As African countries continue to advance in the realm of technology, especially modernizing its institutions, cyber crimes would have to be addressed by each nation’s security apparatus.
This growth of information technology is here to stay and, unfortunately, has introduced a new form of criminality to the criminal justice system.
Cyber crime is on the increase worldwide. While there are international efforts to help stop cyber criminals in their tracks, very little is being done in most African countries to strengthen cyber security. African countries need to create a system aimed at tackling cyber crime.
Cyber crime can be broadly defined as, the destruction of unauthorized or illegal use, modification or copying of information, programs, service, equipment or communication network, whether it be a computer or smartphones. Multiple forms of innovative cyber crimes have emerged.
The purpose of this paper is to enlighten, academics policymakers, and practitioners alike, on the dangers of online activities. This article is intended to help security apparatus in Africa learn how to better protect the public and businesses from victimization, as well as develop policies or programs to prevent cyber crimes.
There will never be another generation that does not have constant access to technology. Portable devices and computers have allowed us to access email, bank accounts, empirical research and so much more instantaneously while riding in a car or walking to our next class.
Along with this easy access to legitimate and legal options is the potential for illegitimate and illegal behaviors online. For example, members of Al-Qaeda can check their Facebook pages while also launching hacking attacks on other social networking websites (e.g. Twitter) to recruit new members and promote terrorist propaganda.
This article will examine how the internet has essentially allowed for an explosion of criminal behaviors and an influx of new offenders in our criminal justice system — this “information highway” we have all become so dependent on.
This article will: (1) summarize the history of cyber crimes, (2) explore the different forms of cyber criminality that have emerged, (3) prosecutorial reluctance, and (4) some strategies to combat fraud.
First, a historical reflection of cyber crimes. The birth of the internet can be traced back to 1962 by J.C.R. Licklider of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T). His idea for a “Galactic Network” entailed an international-connected set of computers that allowed for easy access to information along with his co-worker, Ivan Sutherland. Bob Taylor and Lawrence Roberts at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), He pressed the importance of networking between computers.
In 1964, fellow M.I.T colleague, Leonard Kleinrock, persuaded Roberts that using packets in networking would also produce a more efficient connection. The currently used circuits were only useful for synchronized one-to-one communication.
Parkers allowed multiple computers to exchange information a synchronously as peer independent of each other. Roberts tested this idea by connecting a TX-2 computer in Massachusetts with a Q-32 machine in California using a low-speed-dial-up telephone line.
The internet is not a single network limited to one specific type of information or restricted to the type of user who can access its information. It is not a technology that is limited to top scientist at NASA or undercover agents with the C.I.A. \
It is an intercontinental information highway that had enabled people of all ages to communicate with family and friends with lightning-fast speed, share and collect information, and consent with people and companies thousands of miles from their computer.
A grandmother can catch up on family news and pictures by looking at the Facebook page of her children and grandchildren. Furthermore, while these individuals are catching up, they can pay bills, order new shoes from a retail store.
Second, the emergence of different forms of cyber crimes. This growth of information technology has introduced a new form of criminality to the criminal justice system. Multiple forms of innovative cyber crimes have emerged.
In recent year this type of criminality can include, but is not limited to the laymen’s terms cyber crime can be any form of criminality utilizing the following: digital piracy, identity theft, financial theft, computer hacking, embezzlement, and espionage.
Moreover, cyber crime can also be of a sexual nature and include the production and possession of child pornography, or online communication leading to the sexual victimization of a minor. The internet has allowed our society to take criminality to the next level, and often the offenders are at the advantage rather than law enforcement.
The creation of cyber crime was not an instantaneous act, rather, it was a continuum of development and involved three generations.
The first generation is characterized by the illegal exploitation of mainframe computer and their operating system. Normally, these criminal behaviors are performed for financial gain or to acquire or destroy restricted information.
Wall asserted that even though computers are used in this form of criminality (therefore indicate they are cyber crimes), they are ordinary crimes.
These “low-end” cyber crimes are used for the preparation of a crime, or as a tool for communication and information gathering.
Cyber criminals can research how-to manuals and instructions for committing crimes, such as making methamphetamine or building a pipe bomb. These types of cyber crimes were laying the groundwork for a new level of criminality.
The second generation of cyber crimes are those utilizing network hacking and cracking which is a common form of this generation, as they were a product of early phone “Phreaker” who cracked telephone systems to make free calls.
Although it is difficult to even fathom this today, there was a time when most households had a landline and very few people had cell phones. People had to pay for long distance calls and there wasn’t such a thing as unlimited minutes.
So, these hackers figured out illegal ways to make free telephone calls under the belief of freedom of information and distrust of government, hackers used their knowledge of telephone systems and used the computer to access private information by networked computers.
