Cyber Crime Overview: What is a Cyber Criminal?

It happens literally hundreds if not thousands of time a day; someone will be the victim of a cyber crime. In fact, recent studies have shown that in Great Britain, a cyber crime occurs once every 10 seconds. The problem with cyber crime is that there's no clear cut boundaries about where the Internet begins and where it ends. However, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself from becoming a victim.



In July of 2004 most countries including the United States attended a Cyber Crime Convention and came up with an international definition. While cyber crime usually refers to any criminal activity that involved a computer or computer network, the definition also incorporates spamming, copyright crimes, unauthorized access to another's computer or network, hacking, child pornography, identity theft, security fraud, and certain financial frauds. Industrial and economic espionage would also be considered a cyber crime if the use of a computer was involved.



At this time 48 states have some type of computer fraud and misuse law that is tailored after the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of the Federal Criminal Code. There's also the Economic Espionage Act that is a Federal law.



The punishment if convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act could include fines and a prison sentence of between five and twenty-five years. If convicted of a crime under the Economic Espionage Act you could pay a fine that ranges from $500,000 to $5 million as well as serving a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years. The laws cover bank records, but not medical records, videotape rental protection, but not magazine subscriptions, credit record protection but not insurance record protection, etc.



You should run routine maintenance on your computer that includes a program that gets rid of spyware. In addition, you should run a good anti-virus protection program and never open e-mails where you don't know the sender. Your computer should also have a good firewall program that offers you some protection while you are out surfing the Internet or doing other online activities.



Cyber crime is a serious international problem that shows no signs of getting better in the coming years. As more and more businesses and people use the Internet for everything from banking to shopping, your personal data is more vulnerable than ever. So protect yourself out there on the world wide web. Likewise, if you are accused of committing a cyber crime, it can be important to understand the laws related to computer use so you are able to defend your rights.







Experienced criminal defense attorneys can help individuals who have been accused of criminal acts. If you've been charged with a white collar crime, you should seek the advice of qualified criminal attorneys who can help you develop a successful defense strategy.