Topic outline
- Introduction
Introduction
Course name: Legal And Ethical Aspects Of Computing
Course code: MIS7105
Course level: Year 1, Semester 1
Course credit unit: 4
Contact Hours 60
The course provides awareness of the legal, social, ethical, professional and contemporary issues commensurate with the practice of a computing career.
Course Objectives
Students will learn to:
- Identify and analyze statutory, regulatory, constitutional, and organizational laws that affect the information technology professional.
- Locate and apply case law and common law to current legal dilemmas in the technology field.
- Apply diverse viewpoints to ethical dilemmas in the information technology field and recommend appropriate actions.
- Distinguish enforceable contracts from non-enforceable contracts.
- Demonstrate leadership and teamwork.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, the student should be able to:
- Students identify and analyze statutory, regulatory, constitutional, and organizational laws that affect the information technology professional.
- Students locate and apply case law and common law to current legal dilemmas in the technology field.
- Students apply diverse viewpoints to ethical dilemmas in the information technology field and recommend appropriate actions.
- Students distinguish enforceable contracts from non-enforceable contracts.
- Students demonstrate leadership and teamwork.
Reading Materials
1. Bynum, Rogerson .(2003). Computer ethics and professional responsibility.
2. Hermann, T. Tavani (2007). Ethics and Technology. Professional issues in an Age of Information and Communication
Technology.
3. Himanen, Torvalds, Castells (2001). The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of Information Age.
4. Bertrand Meyer, “Ethics of free Software”, Software Development, March 2000 3.
5. Mark Boal, “Being Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg”, RD-June2005 4. Santhosh Patel, “Virtual Information and Intellectual Freedom” Authorspress, 2003.
6. ED Shanahan, “ID Thieves’ new tricks”, RD- July 2007, 168-173
7. Justine Johnstone, “Technology as empowerment: a capability approach to computer ethics”,
8. Ethics and Information Technology, 2007, 9:73-87
9. G. Marckmann, KW Goodman, “Ethics of IT in health care”, IRIE, Vol.5, 2006 8. S. Patnaik, Information Technology,
Dhanpat Rai & Co Pvt. Ltd, 2001
Lecturer: Prof. ZakeMobile/ WhatsApp: +256 788485 749email: tebiggwawo@gmail.com- General news and announcements
Contents of the course.
- Lectures
- Assessments
Assessments
Contrast the ethical viewpoints in your own words. How do these differ from the ethics in your culture?
Search and find ONE statutory law in Uganda that relates to computers. State the law and explain with an example where it could be applied.
- Applied Ethics
Applied Ethics
What ethics is and is not
Explore differences between laws and ethics
Ethical viewpoints
Virtue (deontology)
Utilitarianism
Natural Rights
Fairness (Justice)
Common good
Deontology is a type of ethical theory that focuses on the rules and duties of moral actions12. Deontological theories are based on the idea that some actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of their consequences1. Examples of deontological ethical theories include312:
· Divine Command, which derives moral obligations from a god.
· Duty Theories, which follow a given list of duties and obligations.
· Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, and Fairness, which are some of the common moral rules in deontology.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines what we morally ought to do based on the consequences of our actions for the greatest good of the greatest number1. There are two types of utilitarianism: act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism23. Examples of utilitarianism in real-life include1423:
· Redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor
· Mandatory vaccination and curfews during epidemics
· The trolley problem and organ donation dilemmas
· Tiered pricing for different types of customers
· Approving drugs with side effects
Altruism is the act of doing something to help others without expecting anything in return123.Some examples of altruism in real life include123:
· Volunteering in a dog shelter or for the needy ones
· Joining the Peace Corps or other humanitarian organizations
· Donating a kidney or blood to save someone's life
· Helping the elderly or the strangers in need
· Donating old clothes, food, or money to the poor or the charities
Natural Theory
These include liberty of persons as opposed to enslavement, freedom from cruelty, freedom from arbitrary execution, from arbitrary imprisonment, and from arbitrary deprivation of property or livelihood, freedom of religion, and freedom of inquiry and expression.
Ethical decision making process
An overview of morals and ethics.
- Uganda and International Legal Systems
Uganda and International Legal Systems
The law is the system of rules and regulations by which society functions efficiently and harmoniously. The legal system protects the rights and responsibilities of both individuals and groups, and ensures social and economic interactions are conducted smoothly and peacefully. Essentially, laws serve as the primary mediator of relations between people.
