Question

Letter to editor on increase in cyber crime

Answer 1

Cyber Crimes are acts done with an intention of harming a person or a group of people psychologically or economically using modern telecommunication networks like internet through computer, mobile phones or related gadgets. These are high profile crimes done to threaten a person’s security, physical or financial; nation’s security or financial health or make major frauds for financial gains. One of the highest profiled banking computer crime occurred during a course of three years beginning in 1970. The Chief Teller at the Park Avenue branch of New York’s Union Dime Savings Bank embezzled over 1.5 million USD from hundreds of account.There has been a marked shift in cyber crimes in present times than other crimes and the cost of data breaches continues to rise. It has increased 29% to an average of 4 million USD per incident. This is huge in terms of world economy. Cyber crimes are fast dwelling in relation to trafficking in human beings, terrorism and other threats. The reasons to this can be –
Increased digital financial service like internet banking, stocks trading, etc. – Banks have come on a click for the convenience of the general public. Internet has become such an approachable medium for the population, that its misuse is predictable. EMV(chip and PIN), geo-blocking and other industry measures continue to erode card-related fraud. Criminal groups are proliferating to attack digital financing, card related transfers and manipulate or compromise payments involving contactless cards.
Rise in digital social interaction like facebook, snapchat, instagram, etc. – heightened communication on social websites have immersed as a medium for cyber criminals to widen their routes of crimes. Display of personal information and broadcasting whereabouts have led to intensified research by wrong-doers. Data breaches have become a regular act of modern life.
Lucrative return on cyber crime – Millions of Pounds can be transferred in a click once a cyber criminal is ready with its programming. Or if a criminal gets to find out the lethal details of an individual’s digital finances, he/she may execute the crime very swiftly. There are no boundaries to the amount they can make with very low risk of facing jurisdiction.
Availability of cyber crime as a service through Darknet – The Darknet continues to enable criminals involved in a range of illicit activities, such as exchange of child abuse exploitation materials. The availability of cyber crimes tools and services, and illicit commodities such as firearms on the Darknet, provides further access to criminals.
Difficulty in conviction – Cyber criminals don’t have to be hyper intelligent in order to execute a crime, they generally don’t get caught until they really make mistakes. The simplest explanation to this could be the anonymity through internet, not disclosing the real identity. Also, most internet crimes take place across international borders, thus limiting the Law enforcement agencies to jurisdictional boundaries.
The Information Technology Act, 2000 was enacted with prime objective to create an enabling environment for commercial use of I.T. This was followed by an amendment in Indian Penal Code, 1860 to combat cyber crimes. However, Cyber criminals are way ahead of digital security professionals. Regulations and law enforcement can’t keep up with the speed of technology being fabricated and misused.

Answer 2

The Editor

National Daily

ITO, New Delhi

110030

Date- 2nd December 2018

Subject- Letter concerning increase in cyber crimes.  

Sir,

With due respect, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authority through your newspaper towards the increase in the cases of cyber crimes. It is because of this reason that people have avoided being social in real life and now have turned towards social media. Because of the overuse and wrong use of internet and social media, the problem of cyber crime is increasing its pace. Hence an immediate solution needs to be found out so as to revive from this situation.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours truly

XYZ

(A concerned citizen)