computer crime and security threats

Introduction

Data technologies poses numerous threats to businesses, institutions and people alike. Personal computer related threats might be either unintended or intended. Individuals with criminal intentions normally conduct the latter. Technology has transformed seemingly timid individuals into high tech criminals. In the past, one could simply utilize Security camera systems for protection, but not with these types of attacks. They have the potential to destroy the integrity or confidentiality of documents thus utilizing the information for their own ill intentioned purposes. The essay shall examine web crime and methods one can deal with it through IT security. (Honeynet, 2005)

How personal computer crime occurs

The world today is filled with malicious, careless or unscrupulous people. Some internet crimes are committed by members of the same organization although others could be committed by specialists who may have specialized in on-line crime. (Honeynet, 2005)

The initial category of criminals are disloyal staff members. These are individuals who have access to sensitive data and decide to dispense it to companies competitors or to company enemies. In such companies, employees have minimal sense of responsibility. It is likely that when they dispense sensitive data to competitors, they get material advantages in return. Ultimately, companies loose their competitive benefit.

Computer crime might happen in the form of unauthorized access to data. Here, people can gain access to information by figuring out passwords. In this case, passwords that are really obvious or those one that are shorter than six letters or also those ones that have been utilized for too lengthy are particularly susceptible.

Sometimes, the individuals who could bring about serious security threats are administrators themselves. Companies that face the highest risk are those ones that have 1 system both for normal production and for other specialized purposes. Also, such firms tend to give privileges to personal computer programmers who could abuse their positions. It is also likely that such businesses do not have a two-sided system of clarification. (Mandia and Prosise, 2001)