BACHELOR OF TEACHING (PRIMARY EDUCATION) WITH HONOUR

SMP-JAN-2011

SEMESTER SEPTEMBER TAHUN 2011

OUMH1203-SMP ENGLISH FOR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

NO. MATRIKULASI NO. KAD PENGNEALAN NO. TELEFON E-MEL PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN

: : : : :

780413016415001 780413016415 0137503604 winr2045@yahoo.com Universiti Terbuka Malaysia Cawangan Johor Bahru

OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

CYBER CRIME. Definitions. Computer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Netcrime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Such crimes may threaten a nations security and financial health. Issues surrounding this type of crime have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding cracking, copyright infringement, child pornography, and child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise. Internationally, both governmental and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Activity crossing international borders and involving the interests of at least one nationstate is sometimes referred to as cyber warfare. The international legal system is attempting to hold actors accountable for their actions through the International Criminal Court.

Types of cyber crimes. Computer crime encompasses a broad range of activities. Generally, however, it may be divided into two categories: (1) crimes that target computers and directly; (2) crimes facilitated by computer networks or devices, the primary target of which is independent of the computer network or device. Crimes that primarily target computer networks or devices include:

Computer viruses Denial-of-service attacks Malware (malicious code)

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Crimes that use computer networks or devices to advance other ends include:

Cyberstalking Fraud and identity theft Information warfare Phishing scams

Spam Spam, or the unsolicited sending of bulk email for commercial purposes, is unlawful in some jurisdictions. While anti-spam laws are relatively new, limits on unsolicited electronic communications have existed for some time.[6] Fraud Computer fraud is any dishonest misrepresentation of fact intended to let another to do or refrain from doing something which causes loss. In this context, the fraud will result in obtaining a benefit by:

Altering computer input in an unauthorized way. This requires little technical expertise and is not an uncommon form of theft by employees altering the data before entry or entering false data, or by entering unauthorized instructions or using unauthorized processes;

Altering, destroying, suppressing, or stealing output, usually to conceal unauthorized transactions: this is difficult to detect;

Altering or deleting stored data; Altering or misusing existing system tools or software packages, or altering or writing code for fraudulent purposes.

Other forms of fraud may be facilitated using computer systems, including bank fraud, identity theft, extortion, and theft of classified information. The content of websites and other electronic communications may be distasteful, obscene or offensive for a variety of reasons. In some instances these communications may be illegal.
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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Over 25 jurisdictions place limits on certain speech and ban racist, blasphemous, politically subversive, libelous or slanderous, seditious, or inflammatory material that tends to incite hate crimes. The extent to which these communications are unlawful varies greatly between countries, and even within nations. It is a sensitive area in which the courts can become involved in arbitrating between groups with strong beliefs. One area of Internet pornography that has been the target of the strongest efforts at curtailment is child pornography. Harassment Whereas content may be offensive in a non-specific way, harassment directs obscenities and derogatory comments at specific individuals focusing for example on gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation. This often occurs in chat rooms, through newsgroups, and by sending hate e-mail to interested parties (see cyber bullying, cyber stalking, harassment by computer, hate crime, Online predator, and stalking). Any comment that may be found derogatory or offensive is considered harassment. Drug trafficking Drug traffickers are increasingly taking advantage of the Internet to sell their illegal substances through encrypted e-mail and other Internet Technology.Some drug traffickers arrange deals at internet cafes, use courier Web sites to track illegal packages of pills, and swap recipes for amphetamines in restricted-access chat rooms. The rise in Internet drug trades could also be attributed to the lack of face-to-face communication. These virtual exchanges allow more intimidated individuals to more comfortably purchase illegal drugs. The sketchy effects that are often associated with drug trades are severely minimized and the filtering process that comes with physical interaction fades away.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Cyber terrorism Government officials and Information Technology security specialists have documented a significant increase in Internet problems and server scans since early 2001. But there is a growing concern among federal officials that such intrusions are part of an organized effort by cyberterrorists, foreign intelligence services, or other groups to map potential security holes in critical systems. A cyberterrorist is someone who intimidates or coerces a government or organization to advance his or her political or social objectives by launching computer-based attack against computers, network, and the information stored on them. Cyber terrorism in general, can be defined as an act of terrorism committed through the use of cyberspace or computer resources (Parker 1983). As such, a simple propaganda in the Internet, that there will be bomb attacks during the holidays can be considered cyberterrorism. As well there are also hacking activities directed towards individuals, families, organized by groups within networks, tending to cause fear among people, demonstrate power, collecting information relevant for ruining peoples' lives, robberies, blackmailing etc. Cyberextortion is a form of cyberterrorism in which a website, e-mail server, or computer system is subjected to repeated denial of service or other attacks by malicious hackers, who demand money in return for promising to stop the attacks. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cyberextortionists are increasingly attacking corporate websites and networks, crippling their ability to operate and demanding payments to restore their service. More than 20 cases are reported each month to the FBI and many go unreported in order to keep the victim's name out of the domain. Perpetrators typically use a distributed denial-of-service attack. Cyber warfare The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) notes that cyberspace has emerged as a national-level concern through several recent events of geo-strategic significance. Among those are included the attack on Estonia's infrastructure in 2007, allegedly by Russian hackers. "In August 2008, Russia again allegedly conducted cyber attacks, this time in a coordinated and synchronized kinetic and non-kinetic campaign against the country of Georgia.
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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Fearing that such attacks may become the norm in future warfare among nation-states, the concept of cyberspace operations impacts and will be adapted by war fighting military commanders in the future. Cyber crimes in Malaysia and USA More than 4,000 cybercrime cases reported in Malaysia from 2008 to 2009.More than 4,000 cyber complaints, mostly concerning cyber crimes have been lodged with Cybersecurity Malaysia in the past two years. The complaints, mostly consisted of hack threats, fraud, denial of services and other computer problems such files lost or corrupted by viruses. There were about 2,000 complaints in 2007.In 2008, a total of 2,123 cases were lodged with Cybersecurity . While in USA, FBI Report 2009 on cybercrime shows that from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Web site received 336,655 complaint submissions. This was a 22.3% increase as compared to 2008 . The total dollar loss from all referred cases was $559.7 million with a median dollar loss of $575. This is up from $264.6 million in total reported losses in 2008. Complaints received by IC3 cover many different fraud and non-fraud categories, including auction fraud, non-delivery of merchandise, credit card fraud, computer intrusions, spam/unsolicited email, and child pornography. In addition to FBI scams, popular scam trends for 2009 included: 1. hitman scams, 2. astrological reading frauds, 3. economic scams, 4. job site scams, 5. fake pop-up ads for antivirus software.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

