of this article is to identify a cyber-crime classification framework which is necessary these days because of the increasing diversity of the reporting procedures and classifications which are ununiformed. Due to this gap, the authorities are unable to produce valid and reliable decisions. In this article, Stabek et al. has developed a classification framework for cybercrime which will play a vital role in developing transnational, inter-jurisdictional and global approach for identifying, intercepting and prosecuting cyber criminals through valid and reliable proofs.

The objective set for this study was to develop a classification model for detection of various types of scams that prevail in the international online world of cybercrime. Dictionary inconsistencies in the network of crime is often reported as a focal point behind cross-border cooperation and the consistent increase in thin cross-border crime incidents on the network to investigate the cause for failure. This in turn leads to congestion of law enforcement and industry resources.

Methodology adopted by Stabel et al. consists of content analysis of some scam descriptions. A sample of more than 250 scam descriptions was selected by Stabek et al. In which there was 35 scamming categories and around 80 static features which were derived from the sample. Since the sample for this research was too large, Stabek reduced the sample size from 35 categories to 7 scam types having 4 top scamming functions using discriminant function and hierarchical cluster analysis.

Organization of the Paper

This article is divided into 6 parts; motivation, the motivation behind this study was discussed, the report of the analysis, in which a network of crime statistics and crime reporting agencies and networks between the comparative study presented an overview of the method, where in the approach is organized, the results, including a detailed survey results, discussion, and the results are present here, the significance of the research is considered to be a comprehensive discussion, conclusions, in making a final note.

This is a review and analysis of the article titled "The Seven Scam Types: Mapping the Terrain of Cybercrime." In this article, the Stabek et al. has talked about seven different types of scams which the cyber criminals use mostly. The article ends up with development of a classification framework for cybercrime which was applied in the selected samples of scam incidences. Additionally, this article provides some recommendations about the prevention of cybercrimes. Results produced by Stabek et al. have certain ramnifications to the current status of cyber crime classification, scams, research, analysis, etc. This research also offers some practical implications for applications and business processes adopted by cyber criminals and scammers.

Forms of Online Abuse and Crime

Cyber?

crime classification framework (CCF) can be extended to all current and future network into the forms of crime. With the framework can be continuously updated to help ease the rest of the preparation of sector, industry and enterprise of the most advanced information and relevant examples and types of circulating the Internet cyber crime and business goals and individuals.

Every form of online abuse and crime may have from one to many victims, and hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people may be victimized. According to Samual McQuade, categories of cyber scam now include illegal or abusive online activities such as the following:

Cyber negligence by users of information systems who violate recommended or required security policies or sound online practices, thereby exposing their systems, devices, or data to cyber attacks

Traditional in-person crimes by users of computers or other it devices for illicit communications and/or record keeping

Fraud and theft by people who illegally phish, spoof, spim, spam, or otherwise socially engineer people to commit identity theft or gain financially

Computer hacking and password cracking by individuals or groups who crack computer account passwords and unlawfully access information systems or exceed their online system permissions

Writing and releasing malware (i.e., malicious software), including disruptive or destructive viruses, Trojans, worms, and adware/spyware programs as well as illegal massive distributions of email known as spam

Pirating of music, movies, or software using computers and other it devices to violate criminal or civil copyright laws to replicate, distribute, download, sell, or possess software applications, data files, or code

Online harassment and extortion to threaten, intimidate, intentionally embarrass, annoy, coerce or some combination of these which when involving youth is commonly referred to as "cyberbullying"

Cyber stalking, pedophilia, and other cyber sex crimes by online offenders who acquire illegal sexual pleasure by exerting power or control over their victims, including cases of human trafficking for sexual purposes and so-called sex tourism (traveling to have sexual relations with minors) (Rantala 2005)

For example, a group of computer hackers may consist of expert malware code writers who release remotely controlled and/or self-morphing programs onto the Internet where they can be downloaded by unsuspecting users. Results from such an "attack" vary considerably depending on the intent and skill of perpetrators and the potential value of a victim's data. Online theft or destruction of data belonging to a large corporation may be worth millions of dollars, and losses of personal, personnel, or client data can be very traumatic to individual victims, as in cases of identity theft.

Likely Victims of Cyber and Internet Scam

Cyber crimes can directly or indirectly harm anyone. Indeed, everyone who connects to the Internet via unprotected information systems or it devices. The great variety of online Scam methods also means that thousands, even millions of victims, can be harmed anywhere they happen to be connected to the Web while browsing, chatting via instant or text messaging, emailing, blogging and uploading or downloading any form of content (e.g., text, pictures, video, or audio recordings). The greatest potential danger rests on using unprotected systems and it devices, along with having confidential information discovered and used or manipulated for illicit purposes. (McQuade 2006)

Four primary types of victims likely to be targeted by cyber offenders include youth, elderly people, financial institutions, and government, health care, and academic organizations.