Every state and country has its own legal system. There are many different branches of law including corporate law, property and taxation law through to media, environmental health and international law. All types of law have far-reaching effects and help to shape politics, economics and society in numerous ways.
1. Types of Law
https://lawbhoomi.com/seven-types-of-laws/
Law is a complex and multifaceted field that encompasses various branches and categories.
The legal system encompasses seven primary types of law that form the basis for our understanding and application of justice:
Constitution (the supreme body of law); Statutory law; Common or case law; Civil law; Criminal law; Equity law; and Administrative law.
Constitution Law
At the pinnacle of legal systems, constitutional law establishes the fundamental principles and rules that govern a nation or state. It defines the powers and limitations of different branches of government, safeguards individual rights and sets the framework for the legal system. A constitution serves as the supreme body of law, providing a foundation for all other laws within a jurisdiction.
Statutory Law
Statutory law, also known as legislative law, comprises written laws passed by legislative bodies such as parliaments or congresses. These laws are enacted to regulate society and cover a wide range of areas, including criminal offences, business regulations, tax laws and more. Statutory laws are codified and are binding upon all citizens within the jurisdiction.
Common or Case Law
Common law, also referred to as case law, is derived from judicial decisions made by courts and tribunals. It is based on precedents established through prior court rulings, which become binding on future cases with similar facts. Common law systems rely heavily on the principle of stare decisis, which means that courts adhere to previous decisions when deciding current cases. This type of law is prevalent in countries with a legal system rooted in English traditions, such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
Civil Law
Civil law governs the relationships and disputes between individuals or entities that do not involve criminal offences. It encompasses private matters, including contracts, property, family law, torts and more. Civil law is codified and relies on a comprehensive set of statutes, regulations and codes that outline the rights and obligations of the parties involved. In civil cases, the aim is to provide compensation or remedies to the affected parties rather than impose criminal sanctions.
Criminal Law
Criminal law deals with offences against society as a whole and establishes punishments for individuals who violate established laws. It encompasses crimes such as theft, assault, murder, fraud and other acts that are deemed harmful to public order and safety. Prosecution occurs when the state charges an individual or entity with a crime and if found guilty, the offender may face penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.
Equity Law
Equity law operates alongside common law and aims to provide fairness and justice in cases where the application of strict legal rules may lead to unjust outcomes. Equitable remedies, such as injunctions, specific performance and constructive trusts, are issued by courts to prevent harm, enforce rights or provide remedies when monetary compensation is insufficient. Equity law is based on principles of fairness, conscience and the discretion of judges.
Administrative Law
Administrative law governs the actions and operations of administrative agencies, departments and other governmental bodies. It regulates the relationship between citizens and the state, ensuring that government actions are lawful, fair and transparent. Administrative law covers areas such as immigration, taxation, licensing, environmental regulations and social security. It provides a framework for the exercise of public power and allows individuals to challenge administrative decisions through judicial review.
In UgandaThe statutory law, common law, doctrines of equity and customary law are applicable in Ugandan legal system. All these laws are stipulated by their Judicature act. The constitution is the superior law over all other laws in Uganda.English legal system and laws are predominant in Uganda as it was governed by England for a long time. The legal system is mainly on English common law and African customary law. But customary law will be effective when it does not conflict with statutory law. So the statutory law, common law, doctrines of equity and customary law are applicable in Ugandan legal system. All these laws are stipulated by their Judicature act.
The constitution is the superior law over all other laws in Uganda. No other law will be taken in consideration which conflict the constitution. Since its independence, Uganda has adopted three constitutions known as 1962 constitution, 1967 constitution and 1995 constitution. However a revise of constitution was done in 2005. The other written laws are available in the national Gazette.
In Uganda, the highest court is the Supreme Court of Uganda which is supported by high court and magistrate court. High court deals with murder, treason, rape and other crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment whereas magistrate court deals with crimes punishable by fines, whipping or shorter terms of imprisonment. There is an appeal division to appeal against these decisions. Enforcement of these laws are been looked after by the police council in Uganda.
Conclusion
Understanding the seven types of law is essential to grasp the intricacies of the legal system. From constitutional law, which lays the foundation for all other laws, to administrative law, which governs governmental actions, each type plays a unique role in upholding justice and maintaining order in society. By familiarising ourselves with these types of law, we can navigate legal matters more effectively and appreciate the complexities of the legal profession.
