CYBER CRIMES

MODULE 5
 Cyber Crime (15 Marks 2021)

Cyber Crime is defined as, "a crime in which a computer is

the object of the crime or is used as a tool to commit an
offence".
Common types of cyber crime include online bank
information theft, identity theft, online predatory crimes and
unauthorised computer access.
With the advancement of technology, cyber crimes have
also increased.
The primary source of Cyber law in India is the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
 Classifications of Cyber Crimes (4 Marks 2022)

1. Crimes where a computer system itself is the target such as hacking,

dissemination of viruses, and denial of service attacks
2. Traditional crimes like fraud, theft, and child pornography that are
facilitated and enabled by a computer
i. theft of money, financial instruments, property, services, or
valuable data
ii. unauthorized access to computer time
iii. illegal use of computer programs
iv. unauthorized acquisition of stored data
 Cyber terrorism (1 Marks 2022)

Cyber terrorism refers to the convergence of cyberspace and terrorism

and it covers politically motivated hacking operations intended to cause
grave harm such as loss of life or severe economic damage. It is the use
of cyber space to cause harm to the general public and disrupt the
integrity and sovereignty of the target country.

If these acts cause injuries to persons, cause to death of any person,

damage or disrupt any property, cause disruption of essential supplies or
services or negatively affect the critical information structure, they
become punishable acts.
 Scope of Cyber Terrorism

Unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers,

networks, and the information stored therein are the major
weapons used by terrorists with the view to force a
government or public in furtherance of their objectives are
generally covered under cyber terrorism. Targets may
include power plants, military installations, the banking
industry, air traffic control centres, water systems etc.

Cyber Warfare is also form of Cyber terrorism. Cyber

warfare is the conduct of military operations by virtual
means.
 Categories of Cyber Crimes
Cyber crimes are broadly classified under 4 heads

1. Crime against individuals: Crime against individual is committed against

person using electronic domain. It includes child pornography, harassment,
hacking, financial crimes, etc. The potential harm of such a crime can hardly
be higher.

2. Cyber Crime against property: Cyber crime against property is committed

using an electronic device as a medium. Here, the property does not mean any
immovable property but includes movable and intangible property like
computers. Intellectual Property, etc.

3. Cyber crime against Government: A cyber crime against a government is

committed to threatening the unity, honour, and security of the target country.
The criminals hack government websites and military websites for achieving
their target. Cyber crime against government includes Cyber warfare, cyber
Terrorism etc.

4. Cyber crime against society: When a cyber crime is committed against

numerous individuals, it is known as cyber crime against society. It includes
Online Gambling. Cyber Trafficking, Web jacking, Salami attacks etc.
 Types of Cyber Crimes

1. Hacking (4 Marks 2022)

Hacking is a process of getting illegal access to a device that may include a
mobile phone, computer, networks, social media accounts, or other authorized
accounts. The person who does hacking is known as a Hacker. (1 Marks 2021)

Types of Hackers (2 Marks 2021)

i. The white hat hacker: The white hat hacker does not carry on any illegal
activities. He only learns about various information systems and seeks
their vulnerabilities inorder to provide security programs that protect the
system from illegal penetration. He uses his skill for good things and do
not harm the computer.

ii. The black hat hacker: The black hat hacker carries on illegal activities
associated with computer crimes. He gains unauthorised access to a
computer with malicious intention for private gain.

iii. The grey hat hacker: The grey hat hacker is a hackers who is a
combination of white hat hacker and the black hat hacker.
2. Identity Theft
This has become a major problem with people using the internet for cash
transactions and banking services. In this cybercrime, a criminal accesses data
about a person's bank account, credit cards, debit card and other sensitive
information to take money or to buy things online in the victim's name. It can
result in major financial losses for the victim .
The identity theft may be either through Phishing or Pharming

a. Phishing: Phishing is a type of identity theft where the victims are contacted
by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution
to attract individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable
information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.

b. Pharming: Under pharming, a hacker infiltrates a computer system and

installs malicious code that causes website traffic from the system to be redirected
to bogus sites developed by the hacker with the intention of stealing a victim's
personal information. Phishing lures victims through fictitious emails to get them
to visit bogus sites and reveal their sensitive information, but in Pharming there is
absence of lure. This is done without the victim's knowledge or consent
(Pharming -2 Marks 2021)
3. Cyber Stalking

Cyber stalking refers to repeated acts of harassment by using the internet,

email, or other types of electronic communications to stalk, harass, threaten,
manipulate, control, intimidate, frighten, embarrass or humiliate a person or
business of another person.

