Computer and Internet Crime

Abstract

This article examines how computer crime has changed over time with the emergence of internet crimes (also referred to as cyber crimes). The types of internet criminal activity (including identity theft, credit and debit card number theft, and money-laundering schemes) are examined. Child exploitation using the internet is also discussed. International organizations and law enforcement agencies that are involved in the fight against internet crime are profiled. The weaknesses in computer security as well as the easily exploited naiveté of internet users are examined. In addition, the social backlash against new behaviors that are internet specific and efforts to pass laws against banning those behaviors are also examined.

Overview

Historically, computer crime was limited to computer systems and networks, including hacking, data destruction, data theft, and system disruption. Many of those crimes were directed toward businesses, government agencies, or universities. In the 1990s, as the internet came into widespread commercial use, the nature of computer crimes began to shift. There are still crimes against computers in the traditional sense, but the vast majority of modern-day computer crimes are those in which computers and the internet are used to commit a wide variety of other types of crimes, against businesses as well as individuals.

An Increasing Threat. Internet crime is flourishing. In the United States in 2015, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that 288,012 complaints of internet crime were received and more than $1 billion was lost to such crime that year alone. In 2022. those annual figures increased to 880,418 complaints and over $12.5 billion in losses, according to the FBI. Internet criminals can be found in every corner of the web, including in social networking websites such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). During the early twenty-first century, scams via email increased to the point that some users receive dozens of scam emails in the workplace and at home every week. While the use of email blocks and filters can minimize occurrences, and antivirus, antispyware, and other security software can help prevent other forms of crime, these problems remain a major concern.

In addition, banks and other businesses suffer huge losses every year involving email scams and other identity theft methods which compromise account numbers, social security numbers, and passwords of bank customers. In the event that banking information of a small company is disclosed, it could cause several weeks of disruption to company operations. In a heavily publicized incident, Sony Pictures was hacked in 2015, and numerous confidential files were disclosed, including films yet to be released. In the wake of the hack, Sony allocated $15 million for costs caused by the data breach. The following year, web company Yahoo!, which has been around since almost the beginning of the internet and therefore retains users who have invested a large amount of personal data over the years, announced that a hack of its systems had occurred in 2014 that affected around five hundred million users. Further controversy erupted when it was revealed that the company had actually discovered the infiltration at the time but had waited two years to tell the public.

While many internet crimes are narrow in focus, targeting a specific individual or business, others are vast in scope. One of the most prominent examples of a large-scale cyberattack was the so-called WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, which exploited a security flaw in older Microsoft Windows computer systems to encrypt users' data and demand a ransom paid in cryptocurrency. (The hacking tools involved were originally developed by, and stolen from, the US National Security Agency, or NSA.) Though the attack was halted within days, hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide were infected, including systems in hospitals and government agencies as well as private companies, and damages were estimated to be in the millions or billions. The United States and other countries later accused North Korea of masterminding the attack. Other similar cyberextortion attacks followed, and experts noted that millions of computer systems remain vulnerable. Microsoft was the victim of a cyberattack again in 2024, when a distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattack caused several Microsoft services to crash for almost ten hours. The attack affected banks and airlines, among other Microsoft customers.

Credit & Debit Card Theft. There have been many high-profile major cases of internet crime since 2000, and credit card and debit card number theft have been among the most dramatic and most costly. One case involved eleven perpetrators who allegedly hacked nine major retailers in the United States and stole over 40 million credit and debit card numbers. It was an international conspiracy with perpetrators from the United States, Estonia, Ukraine, the People's Republic of China, and Belarus. Much of the theft was accomplished by intruding into the wireless networks of retail outlets. The retailers included TJX Companies, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority, Forever 21, and DSW. Some of the credit card and debit card numbers were sold in the United States and Eastern Europe).

As a result of these types of crimes, business have had to spend large sums of money to upgrade their network security. In another example, in January 2012 the shoe retail company Zappos.com was attacked and customer billing/shipping information and credit card data were exposed. In 2013, the retailer Target suffered a data breach in which forty million customers had their private information exposed to hackers. One year later, Home Depot announced that its computer systems had also been infiltrated, leading to the compromise of approximately fifty-six million credit card numbers.

