Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340
Volume 3, Number 3 (2016) : 32-36
©Arya PG College, Panipat & Business Press India Publication, Delhi
www.aryapgcollege.com, www.apcjournals.com
Spam- A Cyber Crime Using a Knowledge Trick
Ajay Singh
Assistant Professor, Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology, Mohali (Punjab), India
Email: proff.ajaysingh@gmail.com
Introduction
Business processes (Sorting, summarizing, coding, editing, customized and generic report generation) has been simplified due to use of internet. But it has also brought problems such as criminal activities, phishing, identity theft, spamming, credit card frauds, ATM frauds etc.
In order to avoid being victim, user should take proper security precautions every time he/she is on the Web. Access to the sensitive information is gained by creating look- alike websites that resemble like the original websites or by sending an email to the internet or mobile users. Recipients of these fake e-mails are requested to click on these links and to provide their personal and credential information. After getting the enough personal information from victim, cyber criminals then can commit a variety of fraudulent and other criminal activities in the victim's name. Cyber crime is a global problem now and number of anti-phishing activities and awareness camps are going on to reduce its graph.
Working of Cyber Crimes
By using their expertise, criminals are stealing, deceiving and exploiting people as they find it easy to earn money without having to do an honest day’s work. Physical presence of the criminals is not required in cyber crimes and can be committed from a remote location. Cyber criminals are exploiting the same systems that have made it easier for people to conduct e-commerce and online transactions.
Cyber crime is a heavy burden on society. Damage over a half of a billion dollars annually is due to these types of crimes. Companies are becoming so frustrated that recently Microsoft offered a quarter of a million dollar reward for the capture of the individuals responsible for the MSBlast worm and the SoBig.F virus.
Cyber Scams Illustrations
A very popular e-mail scam received by almost every e-mail user is lottery scam. You might receive messages that claim that you have won the lottery of $90,000. It looks like that these messages might have come from a legitimate source. These messages should be deleted immediately.
Types of Spam-Cyber Crime
Hacking
Weaknesses and loop holes in operating systems are used by hackers to destroy data and steal important information from victim's computer. Through the use of a backdoor program installed on the machine, cracking is done. Files on the computer can be monitored by hackers. Without the information of the user, a hacker can install several programs on user’s system. Such programs could also be used to steal personal information such as passwords and credit card information. Viruses and Worms
These programmes are designed to damage computers. Virus spreads from one computer to another like a biological virus. Loop holes in software or the operating system can be exploited by worms. Chernobyl and Melissa viruses are the recent examples.
Software Piracy
This can be done in different ways such as end user copying, counterfeiting, hard disk loading, and illegal downloads from the internet etc.
Credit Card Fraud
The credit card numbers can be stolen by the hackers, if electronic transactions are not secured. Hackers can misuse this card by impersonating the credit card owner.
Cyber Stalking
The victim is followed by criminal by sending emails, entering the chat rooms frequently.
Cyber Offences and Laws
The Information Technology Act 2000 was passed in India to provide legal recognition for transactions carried out by means of electronic communication. It deals with the laws relating to Digital Contracts, Digital Property, and Digital Rights. Violation of these laws constitutes a crime.
Prevention of Spam-Cyber Crime
Keeping the Computer Secure
Activate your firewall which is your first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer. Also be sure to install anti-virus/malware and anti-spyware software which prevent, detect, and remove malicious software, spyware programs, worms, trojans, adware, and viruses. Choosing Strong Passwords
A good password is one that cannot be guessed easily. They typically have over eight characters and contain a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols (e.g., $, #, &), as well as a mix of upper- and lowercase letters. Use uncommon words. Use different passwords for different sites, and choose especially secure passwords for your online banking sites.
Protecting Personal Information
Sharing personal information (Name, phone number, address, or credit card information) is inevitable if you are making online purchases. Do business with companies that have websites that begin with “https:” – the “s” stands for secure – and look for a “lock” icon on the status bar of your internet browser. Enable privacy settings when accessing social media sites and do not over share your personal information online. Cyber criminals use that type of personal information to answer challenging questions on online banking and other websites.
Fighting Phishing
To avoid phishing scams, never respond to spam, communicate personal information only through a phone or a secure website, and do not click on links or download files from unknown senders. Verify that a website is the official website before sharing any personal information.
Watching Wireless Network
Properly secure your Wi-Fi networks at home so that cyber criminals can’t hack into your computers.
Conclusions
Cyber crime poses a big threat to both national and international security. The cyber crime is a new invention of crimes made by a class of intellectual, sophisticated criminals. The country needs to establish its laws and establishment of these laws alone is not enough, educating the masses against cyber crime and strict enforcement of these laws is also necessary.
New amendment should be included to the IT Act, 2000 to make it efficient and active against the crimes. The training and public awareness programs should be organized in the companies as well as in common sectors.
The number of the cyber cops in India should be increased. Technology makes the things easier but a user has to be aware of the threats and dangers that can be caused by the misuse of technology and hence cause financial and other loses.
Awareness among users is must and they should put a cross to their curiosity factor that makes them to open the phishing mails and hence become victim of these attacks. If somehow users have been trapped in this technology trap, awareness regarding the necessary actions and reporting to the cyber organizations should be given and followed. Technology like network is a boon for the users, but lack of awareness can turn it to a curse. So be aware for these kinds of attacks and surf the net safely.
References
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