Refer: https://libguides.library.cqu.edu.au/c.php?g=760881&p=54562212. How a common law system works
The simplest definition for common law is that it's a “body of law” based on court decisions rather than codes or statutes. Related to common law: case law, non-statutory law, and precedent. In law, common law is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions.
The defining characteristic of common law is that it arises as precedent. Common law courts look to the past decisions of courts to synthesize the legal principles of past cases. Stare decisis, the principle that cases should be decided according to consistent principled rules so that similar facts will yield similar results, lies at the heart of all common law systems. If a court finds that a similar dispute to the present one has been resolved in the past, the court is generally bound to follow the reasoning used in the prior decision. If, however, the court finds that the current dispute is fundamentally distinct from all previous cases (a "matter of first impression"), and legislative statutes are either silent or ambiguous on the question, judges have the authority and duty to resolve the issue. The opinion that a common law judge gives agglomerates with past decisions as precedent to bind future judges and litigants.
The common law, so named because it was "common" to all the king's courts across England, originated in the practices of the courts of the English kings in the centuries following the Norman Conquest in 1066. The British Empire later spread the English legal system to its colonies, many of which retain the common law system today. These common law systems are legal systems that give great weight to judicial precedent, and to the style of reasoning inherited from the English legal system.
The term "common law", referring to the body of law made by the judiciary, is often distinguished from statutory law and regulations, which are laws adopted by the legislature and executive respectively. In legal systems that follow the common law, judicial precedent stands in contrast to and on equal footing with statutes. The other major legal system used by countries is the civil law, which codifies its legal principles into legal codes and does not treat judicial opinions as binding.
Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_lawIn UgandaAs a former protectorate of the United Kingdom, Uganda's legal system is based on English common law. The Ugandan judiciary is an independent branch of government and includes a Constitutional Court and a High Court.3. Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction means both the authority or power of the court to determine a dispute between parties as well as the territory over which the legal authority.
Britannica
Jurisdiction, in law, the authority of a court to hear and determine cases. This authority is constitutionally based. Examples of judicial jurisdiction are: appellate jurisdiction, in which a superior court has power to correct legal errors made in a lower court; concurrent jurisdiction, in which a suit might be brought to any of two or more courts; and federal jurisdiction (as opposed, for example, to state jurisdiction). A court may also have authority to operate within a certain territory. Summary jurisdiction, in which a magistrate or judge has power to conduct proceedings resulting in a conviction without jury trial, is limited in the U.S. to petty offenses.
i. Jurisdiction in Uganda
The mandate of the Judiciary as enshrined in Article 126(1) of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda states that “Judicial power is derived from the people and shall be exercised by the courts established under this constitution in the name of the people and in conformity with law and with the values, norms and aspiration of the people”. In addition, Article 128(1) states that; “In the exercise of judicial power, the courts shall be independent and shall not be subject to the control or direction of any person or authority”.
ii. International jurisdiction
Jurisdiction concerns the power of the state under international law to regulate or otherwise impact upon people, property and circumstances and reflects the basic principles of state sovereignty, equality of states and non-interference in domestic affairs. Jurisdiction is a vital and indeed central feature of state sovereignty, for it is an exercise of authority which may alter or create or terminate legal relationships and obligations. It may be achieved by means of legislative, executive or judicial action. In each case, the recognised authorities of the state as determined by the legal system of that state perform certain functions permitted them which affect the life around them in various ways. In the UK, Parliament passes binding statutes, the courts make binding decisions and the administrative machinery of government has the power and jurisdiction (or legal authority) to enforce the rules of law. It is particularly necessary to distinguish between the capacity to make law, whether by legislative or executive or judicial action (prescriptive jurisdiction or the jurisdiction to prescribe) and the capacity to ensure compliance with such law whether by executive action or through the courts (enforcement jurisdiction or the jurisdiction to enforce). Jurisdiction, although primarily territorial, may be based on other grounds, for example nationality, while enforcement is restricted by territorial factors.
