Antes, Conley, Morris, Schossow, Yee 1Jessica Antes, Jennifer Conley, Richard Morris, Stephanie Schossow, Zonia Yee MIS 304 Professor F. Fang December 9, 2008 Cyber Crimes: Real Life and in the Virtual World Introduction Cyber crime is a growing concern both domestically and internationally. Cyber crime was the only concern once the Internet was accessible to everyone, but the problem has evolved into something much greater, virtual crime. First we will be discussing the different categories of cyber crimes: real life cyber crimes and virtual crimes. There is a distinction between the two types of crimes, and Cyber crimes are being taken to a whole new level in crime sprees. Due to the evolution of the virtual world and cyber crimes, some virtual crimes have crossed over into the real world. By definition cyber crimes are “unlawful acts wherein the computer is a tool or a target or both, it is also any form of threat to the public or private health or safety using the computer.” We have all heard about cyber crimes that range from financial crimes, cyber pornography, sales of illegal articles, online gambling, intellectual property crimes, e-mail spoofing, forgery, cyber defamation, and cyber stalking. Virtual Crime, as known as in game crimes, is similar to crimes that happen in real life, however, it happens in the virtual world. These crimes can range from theft, rape, murder, etc. We'll be discussing what happens when real world crimes meet the virtual world. Throughout the course ofAntes, Conley, Morris, Schossow, Yee 2this paper we will cover four different major types of cyber crimes with some real world examples, and what we can do to prevent some of these cyber crimes. The first cyber crime we will be discussing is the computer intrusion, also known as hacking. Hacker is generic term for a computer criminal often with a specific specialty in computer intrusion. While other definitions peculiar to the computer enthusiast community exist, they are rarely used in mainstream context. Computer hacking subculture is often referred to as the network hacker subculture or simply the computer underground (Sherling). Hacking developed directly from Phone Phreaking, a group which explores the phone network without authorization. Today there remains an overlap between both technology and group members of Phone Phreaking (Price). More legitimate forms of hacking are derived from early computer users in academic institutions, especially the MIT hacks. Most historians trace the roots of the hacker underground to the Yippies, a 1960s counterculture movement which published the Technological Assistance Program newsletter (Yippies). Hacker Groups The network hacking subculture is supported by regular real-world gatherings or groups called hacker conventions or "hacker cons." Hacker conventions draw in more people every year, there are several conventions during the year including SummerCon (Summer), DEF CON, HoHoCon (Christmas), PumpCon (Halloween), H.O.P.E. (Hackers on Planet Earth), and HEU (Hacking at the End of the Universe) (Thomas). The conventions have helped expand the definition and solidify the importance of the network hacker subculture in today’s world. Hacking in the MediaAntes, Conley, Morris, Schossow, Yee 3Hacking is such a large subculture in our world that has expanded into the area of media, including magazines, books, and even blockbuster movies. The most well known hacker magazines are: The Hacker Quarterly, Cult of the Dead Cow, and Legion of Doom. Hacker magazines are not just in print form, but they come in the form of ezines or internet sites. This gives hackers all over the world access to information in the ever changing culture. The magazines and ezines usually contain outdated information, however, they provide a way for people to improve the reputations of those who contributed by documenting their successes (Thomas). Fiction and Non-Fiction books about hacking are now very common. They are another way the subculture of hacking has gone mainstream. Some popular titles featuring hackers include: Snow Crash and the Sprawl Trilogy by William Gibson (Staples). Hackers from the network hacking subculture often show an interest in fictional cyberpunk and cyber culture literature and movies. The most well known movies that portray hackers include: Live Free or Die Hard, Swordfish and Enemy of the State. Hacker Attitudes The term "hacker" has a number of different meanings. Several subgroups with different attitudes and aims use different terms to define themselves from each other, or try to exclude some certain group with whom they do not agree with. In a computer security context, it is often synonymous with a computer intruder. Hackers have what some call Hacker Ethic. Hacker ethic can also be referred to as hacker belief. Hacker belief can be broken down into the following ideals: All information should be free; Mistrust authority--promote decentralization; Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteriaAntes, Conley, Morris, Schossow, Yee 4such as degrees, age, race, or position; You can create art and beauty on a computer; and Computers can change your life for the better (Taylor). It is common among hackers to use aliases for the purpose of concealing identity, rather than revealing their real names. Members of the network hacking scene are often being stereotypically described as crackers by the academic hacker subculture, yet they see themselves as hackers and even try to include academic hackers in what they see as one wider hacker culture, a view harshly rejected by the academic hacker subculture itself (Stuart). Hackers have broken themselves up into various groups based on their hacking intension. There are six hacker groups: White hat, Grey hat, Black hat, Cyber terrorist, Script Kiddie, and Hacktivist. The Following chart matches the hacker group names with their defined intensions (Cordingley). White Hat A white hat hacker breaks security for non-malicious reasons. Grey Hat A grey hat hacker is a hacker of ambiguous ethics and/or borderline legality, often frankly admitted. Black Hat A black hat hacker is someone who subverts computer security without authorization or who uses technology for terrorism, vandalism, credit card fraud, identity theft, intellectual property theft, or many other types of crime. Cyber terrorist A Cyberterrorist uses technology to commit terrorism. Their intentions are to cause harm
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