Organized Crime. Organized crime also found a new home and expanded opportunity on the internet. Organized criminal activity on the internet includes identity theft, the movement of illegal drugs, and the movements of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs and other counterfeit merchandise around the world. Many of these crimes are financial crimes—with credit card fraud, money-laundering schemes, and identity theft leading the list of thriving criminal enterprises. Many of these organized crime groups operate in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, and dozens of others. Financial institutions that have been targeted in these schemes include Citibank, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Comerica Bank, Wells Fargo, eBay, and PayPal.

Child Exploitation. Child exploitation is not an invention of the internet age by any means. However, the internet has become the new realm for consumers of child pornography and a marketplace for those who purvey it. Pedophiles have formed internet communities and exchange materials. Another aspect of child exploitation on the internet is when adults attempt to pick up minors; that is, engage minors in chats or discussions online and then attempt to meet them in person to expand their relationship. There have been several dramatic cases of adults facing arrest for this behavior. Many corporations have installed web browser filters to block employees from specifically surfing to websites that provide this illegal content.

Identity Theft. Identity theft on and off the internet is also a growing criminal enterprise. These scams usually involve misuse of existing credit card or bank accounts, opening new accounts using stolen identities, fraudulently obtaining government benefits or services, obtaining new documents to support the use of the stolen identity, and even health care fraud. Although many people consider identity theft as an internet crime, it has become a crossover crime with stolen identities as well as stolen corporate credit cards being used online as well as offline.

Stalking, Harassment & Bullying. Stalking, harassment, and bullying have also found their way to the internet. Although these types of activities may not be as dramatic as other internet crimes, they are still a personally frightening and often terrifying event for those who are targeted. Cyberstalking can include unsolicited emails of a threatening or intimidating nature or repeated confrontation in chat rooms or on networking sites by a threatening person. Cyber harassment can include repeated antagonistic, hostile, or false postings on blogs or other social sites.

Commonly termed cyberbullying, this kind of harassment can include sending angry or threatening emails designed to intimidate a person from participating in activities. There have been several high-profile cases of cyberbullying in the United States in the 2000s and 2010s, many unfortunately affecting children and teenagers, with some tragically ending in suicide. The common use of social networks and the relative ease of online anonymity make this an increasingly serious issue for youths. Legal protections against cyberbullying and cyberstalking are in place in most US states. In some cases, perpetrators have been prosecuted for such crimes as criminal harassment, violation of civil rights, stalking, and electronic harassment; new and proposed cyberbullying legislation also takes into account the actions and policies of schools.

Intellectual Property Piracy. One of the biggest dollar-volume businesses on the internet is piracy of intellectual property. This includes the illegal copying, distribution, and sales of copyrighted works including books, music, software, and videos. The FBI has pursed thousands of investigations and indictments of copyright infringement crimes and a large portion of these cases have been international in scope and resulted in thousands of arrest and the seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars in pirated works. Piracy has also cost businesses billions of dollars in lost revenue.

In the early 1990s most people were ecstatic about the potential of the internet and most still are. However, the types of internet crimes that have emerged have outraged many people and there are ongoing efforts to pass new laws to protect internet users and to prosecute internet criminals. Many people and organizations blame the internet as the ubiquitous cause of these new crime waves. In reality, the internet has just become the latest means of committing crimes.

What this Means to the World of Business. Corporations are on the frontline in the fight against internet crime. In addition to spending more on computer and network security, corporations have also found it necessary to better train employees to identify potential scams as well as determine if corporate assets have been compromised. It has also become necessary to monitor and control employee internet use to prevent intentional misuse as well as unintentional actions that may cause network security problems.

Spam & Spyware Protection. Corporations have been fighting spam since the mid-1990s. Spam email has clogged corporate email servers and bogged down communications within the company, as well as between the company and its suppliers and customers. Businesses receive hundreds of billions of spam emails every year and spend billions of dollars per year getting rid of spam and spyware.

Many large and small companies alike have also installed various types of filters and blocking software that prevents employees from accessing websites, social networks, or communication systems on the internet. The process of blocking websites can improve security on the corporate network in two ways. First, it can prevent misuse of company computers and networks by disallowing certain types of internet activity. Second, when employees are limited in their web use, they can be kept from accessing websites that may be spyware traps or that spread other types of malicious code. Other companies have an ongoing effort to monitor internet use of their employees and can warn employees about misuse or even terminate them.

Keeping computer systems and security software up to date is a key element of protection from malware. Yet, many businesses find it difficult to do so, due to factors such as systems that need to be constantly running, outdated hardware, financial concerns, or other issues. Even after highly publicized incidents such as the WannaCry attack, both specific and general security flaws often remain unaddressed.

