As technology advances, so does Cybercrime. For-profit, criminals on the Internet take advantage of internet users’ personal information. They go to great lengths to buy and sell illegal goods and services on the darknet. Even classified government information is accessible to them. Get to know the Basics of Cybercrime online through this blog.
Different Types of CyberCrime
Personal: This is akin to a criminal illegally obtaining an individual’s bank or credit card information. People’s bank information is stolen by hackers to gain funds, make purchases online, or run phishing scams for tricking people into handing in their personal information. To gain access to sensitive information, they could also use malicious software.
Property: This type of Cybercrime involves a single person disseminating harmful or illegal information over the Internet. Cyberstalking, distributing pornography, and human trafficking are all examples of this.
Government: The most severe Cybercrime is the least common, but it is the most dangerous. It is also known as cyber terrorism, which is a crime committed against the government. Hacking government websites, military websites, and distributing propaganda are examples of government cybercrime. These are taught in the Basics of Cybercrime online chapters in any course.
Cybercrime can be broken down into various Categories
DDoS Attacks
Overwhelming the site with traffic from different sources brings down an online service. Botnets are massive networks of infected devices built by infecting computers with malware and distributing it to other computers in the network. The hacker then takes advantage of a downed network to enter the system.
– DDos Attack
Botnets
Computers that have been infected with malware are referred to as “botnets” because they can be controlled remotely by hackers. Remote hackers then use these botnets to send spam or attack other computers. Botnets can also carry out malicious tasks.
Identity Theft
An individual’s personal information can be used to steal money, access confidential information, and participate in tax or health insurance fraud due to this Cybercrime. Additionally, they can open a phone/internet service account in your name, plan a criminal activity in your name, and claim government benefits in your name. Hacking, retrieving personal data from social media, or sending phishing emails are all possible methods of obtaining user passwords.
Cyberstalking
This type of Cybercrime is characterized by the victim’s bombardment of online messages and emails. For the most part, people who engage in cyberstalking do so through social media, websites, and search engines. They know their victim and try to make them feel afraid or concerned about their safety.
Social engineering
Criminals who use social engineering approach victims by contacting them directly, usually over the phone or email. They want to gain your trust, so they often pretend to be a customer service representative to get the information they need from you. The most common examples are passwords, the name of your employer, or bank information. Cybercriminals can get your personal information, and they will conduct a thorough internet search and then attempt to become friends through social media sites. They can sell your personal information or open accounts in your name once they access your account.
PUPs
Compared to other cybercrimes, PUPS or Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPS) pose a lower risk, but they are still malware. They remove all of your system’s essential software, including search engines and pre-installed applications. You should install the antivirus software to prevent the malicious download of spyware or adware.
Phishing
Email attachments or URLs are sent to users to gain access to their accounts or computers in this type of attack. Many of these emails are not considered spam because cybercriminals are becoming more established. Criminals can gain access to a user’s account if they trick them into clicking on an email that claims they need to change their password or update their billing information. You can learn this from the Basics of Cybercrime Online.
Prohibited/Illegal Content
This type of Cybercrime entails criminals disseminating distressing and offensive content via social media. Sexual activity between adults, videos of extreme violence, and videos depicting criminal activity are all examples of “offensive content.” Terrorist-related acts and child exploitation are examples of illegal content. This type of content is found on the regular Internet and the dark web, a completely anonymous network.
Online Scams
Ads or spam emails that promise rewards or unrealistic amounts of money are the most common form of these scams. Enticing offers that look beyond good can lead to malware that can compromise personal information if they are clicked on.
Exploit Kits
There must be a flaw in the code of a piece of software for an exploit kit to gain access to the user’s computer. Online, criminals can purchase these ready-to-use tools, which they can use against anyone with a computer. In the same way that regular software is updated, the exploit kits are available on dark web hacking forums for download.
How can we Prevent Cybercrime?
When you are in the first defense against Cybercrime, you must practice safe and responsible digital habits.
- Avoid clicking on the attachments or links in suspicious emails, especially if they’re not clearly labeled. (Some of them may have funny names!).
- Don’t download anything from an untrusted or unidentified source.
- Make sure you’re on the right page.
- Should install the software updates regularly.
- Wi-Fi is unencrypted and unsecured in public places, so don’t use it. Paying on an e-commerce site while sitting in a public place is not safe.
- A combination of symbols, letters, and numbers creates strong passwords.
- Enhance the home network security by increasing the level of protection provided by your router.
- Install an antivirus that will alert you to potential threats and shield your computer from them.
CONCLUSION
A plague on the Internet is Cybercrime. To be safe from being the victim of online attacks or crimes of any kind, you must be vigilant. As you’ve just read, you’ve gained some insight into the most common types of crimes and strategies for avoiding them. You can learn more about this from the Basics of Cybercrime online.