Computer Crime

ABSTRACT

Billions of dollars in losses have already been discovered. Billions more have gone undetected. Trillions will be stolen, most without detection, by the emerging master criminal of the twenty-first century--the computer crime offender. Worst of all, anyone who is computer literate can become a computer criminal. He or she is everyman, everywoman, or even every child.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

To first understand computer crime one must understand first what crime is. According to Diana Kendall, “crime is a behavior that violates criminal law and is punishable with fines, jail or other sanctions” (Kendall 1999; 161). Yet since computer technology is so new it has really no laws to govern it. A law is formal norms that are enforced, norms being established rules of behavior. Many of the crimes committed on computers often times go unpunished. As stated by David Pitch ford in the London journal Focus when writing on pornography on the Internet, “ the only way illegal pornographers can be caught is through chance leads, tip-offs and telephone tracing” (Focus 1995; p10-12). Many of the crimes that are also committed on computers via the Internet are very new also. New subcultures have formed around the Internet for the possibilities it brings. Computer crime despite the many problems it has brought has also brought some needed social controls to the Internet and as stated before some laws have been formed to protect many of the institutions that because of computer crime have become targets for criminals.

CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL REVIEW

Now that we have briefly explained computer crime, let’s go into further depth into explaining computer crime from the different sociological perspective theories. Many of those that commit computer crimes are hackers or people who hack into computer systems for both fun and for gaining access to information. They have formed their own subcultures and hold many different beliefs about the information that is stored in personal computers. Said best by J. Thomas McEwen in the article Computer Ethics many hackers believe that “computerized data [is] free and should be accessible to anyone (McEwen 1991; 8-11). A subculture is a group a group of people who share a different set of beliefs that differ significantly from the larger society (Kendall; 604). Besides forming subcultures, many hackers have learned their behavior from other hackers. Besides the fact that many hackers learn, their ways from other hackers many after arrested are formally labeled as a hacker and a deviant, those who violate cultural norms and beliefs (Kendall; 598) The labeling theory suggests that deviants are those have been labeled as such by others (Kendall; 166). As written by David Pitch ford in the London magazine, Focus, one hacker after being arrested was not deterred, he instead became a more active and in “92 became cyberspaces first megastar Pitchford; pages 10-13).” It was only after his second arrest that he stopped offences.

Besides the interactions, perspective on computer crime is the conflict theory. “The conflict theory states that people in power maintain their advantage by using the law to protect their own interest.” (Kendall; 168). Under the conflict perspective, hackers and other computer criminals are seen as deviant because many hackers break into large companies for the “mindless desire for glory (Pitchford; pages 10-13).” However besides hackers lack of any real criminal desires they are still seen as deviant because they blatantly while doing their hacking.

Since the Internet is a global tool, many of the crimes that are committed extend beyond national borders. For this reason the advent of computer crime have made the global community smaller. What one hacker does on his computer in another country affects you and I. This can be seen with the recent virus “Love bug”,