The last two years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic have made us all the more dependent on technology — including the internet, online banking, shopping, debt repayment, etc. The more technology we use, the more we get exposed to cybercrime or digital crime.
Cybercrime can take the form of robbery, cybercrime, identity theft, cyberbullying, cyberbullying, child pornography, data theft, cyberstalking, cyber fraud, crypto-jacking and cyberespionage.
Given its global popularity, it is getting increasingly difficult to combat cybercrime. Unlike ordinary crimes where material theft or physical harm is common, cybercrimes work under the guise of shadow. For this reason, the public and law enforcement agencies pay close attention to non-cyber crimes.
Cybercrime can easily be committed without compromising the perpetrator’s identity, freedom or life, making it a lucrative career that does not require much skill. Anyone with access to technology can violate another person’s privacy, with or without their knowledge
Online money laundering, identity theft and phishing scams are rampant and most regular computer users are unable to detect malicious play. We share our personal data over the internet every day and most of us are unaware of the digital security of the companies whose services we access.
There are fewer ways to report or investigate a cybercrime. Many police services have been diverted to law and order and crime prevention. Special laws are enforced with digital lawsuits, and law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating such crimes often have fewer staff members and resources.
There are three key areas to consider in order to curb digital crime. One is the awareness of the crime itself, the second is reporting of the crime, and the third is the prevention of such crimes.
Awareness is very low among internet users and victims of cybercrime often do not know the ways to complain about a cybercrime. An additional challenge is the amount of time it takes to verify a complaint and transfer it to different data companies for a formal response.
Raising awareness of cybercrime is the responsibility of the community and the police. In many cases of digital crime against women, victims are reluctant to continue the crime-reporting process for the fear of stigma and lack of support from their families. As in other cases, they are required to go to law enforcement to record their statement and follow up. This makes the process difficult and many women choose to not go out and even report the crime.
For children, community stakeholders include parents, teachers, schools and the police. When enough information is available to the public about how to prevent such crimes and what to do in the event of a crime, prevention and detection become easier. Cybercrimes against children often come from asking for friendships on social media, where a child is exposed to pornography, graphic violence, abuse and exploitation.
To improve online security to protect our lives and communities, we must invest in awareness campaigns. The police must be well-trained to develop and implement an effective response system.
About the author: The writer is a Cyber Security Researcher.