Computer crime encompasses a broad range of illegal activities. It may be divided into two categories: 1) crimes that target computer networks or devices directly (malware, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and computer viruses) 2) crimes facilitated by computer networks or devices (cyber stalking, fraud and identity theft, phishing scams).
Malicious software (malware) is software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, and other malicious and unwanted software.
Many early infectious programs were written as experiments or pranks. Hostile intent can be found in programs designed to cause harm or data loss. Many DOS viruses were designed to destroy files on a hard disk, or to corrupt the file system.
However, since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, malicious software has come to be designed for a profit motive.
Infected "zombie computers" are used to send email spam, to host contraband data such as child pornography, or to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks.
The best-known types of malware, viruses and worms, are known for the manner in which they spread. A virus requires user intervention to spread, whereas a worm spreads automatically. It can reproduce itself and spreads from one computer to the next over a network. Before Internet access became widespread, viruses spread on personal computers by infecting programs or the executable boot sectors of floppy disks. With the rise of the MS Windows platform in the 1990s it became possible to write infectious code in the macro language of Microsoft Word and similar programs.
For a malicious program to accomplish its goals, it must be able to do so without being shut down, or deleted by the user or administrator of the computer on which it is running. When a malicious program is disguised as something innocuous or desirable, users may install it. This is the technique of the Trojan horse or Trojan. One of the most common ways that spyware is distributed is as a Trojan horse, bundled with a piece of desirable software that the user downloads from the Internet. When the user installs the software, the spyware is installed alongside. Spyware authors who attempt to act in a legal fashion may include an end-user license agreement that states the behavior of the spyware in loose terms, which the users are unlikely to read or understand.
Once a malicious program is installed on a system, it is essential that it stay concealed, to avoid detection and disinfection. Techniques known as rootkits allow this concealment, by modifying the host operating system so that the malware is hidden from the user. Rootkits can prevent a malicious process from being visible in the system's list of processes. Some malicious programs contain routines to defend against removal, not merely to hide themselves, but to repel attempts to remove them.
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A computer can be a source of evidence. Even though the computer is not directly used for criminal purposes, it is an excellent device for record keeping, particularly given the power to encrypt the data. This evidence can be obtained and decrypted and be of great value to criminal investigators.
As malware attacks become more frequent, attention has begun to shift from viruses and spyware protection, to malware protection, and programs have been developed to specifically combat them. They can provide real time protection against the installation of malware software on a computer by scanning all incoming network data for malware and blocks any threats. They also scan the contents of the windows registry, operating system files, and installed programs on a computer, allowing the user to choose which files to delete or keep.
Task 8. Find the equivalents in the text:
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) c 10) .
Task 9. Make questions to the underlined words:
1) It is divided into two categories. 2) In XXI century Internet access became widespread. 3) The spyware will be installed alongside with the desirable program. 4) They provide real time protection against the installation of malware. 5) Antivirus programs have been developed to combat malicious software.
Task 10. Fill the gaps:
Computer crime ____ broad range of illegal activities. Criminals target computer networks or devices directly using malware and ____. They can also use ____ or devices for cyber stalking, fraud and identity theft, phishing scam. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ____, spyware and adware. These programs are written to destroy files on a hard disk, to ____ the file system, to send email spam, to host contraband data or to engage in DoS attacks. Malware is divided into ____ categories. ____ requires user intervention to spread. ____ spreads automatically from one computer to the next over a network. ____ is disguised as desirable program and users may install it. Rootkits can ____ the installed malware and defend against removal. Antivirus software has been developed to ____ malicious programs.
Task 11. Critical thinking. Read the article and express your opinion on the problem.
Computer Crime
It doesnt take any special digital expertise to mastermind some computer crimes. Setting fire to a computer doesnt require the same finesse as writing a stealthy virus, but both can have the same disastrous effect on data. Old-fashioned crimes, such as arson, that take a high-tech twist because they involve a computer can be prosecuted under traditional laws.