Data Protection. Internet crime has created several other perils for corporate information security, including making the company laptops and tablets (and even smartphones) prime targets for theft. Many laptops and tablets have corporate information, user names, and passwords stored on them. If one is stolen and falls into the wrong hands, internet criminals could too easily start gaining access to company computer systems and networks.

There have also been several cases where data stored on laptops and tablets included employee names, addresses, and even social security numbers. When these devices are stolen or lost, the potential for crimes like identity theft are high. If this type of data is on a company computer, it is essential that it be secured. Corporations as well as nonprofit organizations are facing a growing number of laws and regulations regarding the safety of employee and customer personal data. This is especially true for financial data and health care related data. Companies can be fined by the government, but they also face the potential of class action suits by groups whose data have been compromised.

Ransom. In the 2020s, the fastest growing, and to some, the most insidious, form of cybercrime are attacks for ransom. This is when hackers illegally gain access to the internal networks of vital infrastructure such as hospitals or municipal administrators. Once inside, the hackers will encrypt the files. These are only accessible through a decryption key which they possess. For the victims to re-access their data, many are compelled to pay a ransom. The data that is made unavailable, such as in the case of hospitals, can be critical to ensuring care for patients. This was particularly damaging during the worst periods of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many such illegal activities have taken on the characteristics of organized crime. Hackers are not simply individuals but members of organizations. In some countries, such as Russia and North Korea, they enjoy quasi-official standing and operate free from the threat of legal prosecution.

A 2021 report by The Washington Post reported that at least 400 attacks had been directed against smaller city and county governments in a five-year period. These can have very negative impacts as they impede the delivery of essential services. These smaller-sized governments appear to be lucrative targets precisely because they do not have the resources of larger government entities. Their budgets do not support the emplacement of effective security measures, they cannot afford recovery efforts, and thus, they may have little options than to pay the hacker group the demanded ransom.

Applications

The Fight Against Internet Crime. Just as the internet has spawned new industries and new ways to make money for individuals as well as large companies, it has also given rise to new products, new services, and new law-enforcement efforts to fight internet crime.

Most countries have passed some law or regulation to address internet crime. The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime and relevant European Union legislation, for the most part, has been the primary reference model for many regulations. In addition, most countries have established some sort of central agency or agencies to fight internet. It is not always clear how well developed these agencies are or to what extent they are successful.

Regulation within the United States. In the United States, law enforcement agencies and government regulators have started several initiatives to combat internet crime. The FBI has focused on hiring more agents with computer skills and training agents in computer forensics. Along with creating the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in 2000 to track reports and analyze data, the FBI established several computer forensics centers across the United States to help the bureau in internet crime fighting and to assist local law enforcement organizations in their efforts. The FBI works in conjunction with the United States Secret Service, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Among its various cybercrime initiatives, the FBI established InfraGard, a joint effort with private businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other interested parties. InfraGard works "to provide education, information sharing, networking, and workshops on emerging technologies and threats." (InfraGard, 2018). InfraGard is an important mechanism for the private businesses that are involved. It allows them to interact with the internet crime fighting community and share information, and provides them assistance in their efforts to stop internet criminals. Other programs include the iGuardian and eGuardian threat-tracking platforms and the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF).

The Federal Trade Commission. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) focuses on fighting identity theft, spyware, and internet scams. The FTC provides information to consumers about identity theft and has an online compliancy reporting system. Spyware, software that is installed on one's computer without one's consent, can monitor and even control one's computer use. The FTC has an initiative to fight spyware through law enforcement and consumer education. Internet fraud is also on the FTC's internet crime fighting agenda.

INTERPOL. INTERPOL, the largest international police organization, has over 190 member countries that fight crime on a global basis. The goal of INTERPOL is to facilitate cross-border police cooperation and support national authorities and services to prevent or combat international crime. This includes computer-related crimes and those crimes executed via the internet, such as payment card fraud, money laundering, intellectual property crimes, currency counterfeiting, and financial fraud. INTERPOL has also worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to develop and provide training for law-enforcement officials that fight crime (including internet facilitated crimes) around the world.

Scotland Yard. Scotland Yard, or the Metropolitan Police Service of London, England, has initiatives to combat "extreme hardcore pornography, racist hate crime, and malicious attempts to interfere with computer systems" ("News from New Scotland Yard," 2009). This includes illegal or offensive material on websites or newsgroups, child pornography, hacking, computer viruses, and other malicious code attacks.

Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has developed recommended policies addressing fraud against consumers, spam, security and privacy. These policies encompass e-commerce, cross-border fraud, security for information systems and networks, the protection of consumer privacy, and the trans-border flow of personal data. These efforts have helped global businesses work with local authorities to protect their cyber as well as physical assets around the world.

International Telecommunications Union. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency that addresses information and communication technology issues. The ITU serves as the central point for governments and private companies around the world in developing computer networks and telecommunications services. The ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) sets strategic goals to develop internet crime fighting abilities around the world. They include model cybercrime legislation; "national and regional organizational structures and policies on cybercrime; security criteria and accreditation schemes for hardware and software applications and systems"; human and institutional capacity for cross-border watch, warning and incident response; and digital credentials."

High Technology Crime Investigation Association. The High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA) was formed to "provide education and collaboration to our global members for the prevention and investigation of high tech crimes" ("About the HTCIA," 2015). The HTCIA sponsors training and conferences for members, but the most significant resource is that it provides the ability for its members to use an online service to discuss work they are doing and ask for technical assistance from other members.

International organizations, civilian government agencies, and law enforcement agencies around the world are putting the fight against internet crime high on their agendas for action. These efforts are costing billions of dollars every year. The question that remains is: How are internet criminals so successful?

Issue

Why Internet Crime Is So Successful. The existence and perceived threats of internet crime create a high levels of paranoia among many individuals—internet users and non-internet users alike. In addition, several studies indicate that internet users harbor security and data privacy concerns when using e-commerce sites. Internet crime, hacking, and computer viruses started making their way into mainstream media in the late 1990s. The possibility of scam emails, fake websites, the need for diligence, and the need for computer security measures is rather widely known. Despite this, internet criminals continue to succeed.

Internet criminals have three things going in their favor.

• First, even though the computer security products industry is growing rapidly, security is not necessarily well administered in many organizations and can be lax in home computers and tablets.
• Secondly, some internet users are not savvy enough to avoid internet scams and often become victims due to their own lack of diligence in self-protection.
• Finally, internet criminals are well aware of these circumstances and combine both the weaknesses in computer security and internet user knowledge with their own ever-growing skill base to succeed at their criminal occupations.

Social Engineering. In addition to technical skills, internet criminals are adept at the key thing that helps make them successful: Social engineering. Social engineering is a process of playing on events, circumstances, and people's desires. Spammers and malware distributors have long tapped into current events to more effectively target their attacks at end users. Holidays, crises, wars, movies, anything that persuades recipients to open their email or respond to an offer is fair game. Many internet criminals are turning to the use of targeted email attacks, which are attacks in which a particular person or company is the prospective victim. The scammers create a message to the recipient using an assessment of where the email address was obtained in order to determine likely interests of the recipients.

Criminalization of Behavior. The internet evolved rather quickly, and its place in contemporary society is still changing rapidly and users are still adapting to innovations and their rapid proliferation. There is little doubt that criminals are successfully exploiting the internet as a marketplace as well as a communications tool to support their enterprises. However, the definition of what is criminal on the internet is still evolving. One way to determine if an action is a crime on the internet is that if a behavior or action is against the law offline, then it will be against the law online.

The social backlash against the internet often starts going beyond what is known to be criminal and drifts into a social response of criminalizing what many people view as new internet-specific behaviors or situations. There is, for example, considerable controversy and litigation directed at controlling what minors are able to access via the internet. This even includes what libraries can allow to be viewed on computers within the library. In addition, anti-spamming legislation has required special attention and revision as the nature of spam as a self-propelling, virus-like entity can mean that those whose computers are infected could be accused of spreading spam.

The international community of nongovernmental organizations and representatives from the industrialized nations have discussed internet law and what should be considered illegal internet-specific behavior. There have been numerous ridiculous propositions, and the concept of zero tolerance on spam is just one of many. One proposal was that if an internet user bypassed "the main page (and the advertising) of a commercial site to reach an inner page, it would be a violation of law. Another involved internet service providers being held liable if their users surfed for child pornography, even if they were not aware of it.

Individual countries are addressing internet crimes within the framework of their own laws and culture. The variations in national cultures and local laws results in some global inconsistencies in internet law.