To give an instance, if a man kills somebody in Britain and then manages to reach the Netherlands, the British courts have jurisdiction to try him, but they cannot enforce it by sending officers to the Netherlands to apprehend him.
iii. Jurisdictional complications in the IT fields and procedures for digital media
The concepts of the jurisdiction in cyberspace are centered around the authority and power of governments to regulate activities, transactions, and data that occur on the Internet. There are generally two types of jurisdiction; territorial jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction in cyberspace is a complex and pressing issue due to the widespread use of the Internet and other digital technologies. It arises from the challenges associated with regulating and enforcing laws in a space transcending geographical, physical, and political borders. The jurisdictional questions raised in cyberspace are varied, ranging from jurisdiction over data and information to the power to regulate online activity and enforce laws. In this essay, we will examine the concepts and issues related to jurisdiction in cyberspace.
Most nations today follow one of two major legal traditions: common law or civil law. The common law tradition emerged in England during the Middle Ages and was applied within British colonies across continents. The civil law tradition developed in continental Europe at the same time and was applied in the colonies of European imperial powers such as Spain and Portugal. Civil law was also adopted in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by countries formerly possessing distinctive legal traditions, such as Russia and Japan, that sought to reform their legal systems in order to
gain economic and political power comparable to that of Western European nation-states.Ugandan Judiciary system.
The 1995 Constitution established Uganda as a republic with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The three branches operate as follow:
The Executive branch Cabinet. The Executive branch is headed by the President who is assisted by the Vice President, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers.
The roles and powers of each of the Government arms are enshrined and spelt out in the Uganda Constitution 1995.
Student's essay.
Jurisdiction in cyberspace is a complex and pressing issue due to the widespread use of the Internet and other digital technologies. It arises from the challenges associated with regulating and enforcing laws in a space transcending geographical, physical, and political borders. The jurisdictional questions raised in cyberspace are varied, ranging from jurisdiction over data and information to the power to regulate online activity and enforce laws. In this essay, we will examine the concepts and issues related to jurisdiction in cyberspace.
- Cyberspace Privacy Laws and Issues
Cyberspace Privacy Laws and Issues
1. Child Protection Laws
PROTECTING CHILDREN IN CYBERSPACE - https://www.itu.int/itunews/manager/display.asp?lang=en&year=2009&issue=04&ipage=06&ext=html
Child Online Protection initiative (https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/COP/COP.aspx)
The COP initiative is in line with ITU’s mandate to establish the foundations of a safe and secure Internet for future generations.(The International Telecommunication Union [ITU] is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.
The need for COP is clear. A decade ago, there were just 182 million people using the Internet globally — and almost all of them lived in the developed world. By early 2009, however, there were over 1.5 billion Internet users worldwide, and more than 400 million of them had access to broadband.
The Internet is a growing common resource — vastly increasing the opportunities but also the dangers online, especially for children.
COP aims to tackle cybersecurity by addressing legal, technical, organizational and procedural issues, as well as capacity building and international cooperation. Its key objectives are to identify the risks to children in cyberspace and improve awareness of the dangers, as well as to develop practical tools to help minimize risks and share knowledge and experience in applying them. The COP website acts as a repository of links to many useful resources in this area.
A call for action
Marking this year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, ITU issued a call to all policy-makers, regulators, operators and manufacturers in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. They were asked “to promote the adoption of policies and strategies that will protect children in cyberspace and promote their safe access to online resources.” This will not only lead to the building of a more inclusive information society, but will also help countries to meet their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in November 1989.
All stakeholders, and particularly ITU Member States, were called on to:- Create public awareness of the issues related to protecting children in cyberspace; to identify policies, tools and resources for use in their countries, and to participate in relevant ITU events in order to share experience and best practice.
- Support ongoing work aimed at developing guidelines for policy-makers and regulators on protecting children online.
- Identify risks to children in cyberspace as the Internet continues to expand.
- Build resource repositories for common use.
- Promote capacity building aimed at strengthening the global response to threats against children as they venture into cyberspace.
Partners’ programmes
Under the COP umbrella, ITU is already working with a wide range of organizations in the public and private sectors. These organizations have a variety of programmes for improving the safety of children and teenagers online, of which the following are just a few examples.
INTERPOL coordinates police investigations
INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 187 member countries. Based in Lyon, France, it facilitates cross-border cooperation among police forces, and supports efforts to prevent and combat international crime. One of the most serious of such crimes is the sexual exploitation of children, and the Internet is increasingly being used by perpetrators. INTERPOL estimates that there are up 10 000 to 20 000 child victims of sexual abuse whose images are available online.
