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Crimes using computers
Theft of Computer time
I computers are used by a large number of people then each person usually has their own code or password. By finding out and using someone else's code the user is stealing someone else's time and sometimes by 'piggybacking' is getting free use of someone else's facilities.
Financial Fraud
The rerouting of funds which literally disappear from one account and reappear in another account.
Funds taken from accounts by using cheques which are specially produced to get around a company's security system.
Rounding off fraud is when percentages are rounded down especially with the interest rate on loans. This can add up to a large amount of money which is usually kept in a separate account.
Accessing confidential programmes by getting into records criminals can gain detailed knowledge of another company's secrets. In some cases personnel records might give opportunities for blackmail.
Crimes against computers
Sabotage
This can be deliberate damage to hardware or software. Why? If the aim is total destruction there can be a number of reasons.
1) In the early days people feared that computers would take their jobs (like the luddites).
2) Some political activists have destroyed computers to object against the policies of a particular company e.g. animal rights against pharmaceuticals.
3) Personal revenge
Other forms of sabotage might be a 'Virus' which destroy existing programmes
records or to create an error why?
- to create extra work and be paid overtime
- to hide certain information. This is often used to hide VAT and Tax.
Who Commits Computer Crimes ?
People working on their own especially in fraud and theft. These people are usually men in their 20's with considerable knowledge and expertise. Some offenders are know as hackers who are mainly teenagers totally obsessed with computers who experiment usually for a joke, which can often become criminal acts. This has become the theme for many films e.g. Hackers and War games.
