It is nothing but wonder that the current world is ruled based on two factors: ones and zeros, or yes and no’s, or in other words binary symbols. Anywhere our eyes go, we are surrounded by digital beings right from our cars to our home securities. The whole patterns of ones and zeros have a great capacity for handling and transferring huge amounts of data and information from one point to another via the internet.
Understanding the foundation of cybercrime
Needless to mention, the systems that manage such huge data volumes are driven by our very own human beings. The most commonly used systems that handle data digitally are computers. In the present age, many other systems are capable of handling such data on similar lines, like, smartphones, tablets, etc. While the digitization of existing analog systems has made our lives much easier, it has also had its downside.
Since most of the end-users of the digitized services are unaware of the technical workings of the systems, therefore they can be easily duped and cheated, or abused in various ways via the cyber medium by various criminals. Internet and Computer Crimes have become so rampant in recent times that a survey in 2018 conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the security software company McAfee concluded that about a percentage of Global GDP has vanished for cybercrime.
The types of cybercrimes that victimize commoners
The range and limit of cybercrimes are vast and increasing daily. All the nations in the world have taken some enhanced legal steps to protect their citizens from the talons of cybercriminals. Some of the wide ranges of cybercrimes include:
Crimes Related to financial fraud
Financial fraud is considered the most common form of cyber theft. In these cases, the criminal poses either as the customer and represents him or herself to the bank or vice versa to steal money.
Anti-Money Laundering
The funding for various terrorist activities is often moved digitally from one financial institution to another in the disguise of different functionalities usually charities. Such digital transfers are quite difficult to detect and need impeccable cyber security.
Terrorism and Extortion propagated via the cyberspace
Terrorism has got a new meaning in the era of digitization. Hacking the intelligence systems of any nation, data loss, and subsequent sale of sensitive data to the highest bidder, bomb-threats using the internet, extortion of money by blocking the servers of an organization, and many more are considered different forms of cyber terrorism.
Cyber trafficking
Another heinous crime that happens in cyberspace is the live streaming or videography of blackmail and sexual exploitation via the internet. One of the prime examples of such crimes is the ‘Nth Room Case’ that shook South Korea.
Cyberbullying
Harassment and using offensive languages towards any individual for their caste, creed, religion, gender, etc. via the internet falls under the territory of cyberbullying. It also includes speeches or content shared over the internet, which incite hate amongst one another.
Online Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking has shown a high increase with the introduction of the internet. Using encrypted messages the traffickers communicate with the mules and dealers for the supply of illegal drugs.
All these forms of crimes have some basic ways of operations, like
Introducing malicious software (commonly known as computer viruses) into your systems
- Phishing scams
- Identity Theft
- Spams
How cybercrime lawyers help to combat such criminal activities
Cybercrimes have been affecting the common masses ever since the introduction of the internet. While all the countries of the world have implemented departments specifically designed to ward off such criminals, the additional support of cybercrime lawyers are equally needed to win the war against cybercrimes and criminals.
Some of the major steps in fighting the war include:
Investigation
Any crime conducted within cyberspace must be thoroughly investigated just like any other crime scene. The process of investigation is an important one since they give away a bucket load of information not only to the cybercrime cells of the governments but also helps the respective to understand the plight of their victimized clients in a better way.
Prevention
The next step is the most crucial in the fight against cybercrimes, which is prevention. The results of investigation often form the stepping-stone in the prevention of cybercrimes. The cybercrime lawyers use this step to protect their various regular clients from the mishap that would have been caused in case the crime would have happened with them.
Awareness
While investigation and prevention of cybercrimes the foundation, awareness is the structure of the fighting model against digital crimes. The role of cyber lawyers becomes a top priority in this step because they are the ones who can bridge the gap between technical jargon and the unassuming end-users thereby helping and protecting them.
Lawmaking
All the previous steps finalize into this step where laws and bylaws are laid in a country. Needless to mention, the major contribution to form this legal framework is majorly done by the crime legal aids along with the help of government bureaucrats.
While these steps collectively help in eradicating cybercrime largely, still a special wing of law enforcement must always be ready to help and save victims from possible cyber threats and attacks. Such an intelligence wing usually comprises police officials, digital forensic experts, and cybercrime lawyers.
Another interesting factor that has sprung up in the most recent times is diffusing cybercrime. It essentially means that there is no specific concentration of areas from where cybercriminals act. In this age of superfast sharing, hacking details are easily available over the internet and using that information anyone can hack any system, in just a matter of time.
Therefore, the span of cyber vigilance and security has increased manifold and needs much more effort of the cyber lawyers.
While cybercrimes are rampant in the current world, it is extremely necessary to counter such attacks with a cool head and solid legal aid. Without the dual combination of personal awareness and the profound legal insight of cyber lawyers, we can keep ourselves safe from such attacks and extortions.