Conclusion

The evolution of internet crimes and the use of the internet by criminals to support their ongoing offline enterprises have created new challenges for law-enforcement agencies around the world. As criminals design new methods of executing crimes on the internet, law-enforcement agencies have had to hire and train new people in new methods of crime fighting. The internet facilitated the ease with which cross-border crime execution can be conducted has also required new levels of international cooperation to combat it.

The fact that victims are often unguarded or under secured has made it easy for internet criminals to execute many of the crimes that have made dramatic headlines. In addition, the gullibility of internet users has made it easy for criminals to snag their prey. It is somewhat surprising that after widespread news coverage of email scams and criminal methods that internet users are not more careful about securing their computer and avoiding fraudulent e-emails or website offers.

The social backlash against the internet is motivating advocacy groups to lobby for new laws to regulate social behavior on the internet. Pornography has been targeted by many of these groups, and various types of legislation have been passed to ban certain types of content. Many of these laws are designed to protect minors as well as internet users in general. However, some of the laws that have been discussed have been designed to control one of the key building blocks to modern democracies—free speech.

Terms & Concepts

Child Exploitation: The recruitment or enslavement of minors in illegitimate activities, including pornography and prostitution.

Copyright Infringement: The unauthorized or illegal use of works created by others; actions include unlawful reproduction, distribution, or sales.

Identity Theft: The illegal or unauthorized use of an individual's identity or assets including credit cards, bank accounts, licenses, permits, or any other form of personal identification or personal financial assets.

Money-Laundering Schemes: Efforts by criminals to move, conceal, or funnel money into legitimate enterprises in manners that are undetected by law enforcement and that are in violation of tax or other laws.

Spyware: Unauthorized computer crimes placed on a computer to monitor or control user activity or gain access to personal or confidential information.

Stalking: The process of observing, monitoring, or spying on an individual in order to harass or hinder their activity to gain information for the purposes of harassment, blackmail, or other illegal activity.

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Sheridan, L., & Grant, T. (2007). Is cyberstalking different?Psychology, Crime & Law, 13, 627–640. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Silver-Greenberg, J. (2009, February 9).A field day for cyber-fiends. BusinessWeek,(4118), 56. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Spafford, E. (2008). Protecting the internet from the criminal element.Science News, 174, 32. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Stansky, L. (2009). Internet law and cyber crime: The future is here.Student Lawyer, 37, 8–10. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

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Suggested Reading

Antonopoulos, A. (2009). ATM hack: Organized crime or market forces? work World, 26, 20. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Britt, P. (2009). Luring customers back after data breaches.Information Today, 26, 1–47. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Brown, E., & Beckham, B. (2009). Internet law in the courts.Journal of Internet Law, 12, 24–25. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Corbett, P. (2008). Cyberbullying and other high-tech crimes involving teens. Journal of Internet Law, 12, 1–20. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Duffin, F., & Watson, B. (2009). Best practices in protecting and enforcing trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights., Franchise Law Journal, 28 132–180. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Gunia, B. C., B. Corgnet, & R. Hernan-Gonzalez. (2013). Surf's up: Reducing internet abuse without demotivating employees.Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 932–937. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Hanser, R. D. (2011). Gang-related cyber and computer crimes: Legal aspects and practical points of consideration in investigations. International Review Of Law, Computers & Technology, 25(1/2), 47–55. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=65303286..

Hill, J. B., & Marion, N. E. (2016). Introduction to cybercrime: Computer crimes, laws, and policing in the 21st century. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Iozzio, C. (2008). Technology's top unsolved cybercrimes. PC Magazine, 27, 18. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

McQuade III, S. (2007). We must educate young people about cybercrime before they start college. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53, B29–B31. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Reed, B. (2008). The year in cybercrime. Network World, 25, 20–21. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Reich, P. C., & Gelbstein, E. (2012). Law, policy, and technology: cyberterrorism, information warfare, and internet immobilization. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Schachter, K. (2009, Feb. 23). eBay mulls cyber-theft price tag.Red Herring, 2. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Sumner, M. (2009). Information security threats: A comparative analysis of impact, probability, and preparedness. Information Systems Management, 26, 2-12. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete.

Vijayan, J. (2009). Data breach at heartland may be bigger than TJX's. Computerworld, 43, 8. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete.

Willison, R., & Warkentin, M. (2013).Beyond deterrence: An expanded view of employee computer abuse.MIS Quarterly, 37, 1–20. Retrieved November 21, 2013 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier.

Wolfe, D., & Wade, W. (2008). TJX tales.American Banker, 173, 5. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Businesss Source Complete.