Into the New Era: The Dark Side of Cyber World

“The internet is another world for you to protect yourself, another door for you to lock tightly, and another responsibility you have to keep.”

Article made by Dr. Fifth and JYCHLL

Ensuring everyone's safety can be our top priority in survival. Different types of danger are lingering one step ahead of us such as road accidents, caught in a fire, cancer, heart attack, being killed driven by uncontrollable anger, or even due to our pure insanity. However, in today's generation, harm can be done everywhere even on digital platforms. The innovation of technology created a path for criminals to cyber threats in the internet world.

According to Steve Grobman, the severity and frequency of cyber-attacks on businesses continues to rise as techniques evolve, new technologies broaden the threat surface, and the nature of work expands into home and remote environments. The following are just a few reports about the results of crimes done on the internet:

1. Last 2018 Internet crime report, FBI reported an average of 300,000 cybercrime-related complaints – that’s an average of 900 complaints per day.

2. The damage related to cybercrime hit $6 trillion annually by 2021.

3. Brand and reputational damage – 26% of respondents identified damage to their brand thanks to a cyber-attack.

4. In research conducted by the GCSIRT from CY 2003 to CY 2007, there was evidence of transnational attacks on computers and the information infrastructure and a total of 667 government websites were discovered defaced, or an aggregate of 133 government websites were attacked by defacers/hackers each year, an average of 11 incidents per month.

5. Based on this research, it was found out that 134 coded defacers (both local and international) have attacked these government websites in that five-year period. Of the attacked/hacked government websites, 507 of the 667 government websites were using the Linux operating system (OS), free and openly available software. This operating system (OS) is the most prone to attacks by defacers/hackers.

What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime is a criminal activity that focuses on the usage of the computer to target victims through a computer network or network device. This type of crime is mostly used by hackers to make money depending on their motives and interest and can be carried out by individuals or even an organization. Cybercrime’s threats to cybersecurity are social engineering, software vulnerability, and network attacks.

Let’s talk about the five sub-types of Cybercrime

1. Malware. This is a type of crime where it comes in a form of viruses, zero-day vulnerabilities, adware that infects the computer system it got into. This includes ransomware that locks the user from accessing their computer unless they pay the given amount of ransom.

2. Phishing. This is about being a con-artist and acting as a trusted person until they gain access to your computer system.

3. Identity Theft. This is a crime where the hacker gets personal info then uses this to open your bank accounts to steal money.

4. Crypto jacking is about hijacking system resources of the cryptocurrency systems to mine cryptocurrency at the expense of unsuspecting users.

5. Cyber Espionage. It doesn’t involve theft or personal or financial information but this crime is about accessing the target’s confidential documents, monitoring emails, and hacking CCTV cameras or, in a common term, spying.

In general, the most devastating cyber-attacks are dealt towards jobs, innovation, economic growth, and investments. In addition to that, at least 25% of IP theft and stealing one's IP address are big threats to the military. Those crimes may cost trillions of dollars stolen within a year, loss of job opportunities, or may even drive a company to bankruptcy. Despite this, a solution comes to every problem. If we are in a cyber-world filled with cybercrimes, of course, there is cybersecurity to the rescue.

What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is about protecting our sensitive data, personal information, intellectual property, data, and government or industrial information from thefts or any attempted damage. An effective cybersecurity policy will provide a good protection against malicious attacks aimed at accessing, modifying, removing, damaging or extorting the systems and sensitive data of an entity or consumer. No need to worry. As normal individuals, we can still make preventions.

1. We should always think twice about giving our personal information (names, home address, phone number, and email address.)

2. Restrict from accessing sensitive information over the net.

3. Avoid going into malicious or suspicious sites.

4. Always shut down your computer if you’re not using it.

5. Do not forget to lock mobile or computer devices with strong passwords and encrypt confidential data to protect and secure your personal information.

Three Important Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Ignorance and false belief may lead to fallacies. This is why you must learn where you are going into before fully diving into the internet.

2. Cybercrime is an organized crime that has gone through numerous innovations and updates its strategy to hone cybercriminal techniques.

3. Lastly, always think of ways to protect yourself. In this world, everything can be stolen but not our intellect. Our brain is a non-hackable storage device. No one can disrupt our minds but only us. Always learn, think and apply.

The internet contains an infinite possibility that bridges the past, the present, and the future. Within those possibilities are the openings for a new type of crime. If Cybercrime is left unchecked and unsupervised, this will create tons of problems that will affect our everyday life but most importantly, the future. Let us do our best to stay in check, stay secure, and never give cybercriminals the chance to attack.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/reviews/cyber-crime-affects-society-in-different-ways&ved=2ahUKEwjl3ZnArPPuAhUEa94KHerLDt8QFjABegQIBhAF&usg=AOvVaw0r497FgThwPN4GOLC8lXig

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=

https://www.thesslstore.com/blog/33-alarming-cybercrime-statistics-you-should-know/&ved=2ahUKEwjggMfdrPPuAhUZa94KHVx1AxQQFjAMegQICxAC&usg=AOvVaw3dVHinWBqHs8p6vyR3D3zg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252493157/A-trillion-dollars-lost-to-cyber-crime-every-year&ved=2ahUKEwibyaL9rPPuAhXSQN4KHa8tDyAQFjABegQIBhAF&usg=AOvVaw22WpnDpgtcprZFlnk4qGoM

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=

https://cybersecurityventures.com/hackerpocalypse-cybercrime-report-2016/&ved=2ahUKEwjYttu0rfPuAhXCP3AKHQG6Cb0QFjADegQIHxAF&usg=AOvVaw379q1XMzcVCbsTqBExSOsw

https://www.unafei.or.jp/publications/pdf/RS_No79/No79_12PA_Sosa.pdf