The organization is able to use its unique position in the international law enforcement community to coordinate investigations, and to analyse information and intelligence. It also manages the INTERPOL Child Abuse Image Database (ICAID), which is one of the main tools for helping police fight child sexual exploitation on the Internet. ICAID contains more than half-a-million images, including video recordings of brutal assaults. So far, the database has helped police to identify and rescue almost 600 victims from 31 countries. It also provides a mechanism for alerting authorities when new images of sexual abuse are found.ITU’s continuing work
At the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), ITU was entrusted by leaders of the international community with Action Line C5: “building confidence and security in the use of ICT”. An outcome of WSIS, the Tunis Commitment of 2005 recognized the role of ICT in the protection of children and in enhancing their development, as well as the need to “strengthen action to protect children from abuse and defend their rights in the context of ICT”.
ITU will continue to pursue this important work as an area of priority. For the future of society, it is essential that children and young people should be able to enjoy the fruits of the online world, without being ensnared by its predators.
2. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
3. How web cookies collect information
4. Anti-Spam laws
5. Analyze Privacy policies
6. Legality and ethics of spyware and other malware
7. Privacy vs civil liberties
8. RFID (Radio Frequency ID) issues - Cyberspace Free Speech Laws and Issues
Cyberspace Free Speech Laws and Issues
1. Cyber-stalking problems and laws
2. Free speech Web issues
a. International free speech differences
b. organization Web sites and political action and advocacy
3. Free Speech vs. National Security
Encryption issues - Cyberspace Intellectual Property Laws and Issues
Cyberspace Intellectual Property Laws and Issues
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind – everything from works of art to inventions, computer programs to trademarks and other commercial signs.These are some of the intellectual property rights, namely – copyright, trademarks, patents, geographical indications, plant varieties, industrial designs and semiconductor integrated circuit layout designs.
1. Copyright law
a. Fair use
b. Digital Rights Management
c. Copyright Web issues
2. Patent Law
a. Software patents issues
3. Trademarks
a. Cyber squatting
b. Using trademarks in meta-tags
c. Software License agreementsThis booklet introduces the main types of IP and explains how the law protects them. It also introduces the work of the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations agency dedicated to making IP work for innovation and creativity.Common disputes.
- Cyber Crime and Related Laws
Cyber Crime and Related Laws
1. Review of cyber crime statistics and trends
2. Cyber crime categories
3. Computer fraud
4. Gray Hat Hacking
Reference: https://cybertalents.com/blog/what-is-cyber-crime-types-examples-and-preventionWhat is Cybercrime? Types, Examples, and Prevention
The term "cybercrime" was introduced after the latest evolution in the computer industry and networks. Cybercrimes are considered a major risk because they can have devastating effects like financial losses, breaches of sensitive data, failure of systems, and also, it can affect an organization's reputation.
In this article, we will discuss more about cybercrimes, and what are they? How do they happen? Who are Cybercriminals? Also, we will demonstrate different types of cybercrimes.
What is Cybercrime?
- Cybercrime can be defined as “The illegal usage of any communication device to commit or facilitate in committing any illegal act”.
- A cybercrime is explained as a type of crime that targets or uses a computer or a group of computers under one network for the purpose of harm.
- Cybercrimes are committed using computers and computer networks. They can be targeting individuals, business groups, or even governments.
Investigators tend to use various ways to investigate devices suspected to be used or to be a target of a cybercrime.
Who are The Cybercriminals?
A cybercriminal is a person who uses his skills in technology to do malicious acts and illegal activities known as cybercrimes. They can be individuals or teams. Cybercriminals are widely available in what is called the “Dark Web” where they mostly provide their illegal services or products. Not every hacker is a cybercriminal because hacking itself is not considered a crime as it can be used to reveal vulnerabilities to report and batch them which is called a “white hat hacker”.However, hacking is considered a cybercrime when it has a malicious purpose of conducting any harmful activities and we call this one “black hat hacker” or a cyber-criminal. It is not necessary for cybercriminals to have any hacking skills as not all cyber crimes include hacking. Cybercriminals can be individuals who are trading in illegal online content or scammers or even drug dealers. So here are some examples of cybercriminals:
- - Black hat hackers
- - Cyberstalkers
- - Cyber terrorists
- - Scammers
Cybercriminals who conduct targeted attacks are better to be named Threat Actors.
How do Cybercrimes happen?
