Cybercrime Is a Threat to Network Security

            The improvement of computers along with Internet progress has created the potential accomplishment of the wide environment within research, communication, and expertise. Regrettably, these days, there is a fact that the computers along with the Internet have been supplying innovative natural surroundings designed for crime to exist. In fact, the progress and improvement have been presenting a new issue which is cybercrime to have appeared in the world of the Internet. This term of cybercrime includes the styles, the techniques, as well as the impacts of cybercrimes cause on a network. Hackers and further criminals in the virtual world of The Internet have been attempting to get the most trustworthy confidently information by using some viruses and other types of malicious software.

In addition to this, there are increasing numbers of data breaches’ appearances which impacted lots of companies, governmental services, and also political associations. Furthermore, along with the growth of technology, crime has also been evolving with the progress of social media as well. The link between technologies, along with the models of crimes that are conducted is totally astounding. Thus, it is quite essential for the companies that doing their business in this modern world of technology to identify the types of cybercrimes, the risk of cybercrimes in relation to the Information Technology or IT, and also how to tackle down all types of cybercrimes(Yassir & Nayak, 2012). 

Literature Review
What is Cybercrime?

            Wall (2017) proposed that throughout the last quarter-century, cybercrime has been evolving from only a small fantasy of hackers into a subject of national priority and even has also turned out as a serious international issue. In a few words, digital and networked technology has generated a type of environment whereas there is no more necessity for the criminals to perform a big crime which will trigger a huge risk for them. In fact, criminals could easily gain a big amount of money by performing cybercrime. This is due to cybercrime which defines as any type of criminal activity that engages a computer or network has succeeded to give a big amount of money for the attackers by targeting big companies(Wall, 2017).

What are the types of Cybercrime?

            Marcum (2019) has explained in her book that there are three main classifications of cybercrimes as mentioned below:

Cybercrimes against people

These types of cybercrimes involve cyber harassment, aggravation, allocation of children pornography, human trafficking, identity theft, credit card fraud, spoofing, as well as online defame.

Cybercrimes against Government

If cybercrime is conducted against the Government, then that cybercrime could be considered as a type of attack on that country’s sovereignty. These types of cybercrimes include cyber warfare, hacking, cyber terrorism, accessing the government confidential information, and also pirated software.

Cybercrimes against property

The cybercrimes under this context appear against the property like a server or a computer. The types of crimes could be mentioned as hacking, DDoS attacks, virus transfer, computer vandalism, cyber and typo cowering, or copyright violation(Marcum, 2019).

Cybercrime and Information Technology or IT

Sharma (2015) has mentioned that the cyber world is a type of virtual world in which the machines are connected with the help of Information Technology or IT. Likewise, various networks could act as a reflection of various countries that are universally connected to one another throughout the Internet. Now, such a virtual world acquires computer systems or else a network. For this reason, each network will able to communicate with each other, sending, and receiving information. Furthermore, the author has also stated that the Internet has been touching every single corner of modern society nowadays. In fact, it has turned out to become a concept of cultural communication. Moreover, it is even respected as acquiring its own cultural dimensions. As a potential device of transmission, the Internet has placed some new uncertainties not just in the social world, instead, also within the legal world as well(Sharma, 2015).

Hollywood, Woods, Lauland, Jackson, and Silberglitt (2018) proposed that the field of criminal justice has been facing a great number of opportunities in the context of Information Technology or IT. On the other hand, there are also appear some barriers such as a deficiency of business cases, lack of adoption plans and processes, lack of control of privacy, security, as well as the protection of human rights. All of these circumstances have hindered the capability of Information Technology or IT to take the benefits of those great opportunities. Furthermore, the authors also declared that regardless of increasing burden which aims to utilize cybersecurity and also secure the privacy of the public along with the human rights when implementing big data, analytics, observation technologies, and principles remain conflicting, have been resulting in privacy and security concerns. Thus, this has triggered the rise of cybercrime in the world of the Internet(S.Hollywood, et al., 2018).

The risks of cyber criminality

            McGuire (2016) has stated in a journal that the risk presented by cybercrime has almost and often been categorized as consistently evolving. The reason behind this is due to “A massively connected, increasingly intelligent network, where services are provided by third parties over whom we little control and even less knowledge.” For this reason, if cybercrime is considered as one of the impacts of technology expansion, then cybercrime might only an ever-changing transformation that should be adjusted by modern society. However, the author, later on, mentioned that it is quite hard to wrap up anything over than existing conditions that will not be enough for the new risk of cybercrime(McGuire, 2016).  

