Cybercrime and the Ways We Can Guard

¶ … cybercrime and the ways we can guard against them in the workplace.

Because the inherent nature of the Internet is stateless and borderless, it is an ideal 'location' to facilitate already-illegal operations. "Telecommunications equipment being used to facilitate organised drug trafficking, gambling, prostitution, money laundering, child pornography and trade in weapons "and the general dissemination of offensive materials (Grabosky & Smith 1998). Likewise, identity theft has always occurred but it is rendered much easier by the Internet through techniques such as phishing and spoofing. While piracy and copyright infringement also existed pre-Internet, the Internet has made copies much more easily available and of higher quality. "Digital technology permits perfect reproduction and easy dissemination of print, graphics, sound, and multimedia combinations. The temptation to reproduce copyrighted material for personal use, for sale at a lower price, or indeed, for free distribution, has proven irresistible to many" (Grabosky & Smith 1998). Criminals use the Internet to prey upon persons who are not savvy about sales, investment fraud, or other forms of illegitimate commerce such as 'phishing' for data like credit card numbers and bank numbers via false emails and websites. Money laundering and tax evasion via Internet shell companies is also common.

Another common type of cybercrime is the theft of telecommunications services. "By gaining access to an organisation's telephone switchboard (PBX) individuals or criminal organisations can obtain access to dial-in/dial-out circuits and then make their own calls or sell call time to third parties" (Grabosky & Smith 1998). Interfering with business processes through hacking as a method of extortion, or simply as a prank is also a possibility.

At times, it can feel as if it is impossible to keep up with the rapid changes in technology that make cybercrimes possible. But there are certain, basic procedures every user can take on his or her personal PC or in the workplace. Do not open suspicious emails or download suspicious attachments. Do not respond to requests for credit card numbers or other personal data, even if they allegedly come from a bank or other service provider. Contact the provider via the legitimate website (which will likely say that it will never ask users for personal information via email). Using antivirus protection is necessary, as is encrypting data. And to avoid being an unwitting accomplice to copyright infringement -- if a deal seems too good, it probably is.

Q2. Identify the various cybercrimes that would apply in a business setting. Provide a scenario by way of example that will demonstrate to your colleagues a situation that might occur and explain how it should be managed to protect the business.

Some of the most common forms of cybercrime in business are identity theft of customer information and telecommunications theft. Recently, "members of a transnational telephone hacking scheme…were accused of unauthorized entry into the telephone systems of major U.S. businesses and other entities and of attempting to sell information about these vulnerabilities to Pakistani nationals residing in Italy" (Hayman, Miora, & Forbes 2010). Piracy of privileged or copyrighted data and other types of systems encroachments (such as bringing the entire system down with a virus) are also common business cyber-threats. "The need for protection against cybercrime is great, especially considering the PII [personally identifiable information] and financial transactions which corporations and financial institutions manage on a daily basis… Businesses, particularly those in the financial sector, are facing the challenge of ensuring self-protection within legal bounds that do not drive away their clientele. The balance between customer service and Internet security is delicate." (Hayman, Miora, & Forbes 2010). However, if customer and employee data is not protected, this can cause a fundamental breach of trust.