Computer crimes

Cybercrime al affiliation: Computer Crimes Computer crime is unlawful activities that mainly employ information technology in gaining illegal or unauthorized access to computer systems. The illegal access is geared towards damage creation, deletion or alteration of computer data. Computer crime has been on rise recently because persons involve in such crime take low risks. Additionally, the rise of computer crime is attributed to inexistence of laws related to computer crime (Fisch & White, 1999).
Computer crime is not always associated with physical damage of property. The constituents are rather the change of the most important information. They also include access and use of software without developer’s rights meaning that the original software developer is denied the rights by counterfeit software. The criminal activities are a breach to the human and information privacy (Casey, 2011).
Hacking is one of the most witnessed computer crimes. It involves illegal access of a computer system. However, not all hackers can cause serious damage to computer system. The criminal breaks all the initial security measures installed by the computer owner in order to commit an illegal event (Casey, 2011).
Another event is the phishing crime. It is known as acquiring sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and other crucial information such as credit card information. The criminal disguises as a trustworthy source in order to acquire these credentials (Casey, 2011).
Computer viruses are also another set of criminal activities. They are programmed to interfere with the normal working of the computer. They spread to other computers through networks and files send to those computers. Mostly viruses are spread through internet use.
The best prevention for cyber crime is by installation of restrictions. Restrictions can be both physical and by using software walls such as anti-virus programs. Securing the computer with valid and strong passwords can also be a good method to guard it (Casey, 2011).

Reference
Casey, E. (2011). Digital Evidence and Computer Crime: Forensic Science, Computers and the Internet. California: Academic Press.