Introduction To Cyber Crime

The Internet was born around the 1960s of the 1980s where its access was limited to only a few scientists, researchers and defence. Internet user base has developed rapidly. Initially, computer crime was limited to physical damage to computer and related infrastructure only. Around the 1980s, the trend changed from physical damage to the computer, to produce a malfunction in the computer using a malicious code called virus. Till then its impact was not so widespread as the Internet was limited to defence installations, large international companies and research communities only. When the Internet was launched to the public in 1996, it immediately became popular among the general public and they gradually became dependent on the extent that it changed their lifestyle. GUIs were so well written that the user does not have to worry about how the Internet was working. They just have to click on the hibern link or type the desired information at the desired location, without worrying where this data is stored and how it is sent to the Internet or whether the data can be accessed by any other person associated with the Internet or whether the data packet sent to the Internet can be smelled and controlled.

The focus of computer crime was shifted to the financial offense from dismissing or manipulating data for individual benefits or manipulating data for personal benefits. These computer attacks are growing rapidly. Every second, about 25 computer is victims of cyber attacks and by 2013, about 800 million people are affected by it. CERT-India has reported about 307371 Indian websites being hacked between 2011-2013. It is also estimated that cyber crime causes a loss of about 160 million dollars per year.

According to the 2013-14 report of the Standing Committee on Information Technology to 15th Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, India is the third largest number of Internet users worldwide with an estimated 100 million Internet users and this number is increasing rapidly. There are about 22 million broadband connections in India so far, which are operated by around 134 major Internet service providers (ISPs).

Before further discussing this matter, tell us what is cyber crime? The term cyber crime is used to describe an illegal activity, in which computer or computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc., which are alone or part of the network, are used as criminal activity tools or/and targets. This is often done for revenge, greed or adventure by people with disastrous and criminal mentality.

Classification of cyber crimes

Cyber criminals may be internal or external of an organization facing cyber attack. Based on this fact, cyber crime can be classified into two types:

Inner attack: The attack on network or computer system by someone with authorized system access is called internal attack. This is usually done by dissatisfied or unhappy internal employees or contractors. The purpose of internal attack may be changed or greed. Cyber attack is comparatively easy for an internal person because he is well aware of the security system policies, procedures, IT architecture and well -being. In addition, the attacker has access to the network. Therefore, stealing sensitive information for an internal attacker, crashing the network etc. is comparatively easy. In most cases the cause of internal attack is when an employee is fired or new roles are assigned to the organization, and this role is not reflected in IT policies. This opens the Varneability window for the attacker. The internal attack can be prevented by planning and installing the internal infiltration system (IDS) in the organization.
External attack: When the attacker is hired by an inner person or external organization of the organization, it is called an external attack. The organization that is victims of cyber attack not only suffers financial loss but also loss of reputation. Since the attacker is outside the organization, these attackers usually scan and collect information. An expressed network/safety administrator regularly monitors the logs generated by Firewall, as external attacks can be detected by carefully analyzing these firewall logs. In addition, infiltration detection systems have also been installed to monitor external attacks.

Cyber attacks can also be classified as structure attacks and unnecessary attacks depending on the level of maturity of the attacker. Some authors have classified these attacks as external attacks, but such cases are preferred when the structured attack is carried out by an internal employee. This happens in a situation when the competitive company wants to know the future strategy of an organization at some points. The attacker can get access to the company as an employee strategically and reach the required information.

Unreasonable attacks: These attacks are generally carried out by amateur people who have no predetermined objective to carry out cyber attacks. Usually these amateur people try to test the tool easily available on the Internet on a random company network.
Structure attack: This type of attacks are carried out by highly skilled and experienced people and the purpose of these attacks is clear in their minds. They have access to sophisticated equipment and technologies, allowing them to get access to other networks without being seen in their infiltration system (IDS). In addition, these attackers have the necessary expertise to develop or modify existing equipment to fulfill their purpose. These types of attacks are usually carried out by politicians, rival people or by politicians, terrorists, rival companies, etc. to harm the image of the country, on other rival countries, on other rival countries, on other rival countries.

Cyber offense has become a low investment, low -risk business, which gets heavy returns. Nowadays these structured crimes are committed in a very organized manner. Like formal organizations, here is also an ideal hierarchical organizational system and some of them have reached equal levels of developed countries. They are targeting large financial organizations, defence and nuclear installations and are also engaged in the drug trade online.

The role of all people in hierarchy changes and it is based on opportunity. If a hacker who has hacked a sessive data from an organization can use it to financially exploit the organization itself. If the hacker himself has technical expertise for this, he will do so himself, otherwise he can find a buyer who is interested in that data and has technical expertise. Some cyber criminals provide on-demand and service. The individual, organization or country can contact these cyber criminals to hack an organization to achieve access to a sensitive data, or attack their competitors to attack a large scale -service. Based on the customer’s demand, hackers write malware, viruses etc. to their needs. The organization affected by cyber attack not only face financial loss, but its reputation is also adversely affected, and the competitive organization will definitely benefit from it.

Causing cyber crime

There are many reasons that act as catalysts in the growth of cyber crime. Some of the major reasons for this are as follows:

Money: People are motivated to commit cyber crime to earn quick and easy money.
Revenge: Some people try to take revenge on any other person/organization/society/caste or religion by defaming or causing economic or physical damage. It falls under the category of cyber terrorism.
Entertainment: Amateur people commit cyber crime for entertainment. They just want to test the latest tool that came in front of them.
Recognition: If a person hacks highly secure networks such as defense sites or networks, it is considered proud.
Annomination: Aon-oblivion sometimes provided by cyber space inspires the person to commit cyber crime because it is very easy to commit cyber crime on cyber space and to be anonymous compared to the real world. It is much easier to escape criminal activities in the cyber world than the real world. Here the spirit of oblivion prevails, which may otherwise inspire respected citizens to abandon their morality for personal gains.
Cyber spying: Sometimes the government itself is involved in cyber encroachment to monitor other individuals/networks/country. The reason for this may be politically, economic and socially motivated.

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