Technological Crime: Offenses in the Digital Realm
Technological crime, also known as cybercrime, refers to offenses committed using the internet and digital technologies. These crimes exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems and human behavior to carry out illegal activities.
Definition: Technological crime encompasses criminal activities that involve the use of computers, networks, or other digital technologies as a principal means of committing an offense.
Examples of technological crime include:
- Financial crimes (e.g., online fraud)
- Cyber-trespass
- Identity theft
- Illegal downloading
- Publishing or viewing child pornography
Example: A famous cyber crime case is the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, which affected over 200,000 computers across 150 countries, causing billions of dollars in damages.
Victims of technological crime can be:
- Anyone who uses the internet
- More vulnerable groups such as the elderly or less educated individuals who may be easier targets for fraudsters
Highlight: The level of public awareness for technological crime varies. While some victims may not immediately realize they've been targeted by cyber-fraud or identity theft, there are ongoing efforts by police, businesses, and governments to raise awareness and encourage precautionary measures.
Offenders in technological crime can be diverse, ranging from individual hackers to organized crime groups. The primary requirement for committing these crimes is access to the internet and basic knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Vocabulary: Cyber-trespass refers to unauthorized access to computer systems or networks, often with the intent to steal data or disrupt operations.
It's important to note that while many technological crimes are both criminal and deviant (e.g., viewing child pornography), some actions like illegal downloading may be criminal but not necessarily considered deviant by all segments of society.