Youth

Millions of youth now use computers and it devices to game online, for other social computing purposes, for schoolwork, and to shop. In the process, many "friend" other youth online via personal profiles on Web sites like MySpace and Facebook. They exchange personal information about themselves and their friends and family. If they are not extremely careful, they may be "socially engineered" by online offenders who pretend to be someone they know or betray them later, as when cyberbullies create and spread rumors that cause embarrassment. Youth who are never taught about Internet safety, information security practices, andcyber ethics are especially vulnerable. Many youth do not regularly patch up their operating systems and software applications or backup their valuable data. Combined mobile and social computing abilities along with willingness to share personal information make youth extremely vulnerable to being manipulated and victimized online.

In a major study of more than 40,000 K -- 12 students in 14 New York State school districts, researchers discovered important facts about cyber Scam and victimization experiences of youth, including:

Cyberbullying begins in the second grade when children first report "being mean" to each other online.

Of students surveyed in second and third grades, 35% reported having been exposed within the prior year to online content that made them feel uncomfortable, 13% reported they used the Internet to talk to people they do not know, 11% reported having been asked to describe private things about their body, and 10% reported being exposed to private things about someone else's body.

In fourth through sixth grade, the overall number of youth cyber abuse and crime offenders exceeded the number of youth cyber abuse and cybercrime victims. (Rantala 2005)

Researchers also discovered online promiscuity among seventh- through twelfth-grade students, some of whom reported taking nude photos of themselves or each other and distributing them via the Internet. Youth also reported that they send and receive from each other unwanted pornography and solicitations for sex, and also chat online about things of a sexual nature. By middle school, students are exposed to all known forms of online Scam and abuse and begin to specialize in the types of Scam they commit. This trend continues into high school and college and has serious implications for the policing of high-tech crimes by adults.

Elderly People

People who grew up prior to the widespread use of the Internet (beginning in about 1993) often do not understand the risks being online. Many, though not all, elderly people have limited savvy when it comes to using computers or other types of it devices. As a group, elderly people tend to be very trusting and consequently may be susceptible to being manipulated online. Many older people also have a limited or fixed income, are worried about their health and financial futures, and therefore are more vulnerable to being conned into "get rich" schemes. Conversely, many elderly people are proportionately quite wealthy. In fact, they naturally possess or control most of the most money in society. This combination of factors makes them attractive victims to cyber criminals. (McQuade & Sampat 2008)

Financial Institutions

Banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and other types of financial institutions that manage large amounts of money online are also often targeted for online and Internet crimes. This happens despite the fact that financial institutions employ the best policies, practices, and technology for keeping money safe. Special laws and government regulations specify the kinds of protections they need to have in place. Yet the vast sums of electronic currency and volume of financial transactions processed by banks and similar institutions is so large, in the trillions of dollars each day, that they remain very attractive targets forcyber thieves.

Government, Health Care, and Academic Organizations

These kinds of organizations are responsible for protecting massive amounts of sensitive and personal data.Cyber offenders recognize the value of such data for committing crimes like identity theft. Some offenders will go to great lengths to steal an identity. Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, most government, health care, and academic organizations were unregulated with regard to the provisions for data protection they afforded citizens, patients, and students. Much has changed, with new laws and regulations now requiring organizations to ensure more protections. Mishaps continue to occur with alarming frequency, however, resulting in the personal data of thousands of people being used in various kinds of online crimes. (McQuade 2009)

Summary of Recommendations

In the article "The Seven Scam Types: Mapping the Terrain of Cybercrime" Stabek et al. suggests that the primary strategies that people can use to prevent becoming a victim of cyber and Internet scams include buying computer and telecommunications products and services from reputable firms; regularly patching up operating systems, software applications, and drivers like those that enable printing functions with security updates; and backing up data on storage devices not always connected to a primary computer or other it device as well as automatically to off-site locations. Users should also interact online only with people and organizations they trust and be wary of sharing personal or confidential information. Shredding documents containing personal information, using strong nonalphanumeric passwords (that do not spell a name or word in a dictionary in any language), and not sharing passwords along with changing passwords regularly can also help to prevent cybercrimes.

Since the user-friendly nature of CCF, it can be easily passed from small to large enterprises and industry consistent and effective management and communication cybercrime experience, to the relevant authorities. Individual institutions can be mapped to their existing plans known, country cooperation frameworks and the relevant authorities within the country cooperation framework can be used to further establish clear procedures for prosecution, and the use of country cooperation frameworks, in order to strengthen cross-border cooperation and harmonization of terms.

Many government and nonprofit organizations now provide Internet safety and information security tips for consumers. The OnGuard Online Web site of the U.S. Department of Commerce Federal Trade Commission is a great example. This resource provides cybercrime prevention content for consumers of all ages and for businesses that perform various kinds of online services.

The latest and most ambitious efforts in the United States to prevent cyber and Internet scams and provide victims with counseling, legal, and referral services are now being piloted by the government and within certain state and local government agencies. The implementation of CFF will help the state and federal agencies to access the network of scammers through cooperation and will also encourage fraud and cyber crime statistics useful for the interpretation of web-based event to give a meaningful, accurate and up-to-date assessment of, and finally, described method to improve foreign identification, tracking and monitoring the efficiency of cyber crime.