4. Web Hijacking

Web Hijacking refers to taking forceful control over a person's website and
thereby denying the owner's control over his website. Usually the hijacker
forcefully gains access over others website by cracking the password.

5. Pornography

Pornography is the act of using cyber space as a medium for creating,

distributing, imparting, publishing, describing or showing sexual acts or obscene
materials through pornographic websites, magazines or over mobile phones, in
order to cause sexual excitement or erotic feelings.
Child Pornography can be classified as one of the most serious forms of
cybercrime in India. It is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit
conduct involving a minor.
6. Denial of service attack

In this type of attack, the victim's network is flooding with unnecessary traffic or
filling the victim's e-mail box with spam mail. Such an attack is made to prevent
legitimate use of computer networks, to deprive a person from accessing service
or to disrupt connection between computers.

7. Malicious software

It is also called Malware. Malicious software is internet based software, which are
designed to disrupt a network or harm the computer. It includes virus, worms.
Trojen Horse, Spyware, Adware and other malicious programs.

Viruses are the programs that have the capability to infect other programs and
make copies itself and spread into other programs.

Worms are programs that multiply like viruses but spread from computer to
computer.
Trojen Horse is a computer program that pretends to be having a set of
useful or desirable features, but which later on gains control over the
computer and causes damages to the computer.

Spyware is a malicious software which is installed unknowingly without

appropriate user permissions while installing another program, which aims to
steal personal or organizational information like email address, passwords,
credit card number, etc..

Adware is a form of malicious software containing advertisements which

collects information about the user, inorder to display the advertisements in
the web browser.

8. Financial Crimes

Financial crimes may involve additional criminal acts, such as, computer
crime, elder abuse, burglary, armed robbery and even violent crimes such as
robbery or murder. These types of crimes may be carried out by individuals,
corporations, or by organised crime groups.
Ex- Salami Attack, Online gambling etc.
9. Intellectual Property Crimes

Intellectual property crimes is committed when someone manufactures, sells or

distribute counterfeit or pirated goods, such as patents, trademarks, industrial
designs or literary and artistic works for commercial gains.

10. E-mail crimes

a. E-mail frauds: It is the intentional deception of sending email for personal

gain or to damage another individual.

b. E-mail Spoofing: It refers to e-mail that appears to have originated from one
source but actually has been send from another source.

c. E-mail Bombing: It refers to sending a large number of e-mails to the

victim's account resulting in crashing of that account.

d. E-mail Spamming: It refers to sending thousands of e-mails to many users,

thereby flooding the internet from an unidentifiable source.
11. Cyber Defamation

If any one publishes defamatory matter about someone else on a website or send
e-mails containing defamatory statements to lower his reputation, it is called
cyber defamation.

12.Cyber Terrorism

Cyber terrorism is the act of Internet terrorism in terrorist activities, including

acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks, especially of
personal computers attached to the internet by means of tools such as computer
viruses.
13. Cyber Theft

It is the act of using the internet to steal some ones information or to interfere
with some one or breaking and entering into others computer system for
committing cyber crimes. Certain types of Cyber theft are the following:

a. Internet time theft: It refers to usage by an unauthorized person to the

internet hours paid by another person.

b. Theft of computer system: This type of offence involves theft of computer or

parts of a computer or a peripheral attached to a computer.

c. Cyber Vandalism: It refers to damaging or destroying data rather than

stealing or misusing them.