Cybercriminals take advantage of security holes and vulnerabilities found in systems and exploit them in order to take a foothold inside the targeted environment. The security holes can be a form of using weak authentication methods and passwords, it can also happen for the lack of strict security models and policies.
Why are Cybercrimes Increasing?
The world is constantly developing new technologies, so now, it has a big reliance on technology. Most smart devices are connected to the internet. There are benefits and there are also risks. One of the risks is the big rise in the number of cybercrimes committed, there are not enough security measures and operations to help protect these technologies. Computer networks allow people in cyberspace to reach any connected part of the world in seconds.
Cybercrimes can have different laws and regulations from one country to another, mentioning also that covering tracks is much easier when committing a cybercrime rather than real crimes. We are listing different below reasons for the big increase in cybercrimes:
- Vulnerable devices:
As we mentioned before, the lack of efficient security measures and solutions introduces a wide range of vulnerable devices which is an easy target for cybercriminals.
- Personal motivation:
Cybercriminals sometimes commit cybercrimes as a kind of revenge against someone they hate or have any problem with.
- Financial motivation:
The most common motivation of cybercriminals and hacker groups, most attacks nowadays are committed to profit from it.
Two Main Types of Cyber Crimes
- Targeting computers
This type of cybercrimes includes every possible way that can lead to harm to computer devices for example malware or denial of service attacks.
- Using computers
This type includes the usage of computers to do all the classifications of computer crimes.
Classifications of Cybercrimes
Cybercrimes in general can be classified into four categories:
1. Individual Cyber Crimes:
This type is targeting individuals. It includes phishing, spoofing, spam, cyberstalking, and more.
2. Organisation Cyber Crimes:
The main target here is organizations. Usually, this type of crime is done by teams of criminals including malware attacks and denial of service attacks.
3. Property Cybercrimes:
This type targets property like credit cards or even intellectual property rights.
4. Society Cybercrimes:
This is the most dangerous form of cybercrime as it includes cyber-terrorism.
Most Common Cyber Crimes
Now that you understand what cybercrimes are, let’s discuss some common cybercrimes.
1. Phishing and Scam:
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that targets the user and tricks them by sending fake messages and emails to get sensitive information about the user or trying to download malicious software and exploit it on the target system.
2. Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when a cybercriminal uses another person’s personal data like credit card numbers or personal pictures without their permission to commit a fraud or a crime.
3. Ransomware Attack
Ransomware attacks are a very common type of cybercrime. It is a type of malware that has the capability to prevent users from accessing all of their personal data on the system by encrypting them and then asking for a ransom in order to give access to the encrypted data.
4. Hacking/Misusing Computer Networks
This term refers to the crime of unauthorized access to private computers or networks and misuse of it either by shutting it down or tampering with the data stored or other illegal approaches.
5. Internet Fraud
Internet fraud is a type of cybercrimes that makes use of the internet and it can be considered a general term that groups all of the crimes that happen over the internet like spam, banking frauds, theft of service, etc.
Other Types of Cybercrime
Here are another 9 types of cybercrimes:
1. Cyber Bullying
It is also known as online or internet bullying. It includes sending or sharing harmful and humiliating content about someone else which causes embarrassment and can be a reason for the occurrence of psychological problems. It became very common lately, especially among teenagers.
2. Cyber Stalking
Cyberstalking can be defined as unwanted persistent content from someone targeting other individuals online with the aim of controlling and intimidating like unwanted continued calls and messages.
3. Software Piracy
Software piracy is the illegal use or copy of paid software with violation of copyrights or license restrictions. An example of software piracy is when you download a fresh non-activated copy of windows and use what is known as “Cracks” to obtain a valid license for windows activation. This is considered software piracy. Not only software can be pirated but also music, movies, or pictures.
4. Social Media Frauds
The use of social media fake accounts to perform any kind of harmful activities like impersonating other users or sending intimidating or threatening messages. And one of the easiest and most common social media frauds is Email spam.
5. Online Drug Trafficking
With the big rise of cryptocurrency technology, it became easy to transfer money in a secured private way and complete drug deals without drawing the attention of law enforcement. This led to a rise in drug marketing on the internet. Illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or marijuana are commonly sold and traded online, especially on what is known as the "Dark Web".
6. Electronic Money Laundering
Also known as transaction laundering. It is based on unknown companies or online business that makes approvable payment methods and credit card transactions but with incomplete or inconsistent payment information for buying unknown products. It is by far one of the most common and easy money laundering methods.
