With the increase in several digital technologies and devices today, there’s also an increase in cyber-related incidents. As we become more reliant on technology, we also risk becoming victims of cybercrime, such as social media fraud, phishing, DOS attacks and more, which may cost us financially and compromise our safety. With the aid of cybersecurity and cyber law, we have some protection regarding the lawful use of the internet, but with advancing tech, extra preventive measures need to be considered.
The Nature of Cybercrime
So, what is cybercrime? Cybercrime is any criminal activity targeting users, computers, computer networks, or network devices. Most cybercriminals, mainly referred to as hackers, will attempt to illicit information illegally, make money fraudulently, or spread malware using networks. Some cybercriminals do both; they intercept information passing through networks and infect malware, which extends to other devices. Cyberattacks could be politically motivated or personal, meaning individuals or organisations could carry them out. Some could be highly skilled; some may be inexperienced.
Types of cybercrime
There are many different types of cybercrime, but the most common focus of cybercrime is for financial gain. Cybercrime includes ransomware attacks, internet fraud, financial fraud, identity theft, unauthorised network access, and more. One example of cybercrime, though, is called cyber extortion. This cyber attack involves the attacker demanding money from their victims. They do this by threatening a business’s operations or compromising confidential data unless paid a certain fee. An example of cyberextortion is ransomware. With ransomware, important information is encrypted by hackers, making it inaccessible, and a payment is demanded to decrypt that information. Cyberextortion can cost businesses financially and ruin their reputation,
Another form of cybercrime is called cyber espionage. With cyber espionage, a hacker attempts to access private information held by a government agency or an organisation, usually to gain a competitive advantage or for political reasons or economic gain. Some techniques used for cyber espionage could be social engineering, where unsuspecting victims are lured into giving up information and an APT (advanced persistent threat), where an intruder gains access to a network, unidentified and stays unidentified for an extended period, gathering intel. Although cybercrime can be disastrous for both users and businesses, there are some ways to prevent it from happening.
Fighting Cybercrime
Through the introduction of cyberlaw, many efforts have been put in place to fight cybercrime. Cyberlaw is a part of the legal system that deals with the law of the use of the internet, cyberspace and their respective issues, which covers a broad area, including freedom of expression, internet access and usage, online privacy and more. Cyberlaw is generally referred to as the law of the internet, and it aims to prevent or reduce large-scale damage that cybercriminal activities may cause. The increase in internet connectivity has led to a rise in cybercrime worldwide. Since cyber laws vary from country to country, enforcing these laws can be challenging. Still, successful prosecution tends to lead to fines for minor offences and imprisonment for more serious ones.
Legal efforts in fighting cybercrime
Law enforcement plays an essential role in the fight against cybercrime, ensuring its safe use and that everyone using cyberspace has some level of protection. The South African Cybercrime Act 19 of 2020 empowers investigators and the NPA (national prosecuting authority) to investigate, trace and prosecute cybercriminals. It’s also linked to the Popia Act, which safeguards the integrity and confidentiality of personal information. Experts often require access to data from devices to conduct cybercrime investigations, which can include private information, hence why it’s essential to consider the PIPA Act to ensure everything is within legal terms.
Although there are some success stories in the apprehension of cyber criminals, there is still a long list of challenges law enforcement faces. For instance, cybercriminals and victims can be located in different parts of the world, making it challenging to identify and prosecute. Also, the use of encryption and cryptocurrencies makes finding criminals a challenge. International cooperation amongst countries poses another challenge. Countries have different laws for fighting cybercrime, and a lack of a standard legal procedure presents a challenge for law enforcement.
Conclusion
Advancements in tech also mean there will be new ways cybercriminals exploit new weaknesses. As more people and businesses become reliant on technology, there is also a vulnerability to cyber-attacks, such as security breaches, fraud, identity theft, etc. Law enforcement plays a critical role in trying to combat the challenges of cybercrime, but there is still a long way to go. With the introduction of cyberlaw and the Cybercrime Act, it’s possible that cybercrime challenges can be reduced, but for now, it seems highly unlikely that they will be entirely eradicated.
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