CYBER CRIMES

Strategies for preventing and controlling cyber crimes

Cyber crime refers to the illegal or unauthorized use of a computer or network that is meant to be harmful to an individual, community or a state. These include fraud, hacking, identity theft, spam data interference among others. It is important to know the motivators behind the minds of the cyber criminals before one can begin to lay out the strategies for preventing and controlling the cyber crimes. Such motivators may include easy and quick money, and that the criminals are able to operate anonymously from any part of the world. The strategies, therefore, involve making the work of cyber criminals more difficult in accessing data or user accounts. This will discourage and make them leave for easier targets. A number of strategies are discussed in this paper.

One fundamental way of controlling cyber crime is ensuring the computer is always updated. Ensure that the computer is installed with the latest software, which overwrites the old software that may be vulnerable due to flaws. One can also boost performance by installing utility software to help repair errors in software and for general maintenance of a computer. Using strong passwords besides changing them regularly could also assist in preventing cyber crime. Such strategies will make it difficult for the cyber criminal to guess the password especially if it is very long and unique. Usually, strong passwords have over eight characters with an infusion of symbols and numbers. Avoid using passwords that are same as their usernames or words that can be easily located in the dictionary.

Sharing of personal information, including emails, telephone numbers, and home addresses should be limited or done with a lot of caution. One can type the web addresses into the browser to determine their authenticity other than opening links provided in the emails that may lead to fraudulent sites. One can also choose not to reply to email messages that require submission of personal information. There are also security essentials in terms of software that should be installed on the computer. It will help regulate the stream of information or data in and out of the computer by only allowing safe communication and blocking unsafe traffic. One could also use antivirus software, which protects the computer from spyware, ad-aware, worms and viruses.

Many countries around the world have established reporting channels that help the victims reach the necessary authorities with ease. Public awareness campaigns should be carried out at intervals to educate on internet security. This can also allow the public to know the natures of cyber crime threats and their range. An example of such is by Canada for the safety of its citizens online. Stiffer penalties should be put in place, such as huge fines and jail sentence for the offenders. The central idea of cyber crime strategies is to ensure that the rule of law is enforced to minimize such cases. This will ensure that the legal rights of the ICT and online environment are all protected. All nations should come up with legislation that deals with cyber crime offenders.