How to overcome Cyber Crimes. Cyber crimes or Internet crime schemes that steal millions of dollars each year from victims continue to plague the Internet through various methods. Following are preventative measures that will assist us in being informed prior to entering into transactions over the Internet: Auction Fraud

Before you bid, contact the seller with any questions you have. Review the seller's feedback. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Ensure you understand refund, return, and warranty policies. Determine the shipping charges before you buy. Be wary if the seller only accepts wire transfers or cash. If an escrow service is used, ensure it is legitimate. Consider insuring your item. Be cautious of unsolicited offers.

Counterfeit Cashier's Check

Inspect the cashier's check. Ensure the amount of the check matches in figures and words. Check to see that the account number is not shiny in appearance. Be watchful that the drawer's signature is not traced. Official checks are generally perforated on at least one side. Inspect the check for additions, deletions, or other alterations. Contact the financial institution on which the check was drawn to ensure legitimacy.

Obtain the bank's telephone number from a reliable source, not from the check itself.

Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Credit Card Fraud

Ensure a site is secure and reputable before providing your credit card number online.

Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure. If purchasing merchandise, ensure it is from a reputable source. Promptly reconcile credit card statements to avoid unauthorized charges. Do your research to ensure legitimacy of the individual or company. Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails.

Debt Elimination

Know who you are doing business with do your research. Obtain the name, address, and telephone number of the individual or company. Research the individual or company to ensure they are authentic. Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Ensure you understand all terms and conditions of any agreement. Be wary of businesses that operate from P.O. boxes or maildrops. Ask for names of other customers of the individual or company and contact them. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Employment/Business Opportunities

Be wary of inflated claims of product effectiveness. Be cautious of exaggerated claims of possible earnings or profits. Beware when money is required up front for instructions or products. Be leery when the job posting claims "no experience necessary". Do not give your social security number when first interacting with your prospective employer.

Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Be wary when replying to unsolicited emails for work-at-home employment.
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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Research the company to ensure they are authentic. Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.

Escrow Services Fraud

Always types in the website address yourselves rather than clicking on a link provided.

A legitimate website will be unique and will not duplicate the work of other companies.

Be cautious when a site requests payment to an "agent", instead of a corporate entity.

Be leery of escrow sites that only accept wire transfers or e-currency. Be watchful of spelling errors, grammar problems, or inconsistent information. Beware of sites that have escrow fees that are unreasonably low.

Identity Theft

Ensure websites are secure prior to submitting your credit card number. Do your homework to ensure the business or website is legitimate. Attempt to obtain a physical address, rather than a P.O. box or maildrop. Never throw away credit card or bank statements in usable form. Be aware of missed bills which could indicate your account has been taken over. Be cautious of scams requiring you to provide your personal information. Never give your credit card number over the phone unless you make the call. Monitor your credit statements monthly for any fraudulent activity. Report unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card company as soon as possible.

Review a copy of your credit report at least once a year.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Internet Extortion

Security needs to be multi-layered so that numerous obstacles will be in the way of the intruder.

Ensure security is installed at every possible entry point. Identify all machines connected to the Internet and assess the defense that's engaged.

Identify whether your servers are utilizing any ports that have been known to represent insecurities.

Ensure you are utilizing the most up-to-date patches for your software.

Investment Fraud

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of promises to make fast profits. Do not invest in anything unless you understand the deal. Don't assume a company is legitimate based on "appearance" of the website. Be leery when responding to investment offers received through unsolicited email.

Be wary of investments that offer high returns at little or no risk. Independently verify the terms of any investment that you intend to make. Research the parties involved and the nature of the investment. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.