When the first personal computer became available in the 1980’s, hackers were sharing online information and services could be traded, bought and sold. When Tcp/IP (Transmission control protocol=Tcp & Internet protocol=IP) was accepted as the standard for even more of an opportunity to quickly access information online.
Also, the second-generation cyber crimes are classified as, “hybrid” crimes that fall between traditional and true cyber crime. In other words, these are traditional crimes already in existence, but they have expanded and adapted using the internet. Take the example given above with the hackers.
They essentially stole money from the telephone by figuring out how to make free calls. Their criminality paved the way for hackers to do the same type of crime out of the internet. Only better, faster and with a lesser likelihood of detection.
Investigating and researching these types of crimes is significantly different from crime. involving a physical crime scene. The digital crime scene tape, as it may extend beyond a home, city, state, or even continent.
A digital crime scene includes all involved or infected computers whose locations can branch countries that are far apart. The transitional environment or the internet allowed for traditional crimes to be expanded past the physical crime scene.
Finally, the third generation of cyber crime is identified by the nature of distribution and truly was birthed due to the broadband ability of the internet. These crimes would not be in existence if not for the internet, as that is the only place they can occur.
For example, spam was originally used to victimize offenders by requesting they directly click on a link to provide personal information (later used in some type of identity theft related crime).
Now viruses (which is a form of malware) can be attached to spam by merely opening the email can allow the victim to be infiltrated and exposed without direct contact. This double threat can affect the user in multiple ways, but can be extremely destructive.
Public perception of cyber crime is apparent when we examine the way our legal system and law enforcement has addressed the problem. We need better legislation to prosecute, punish and deter cyber crime offenders and curb the problem before it expands.
There is a relationship between public perception of crime and patterns of daily behavior; fear of crime and expectations of criminals. Victimization affect a person’s behavior, for example, a person may choose not to go out nighttime or drive through certain areas for the fear of victimization.
Regarding internet use, individuals may choose not to make purchases online or utilize online banking for is often used by parents to keep children off adult websites or areas online where they could be victimized by predators. Although past research has indicated that this type of software is not very effective in preventing victimization.
Third, prosecutorial reluctance. Like their enforcement counterparts, prosecutors across the country lack sufficient knowledge and experience to effectively prosecute computer crime. In addition, many do not perceive electronic crime as serious and often grant it the lowest priority.
(As many prosecutors are strongly influenced by the concerns of their constituents, they are reluctant to deviate from the headline-catching case of street crime of the violent crime).
This view is often created or exacerbated by the lack of judicial interest in these types of crime and the lack of training displayed by responding officers. Even those during diction which have granted electronic crime high priority are often thwarted in their efforts by a lack of cooperation in extradition request. The victim’s reluctance to prosecute, the labor-intensive nature of case preparation and/or the lack of resources for offender tracking.
Fourth, some strategies to combat fraud. Every single type of fraud as discussed here resulted in financial impact to the business owners with potentially lasting consequences. The following attributes have helped to protect other business over the years, especially within industrialized nations (More).
- Backups. Ensure backups are regularly paid for, that they are performing without fail, and that they are stored off-site or in the cloud.
- Pay for antivirus. Get the good stuff. For antivirus to be worth anything there needs to be a team of security professionals scouring the Web and creating definitions of different types of malware to be wary of. If you have a well-paid team, you generally end up with better antivirus.
- Pay for both email and spam protection. Having your own email domain generally makes a business seem more professional in the first place, rather than relying on the free spam filter that a free email comes with. If you pay for email and spam protection, you look more professional and receive a spam filter that works better.
- Updates. Always keep your computer up-to-date with the latest version of any program you have on it. If you don’t, it can create security holes.
- Ignore unexpected calls or emails. Never consent to give away information or perform actions if the person called you or if you weren’t expecting their email.
- Have a well-trusted IT company on hand to deal with these issues when they pop up. Paying an IT company to manage these things for you in the first place is probably the safest way to go.
In conclusion, while the Internet is constantly changing arena that has improved lives internationally on a basis hard to conceptualize, it has also improved the ability of offenders to take advantage of victim in a new and innovative way.
The most difficult part of fighting cyber criminals is that they are often one step ahead of law enforcement regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Cyber crimes are using technological means to intimidate, spread rumors/slander, harass, threaten, or otherwise use digital media to abuse someone mentally, emotionally, or verbally.
All African countries must endeavor to counteract these crimes from harming others, because it can happen anytime and spread quickly in ways that can never be undone. Please be safe!
About Author
Jerry M. Bacon, BSc Law Enforcement, Roger Williams University, Bristol Rhode Island, Master of Science: Homeland Security and Administration of Justice in Cyber and U.S. Intelligence, Master of Science: Homeland Security and Administration of Justice in Leadership. [email protected]