With the increased usage of computers in the general public, cybercrime has become a significant problem. Because of technological advancements, humankind is now reliant on the internet for all of its requirements. The internet has given man access to almost everything while sitting in a particular location. Social networking, online shopping, online schooling, online work, and everything else that humankind can dream of can be done over the internet.
Any criminal behaviour involving a computer, another digital device, or a computer network is called cybercrime. Ethical hacking, software vulnerability attacks, and network threats are examples of frequent cybercrime threats. However, it also covers illegal activities like hacktivist gatherings, harassment and blackmail, financial fraud, and more.
Individuals and businesses are both targets of cybercrime. Attackers usually go after enterprises for monetary gain or to destroy or disrupt activities. Individuals are targeted as part of large-scale frauds, or their gadgets are compromised and used as a platform for criminal activities.
Types of Cyber Crime:
1. Cybercrime against people, such as harassment, occurs in cyberspace or through its usage. Sexual, cultural, religious, and other forms of harassment exist.
Crimes against people:
- Cyber-Stalking
- Dissemination of Obscene Material
- Defamation
- Hacking
- Cracking
- E-Mail Spoofing
- Carding
- Cheating and Fraud
- Child Pornography
- Assault by Threat
2. Because worldwide trade is rapidly expanding, firms and individuals are increasingly adopting computers to generate, transfer, and store information electronically rather than physically copies documentations.
Crimes against Property:
- Intellectual Property Crimes
- Cyber Squatting
- Hacking Computer System
- Transmitting Virus
- Cyber Trespass
3. Certain crimes are committed by groups of people who plan to use the internet to threaten government agencies.
Cybercrimes against Government:
- Cyber Warfare
- Cyber Terrorism
- Possession of Unauthorized Information
- Distribution of pirated software
Origin Of Cyber Crime
Criminals often committed these crimes through the telephone system in the early 1970s. The criminals were known as Phreakers. In fact, until the 1980s, there was no severe cybercrime. To search, copy, or modify personal data and information, one individual used the computer of another. Lan Murphy, better known as Captain Zap, was the first person to be convicted guilty of cybercrime, which occurred in 1981. He had managed to hack the American telephone company’s internal clock to allow consumers to make free calls during busy hours.
Analysis Of Cybercrimes in India
With over 560 million internet users, India is the world’s second-largest online market after China. The country is predicted to have over 650 million internet users by 2023. As per the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, India had 50,035 occurrences of cybercrime in 2020, up 11.8% from the previous year, with 578 events of “fake news on social media” were also confirmed. Moreover, the country’s rate of cybercrime climbed from 3.3 % to 3.7 % in 2020. According to data from the preceding years, the country registered 44,735 occurrences of cybercrime in 2019, compared to 27,248 in 2018.