Lotteries

If the lottery winnings appear too good to be true, they probably are. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Be leery if you do not remember entering a lottery or contest. Be cautious if you receive a telephone call stating you are the winner in a lottery. Beware of lotteries that charge a fee prior to delivery of your prize. Be wary of demands to send additional money to be eligible for future winnings.
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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

It is a violation of federal law to play a foreign lottery via mail or phone.

Nigerian Letter or "419"

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is. Do not reply to emails asking for personal banking information. Be wary of individuals representing themselves as foreign government officials. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Beware when asked to assist in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.

Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation. Guard your account information carefully. Be cautious when additional fees are requested to further the transaction.

Phishing/Spoofing

Be suspicious of any unsolicited email requesting personal information. Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal information. Always compare the link in the email to the link that you are actually directed to. Log on to the official website, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email. Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if the email is genuine.

Ponzi/Pyramid

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of promises to make fast profits. Exercise diligence in selecting investments. Be vigilant in researching with whom you choose to invest. Make sure you fully understand the investment prior to investing. Be wary when you are required to bring in subsequent investors. Independently verify the legitimacy of any investment. Beware of references given by the promoter.
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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Reshipping

Be cautious if you are asked to ship packages to an "overseas home office." Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Be leery if the individual states that his country will not allow direct business shipments from the United States.

Be wary if the "ship to" address is yours but the name on the package is not. Never provide your personal information to strangers in a chatroom. Don't accept packages that you didn't order. If you receive packages that you didn't order, either refuse them upon delivery or contact the company where the package is from.

Spam

Don't open spam. Delete it unread. Never respond to spam as this will confirm to the sender that it is a "live" email address.

Have a primary and secondary email address - one for people you know and one for all other purposes.

Avoid giving out your email address unless you know how it will be used. Never purchase anything advertised through an unsolicited email.

Third Party Receiver of Funds

Do not agree to accept and wire payments for auctions that you did not post. Be leery if the individual states that his country makes receiving these type of funds difficult.

Be cautious when the job posting claims "no experience necessary". Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

There are some prevention method that I think can be use to overcome the cyber crime problem. The methods that I think that Malaysian government and individual Malaysians can do to curb and reduce cyber crimes in Malaysia. The methods are :

1. Firewalls 2. Frequent password changing 3. Safe surfing 4. Frequent virus checks 5. Email filters

Firewalls: These are programs, which protect a user from unauthorized access attacks while on a network. They provide access to only known users, or people who the user permits. Frequent password changing: With the advent of multi-user systems, security has become dependent on passwords. Thus one should always keep passwords to sensitive data secure. Changing them frequently and keeping them sufficiently complex in the first place can do this.

Safe surfing: This is a practice, which should be followed by all users on a network. Safe surfing involves keeping ones e-mail address private, not chatting on open systems, which do not have adequate protection methods, visiting secure sites. Accepting data from only known users, downloading carefully, and then from known sites also minimizes risk.

Frequent virus checks: One should frequently check ones computer for viruses and worms. Also any external media such as floppy disks and CD ROMS should always be virus checked before running.

Email filters: These are programs, which monitor the inflow of mails to the inbox and delete automatically any suspicious or useless mails thus reducing the chances of being bombed or spoofed.

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

Conclusion.

With the information highway having entered our very homes, we are all at increasing risk of being affected by Cybercrime. Everything about our lives is in some manner affected by computers. Under the circumstances its high time we sat up and took notice of the events shaping our destinies on the information highway. Cybercrime is everyones problem. And its time we did something to protect ourselves. Information is the best form of protection. (3100 words)

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OUMH 1203 SMP CYBER CRIME IN MALAYSIA AND USA : WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN MALAYSIA ?

References Balkin, J., Grimmelmann, J., Katz, E., Kozlovski, N., Wagman, S. & Zarsky, T. (2006) (eds) Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment, New York University Press, New York. Brenner, S. (2007) Law in an Era of Smart Technology, Oxford: Oxford University Press Csonka P. (2000) Internet Crime; the Draft council of Europe convention on cyber-crime: A response to the challenge of crime in the age of the internet? Computer Law & Security Report Vol.16 no.5. Easttom C. (2010) Computer Crime Investigation and the Law Fafinski, S. (2009) Computer Misuse: Response, regulation and the law Cullompton: Willan Grabosky, P. (2006) Electronic Crime, New Jersey: Prentice Hall McQuade, S. (2006) Understanding and Managing Cybercrime, Boston: Allyn & Bacon. McQuade, S. (ed) (2009) The Encyclopedia of Cybercrime, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Parker D (1983) Fighting Computer Crime, U.S.: Charles Scribners Sons. Robertson, J. (2010, March 2). Authorities bust 3 in infection of 13m computers. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from Boston News: Boston.com Walden, I. (2007) Computer Crimes and Digital Investigations, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wall, D.S. (2007) Cybercrimes: The transformation of crime in the information age, Cambridge: Polity. Williams, M. (2006) Virtually Criminal: Crime, Deviance and Regulation Online, Routledge, London. Yar, M. (2006) Cybercrime and Society, London: Sage.

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