            According to Renaud, Flowerday, Warkentin, Cockshott, and Orgeron (2018) in their journal, the risk of cybersecurity, specifically, the malicious activities of cybercrimes along with their instruments is essentially diverse from other types of crime risks. In fact, the risks of cybercrimes could be more challenging for some reasons. The first reason mentioned as the field of cybercrime is quite fluid and able to adapt rapidly. The second reason was that most of the pre-installed software on personal devices is appeared to be vulnerable to the attacks. Lastly, sometimes the non-professional device owner unintentionally negotiates security due to various motives. Hence, the combination of these three factors has ensured the cybercrimes to find the weaknesses to be exploited easily(Renaud, et al., 2018).    

Wheatley, Maillart, and Sornette (2016) assumed in their journal that private data breaches as one of the risks of cybercrimes has been extremely impacting both customers and companies. For example, there is a loss in average financial, and thus, it is not a surprising fact that this might result in quick negative effects within the traded companies’ stock value. In addition to this, the governments, companies, along with some insurance companies have begun to place the cyber risks as one of the biggest and influencing risks that they have to face. A report even mentioned that big companies have appeared to have more appealing assets to inspire any type of cyber attack(Wheatley, et al., 2016).

Solutions of Cybercrime Is a Threat to Network Security

            From the literature above, we can make a strong argument that Cybercrime really performs as a serious threat to the network security that attacks individuals, organizations, and also countries. For this reason, it is highly fundamental for us to get to know properly how to prevent and shelter our system from any type of cybercrime.

Anyone who is using the internet may face the issue regarding the privacy policy of the data. Hackers and further criminals in the virtual world of the Internet have been attempting to get the most trustworthy confidently information by using some viruses and other types of malicious software. The risk of cybersecurity in the malicious activities of cybercrimes along with their instruments is essentially diverse from other types of crime risks. In fact, the risks of cybercrimes could be more challenging for some reasons.  There should be precautions regarding the safety of the information of the user. In order to do these things, there are some solutions for us to prevent, or at least, minimize the possibility of getting attacked by cybercrime(Holt & Bossler, 2015):

Internet security suite

The private and professional information of any user should be secured with the proper network security which means that the protection security suite is used to existing and emerging malware in the security program.

Strong password

Users should never use simple and short passwords to access the data on different sites. Users should use complex and symbolic characters which should be a combination of different characters and symbols that could help you to lock the documents.

An updated version of the software

The software network which is used in the system should be updated with time to time so that any fictitious malware could not attack the file and crypt it, therefore updated operating software should be used in the system.

Manage social media applications

In the trending use of social media sites, it should be used that the files and personal data access should not be open that anyone could access it easily. Social engineering cybercriminals could access the information with little information provided.

Security breaches

If there is any breach in the security network contract, there should be immediate steps to secure the account and information which need to be secured.

Identification of the hacker networks

If there is any issue regarding the network security there should be the identification of the network which becomes a cause of the malicious virus. If the virus could not be detected there will be further stealing of the data of the user.

Use powerful network connection

The use of a strong password is not enough to secure the network, therefore, there should be a strong network connection which could manage the data in a way that cybercriminal could not approach the data easily.

Install a firewall and make sure that it is configured appropriately so that there are no possible access points are left unprotected.

Install and update the latest antivirus protection tools regularly. These tools support not only for PCs, but also for tablets, Macs, and also smartphones.

Make sure to maintain the improved anti-spam protections since email still remains the main point of weakness for almost all of the companies across the world.

Apply the internet or web filtering. In current years, some malevolent websites have come forward as the most favorite access point for malware.

Make sure that the systems are able to receive all of the officials recommended updates promptly. This applies to both software and application systems.

Install a wide-ranging monitoring system to detect and isolate any types of aggressive occasions quickly.

Maintain wide-range, frequent, consistent backup along with the recovery systems which have the capability of meeting the objectives of Recovery Time Objective or RTO and Recovery Point Objective or RPO. This will be a critical measure in the occasion that data is removed or locked by the hackers.

Install a user education on safe and security practices, together with mobile devices, and smartphones or tablets that belong to the company. Make sure to set up the security standards intended for user behavior, and impose them as well.

Perform a security audit for every single year

Take help from expert analysts to evaluate the system and security practices intended for any vulnerability or weakness regularly. Make sure to keep close with the changing setting of various security threats. 

Conclusion of Cybercrime Is a Threat to Network Security

This term of cyber crime includes the styles, the techniques, as well as the impacts of cybercrimes cause on a network. There are three types of cybercrime which mentioned such as cybercrimes against people, cybercrimes against government, and also cybercrimes against property. Since the risk presented by cybercrime have almost and often been categorized as consistently evolving, both individual and organizations in these modern technology days need to prevent, or at least, minimize the possibility of getting attacked by cybercrimes due to cybercrime really performs as a serious threat to the network security.