QUESTION5: ‘CRIMINALS ARE DRAWN THE INTERNET BECAUSE THE CLOAK OF CYBERSPACE IS VIRTUALLY IMPENETRABLE’. DISCUSS.

We agree that ‘Criminals are drawn the internet because the cloak of cyberspace is virtually impenetrable’. Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place. The study shows that a complex and sophisticated criminal economy has developed to take benefit of on Web vulnerabilities.

In Russia, China, Brazil and the Ukraine real cyber crime mafias have now take over. Cyber crime mafias goals are purely economic gain, this is underscoring that hacking could be highly lucrative. As a result, in 2006 only a small percentage of attackers employed camouflaging techniques but this number soared to 80 percent during the first half of 2007. The end of the 2007 reached nearly 100 percent. This result can make people believes that the criminal element will contribute to a proliferation of attacks in next few year. ( Physorg,2006)

The internet is an attractive place for criminals to focus attention because it existing unique opportunities features to protect their identity, make sure successful achievement of the offence and to facilitate an escape if necessary. Criminals normally hide their actual identity and position by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating through unknown free email accounts and mobile phones.

According to Quarantiello : “Criminals are drawn to the internet because the cloak of cyberspace is virtually impenetrable and gives a sense of safety.” This is because no any physical evidence in online, criminals will feel more safety compare to cheat people in reality. Underground brokers are delivering tools to help ambiguous or conceal attacks on browsers, so cyber criminals can avoid detection by security software. . Victims are difficult to find out the criminals in real world and to find any evidence to prove criminal had cheated their money. It is possible might be find out but low chance. We didn’t know what are the criminal’s background and real identity in this real world. .

A clever criminal will ensure that the victim and the internet servers involved are all in divide countries. It is because different countries will not hand evidence over. Criminals generally keep the crimes small and move the elements of it around so if they are convicted it is of a very small crime.

By trawling websites, bulletin boards and chat rooms cyber criminals can infiltrate a user’s system and steal potential targets IDs and passwords or obtain private information like National Identification numbers and credit card information. The low possibility of being caught and the quite high-rewards on offer helped the criminal gangs to cover an attractive picture of a cyber criminal's life, said Mr Day. (BBC NEWS, 2009)

As a conclusion, Mr Day also said that cybercrime is no longer in its infancy, it is big business. For all user should be careful than before to make sure they are not target of the criminal especially is teenagers so teenagers should have wisdom to identify what is wrong and what is correct. (BBC NEWS, 2006)