8. Cyber Extortion
Cyber extortion is the demand for money by cybercriminals to give back some important data they've stolen or stop doing malicious activities such as denial of service attacks.
9. Intellectual-property Infringements
It is the violation or breach of any protected intellectual-property rights such as copyrights and industrial design.
10. Online Recruitment Fraud
One of the less common cybercrimes that are also growing to become more popular is the fake job opportunities released by fake companies for the purpose of obtaining a financial benefit from applicants or even making use of their personal data.
Cyber Crimes Examples
- REvil and Kaseya Ransomware
REvil is a Russian or Russian-speaking hacking group and it is known as a ransomware-as-a-service operation. The Kaseya incident took place in July - 2021. The incident happened when one of the Kaseya's company's products was deploying the famous SODINOKIBI REvil ransomware to endpoints of Kaseya's customer network that attack surface was over 1000 Kaseya's customers worldwide. A few hours later REvil took credit for the attack by posting on their Happy Blog website on the dark web and demanded a $70 million ransom to release a public decryptor that they claim can decrypt all the damaged devices. The attack was so impactful that the United States government offered $10 million bounties to anyone that can give any information for arresting REvil members.
Source: Yaroslav Vasinskyi, a 22 years Ukrainian, was charged with conducting the attack and unleashing the ransomware against Kaseya and other companies.
- Stuxnet
The Stuxnet incident is a famous incident that happened in 2010. Stuxnet is the name of a computer worm (type of malware) that targets SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems. Stuxnet malware left devastating damage to Iran’s nuclear power program. It was spreading through USB drives and affected mainly Microsoft Windows operating systems. The malware functionality was to search for machines that are working as PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and if it was found the malware updates its code over the internet through the attackers.
- Marriott Hotels
In November 2018, Marriott hotels group suffered from a massive data breach that affected more than 500 million customers. The compromise happened for the guest reservation database by an unknown party. The information that was leaked contained payment information, mailing addresses, passport numbers, and phone numbers for customers. Marriott Group has immediately conducted incident investigations with a group of security experts plus setting up a website and a call center. They also sent emails to the affected customers and gave them free access to monitoring tools that monitor the internet and give an alert if any evidence of sharing personal information is found.
- RockYou Data Breach
RockYou is a company that works in the game field and was founded in 2005 by Lance Tokuda and Jia Shen. The company was working well until December 2009 when what is called “the biggest data breach of all time” happened. The data breach exposed and leaked more than 32 million user account information from RockYou database. The company was storing passwords in an unencrypted plain text format which made it easier for the hacker to have access to all passwords stored. The hacker used a very old and popular SQL vulnerability to leak all data from the database. After this major breach, the total set of passwords that were leaked became a very helpful resource in penetration testing as hackers use this word list of passwords to test the security and password strength of accounts and products. You can read more about top data breaches in this article.
How to Prevent Cybercrimes?
There are many tips and guidelines to protect yourself and your environment from the risk of cybercrimes such as:
1. Be sure that you are using up-to-date security software like antivirus and firewalls.
2. Implement the best possible security settings and implementations for your environment.
3. Don't browse untrusted websites and be careful when downloading unknown files, and also be careful when viewing Email attachments.
4. Use strong authentication methods and keep your passwords as strong as possible. You can find in this article tips on how to protect your password.
5. Don’t share sensitive information online or on your social media accounts.
6. Educate your children about the risks of internet usage and keep monitoring their activities.
7. Always be ready to make an immediate reaction when falling victim to cybercrimes by referring to the police.
Further reading to protect yourself online:
- A Quick Guide to Cybersecurity Incidents and How to Avoid Them?
- Types of Cybersecurity Threats, and How to avoid them?
- Work From Home Cybersecurity, Tips, and Risks
- Professionalism and Work Place Issues in the IT Field
Professionalism and Work Place Issues in the IT Field
1. Impact of technology on employment trends
2. Laws and ethics of employee monitoring
3. Review ethical codes of IT professional organizations - Contracts
Contracts
1. Requirements for an enforceable contract
a. Capacity of parties
b. Requirements of Offer and Acceptance (Assent)
c. Consideration
d. Legality of subject matter
2. Employment contract practices - Leadership
Leadership
1. Working with a team
2. Preparing effective and persuasive presentations
3. Delivering effective and persuasive presentations
4. Analysing presentations
