To Catch a Thief - Deciphering Cybercrime Signatures

The Oxford Reference Online defines cybercrime as crime committed over the Internet. Some people call cybercrime “computer crime.” The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines computer crime as any crime that is committed by means of special knowledge or expert use of computer technology. Computer crime could reasonably include a wide variety of criminal offences, activities, or issues.

The scope of the definition becomes even larger with the frequent companion or substitute term “computer-related crime.” Some writers are also of the opinion that “computer crime” refers to computer-related activities which are either criminal in the legal sense of the word or just antisocial behaviour where there is no breach of the law (Lee, M.K.O. (1995). The word “hacker” should also be defined here, as it will be used extensively in this article – hackers are basically people who break into and tamper with computer information systems. The word “cracker” carries a similar meaning, and “cracking” means to decipher a code, password or encrypted message. What is concerning is that organised crime is escalating on the Internet, according to a 2002 statement by the head of Britain's National High-tech Crime Unit, Lee Hynds. According to him the Internet provides organised crime groups with “a relatively low risk theatre of operations.” As the topic of cybercrime is so wide, what I would like to do is focus on Malaysia’s Computer Crimes Act 1997, local law enforcement and practical tips on how to prevent cybercrime. Computer crime laws in other countries, the enforcement and multilateral efforts to harmonise laws against cybercrime will be discussed in next month’s column. Are there laws in Malaysia to prosecute cybercriminals? What are the penalties for cybercriminals in Malaysia and around the world? Share your comments with the Cloud and Cyber Security Center: http://cloudandcybersecurity.blogspot.com/