Traditional laws do not, however, cover the range of possibilities for computer crimes. Suppose a person unlawfully enters a computer facility and steals backup tapes. That person might be prosecuted for breaking and entering. But would common breaking and entering laws apply to a person who uses an off-site terminal to enter a computer system without authorization? And what if a person copies a data file without authorization? Has that file really been stolen if the original remains on the computer?
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Many countries have computer crime laws that specifically define computer data and software as personal property. These laws also define as crimes the unauthorized access, use, modification, or disabling of a computer system or data. But laws dont necessarily stop criminals. If they did, we wouldnt have to deal with malicious code and intrusions.
A 1995 high-profile case involved a computer hacker named Kevin Mitnick, who was accused of breaking into dozens of corporate, university, government, and personal computers. Although vilified in the media, Mitnick had the support of many hackers and other people who believed that the prosecution grossly exaggerated the extent of his crimes.
Nonetheless, Mitnick was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,125 during his three-year period of supervised release. The prosecution was horrified by such a paltry sum an amount that was much less than its request for $1,5 million in restitution.
Forbes reporter Adam L. Penenberg took issue with the 46-month sentence imposed by Judge Marianne Pfaelzer and wrote, This in a country where the average prison term for manslaughter is three years. Mitnicks crimes were curiously innocuous. He broke into corporate computers, but no evidence indicates that he destroyeddata. Or sold anything he copied. Yes, he pilfered software but in doing so left it behind. This world of bits is a strange one, in which you can take something and still leave it for its rightful owner. The theft laws designed for payroll sacks and motor vehicles just dont apply to a hacker.
The U.S. Patriot Act and the Cyber-Security Enhancement Act carry even stiffer penalties anywhere from 10 years to life in prison.
A CNET reporter questions the harshness of such penalties: What bothers me most is that here in the United States, rapists serve, on average, 10 years in prison. Yet if, instead of assaulting another human being, that same person had released a virus on the Net, the criminal would get the same or an even harsher sentence.
Law makers hope that stiff penalties will deter cyber criminals. U. S. Attorney John McKay is quoted as saying, Let there be no mistake about it, cyber-hacking is a crime. It harms persons, it harms individuals, it harms businesses.
These cases illustrate our culture's ambivalent attitude toward computer hackers. On the one hand, they are viewed as evil cyber terrorists who are set on destroying the glue that binds together the Information Age. From this perspective, hackers are criminals who must be hunted down, forced to make restitution for damages, and prevented from creating further havoc.
From another perspective, hackers are viewed more as Casper the Friendly Ghost in cur complex cyber machines as moderately bothersome entities whose pranks are tolerated by the computer community, along with software bugs. Seen from this perspective, a hacker's pranks are part of the normal course of study that leads to the highest echelons of computer expertise.
What do you think?
1. Should a computer virus distribution sentence carry the same penalty as mans laughter?
2. Should it be a crime to steal a copy of computer data while leaving the original data in place and unaltered?
3. Should hackers be sent to jail if they cannot pay restitution to companies and individuals who lost money as the result of a prank?
4. Do you think that a hacker would make a good consultant on computer security?
Task 12. Do the tasks in the following test.
1. A (n) ___ is a copy of one or more files that has been made in case the original files become damaged.
2. The Windows ___ is an important group of files that the Windows operating system uses to store configuration information about all the devices and software installed on a computer system.
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3. The main directory of a disk is referred to as the ___ directory.
4. The main hard disk drive on a PC is often referred to as drive C. (True/False)
5. A filename extension is usually related to a file ___, which is the arrangement of data in a file and the coding scheme used to represent the data.
6. Antivirus software is 100% reliable when it comes to protecting your computer from viruses. (True/False)
7. A file specification or path typically includes all of the following information EXCEPT ___.
a) the file author b) the file name c) the file extension d) the drive letter
8. ___ software is a set of utility programs that looks for and eradicates viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
9. File-naming ___ are a set of rules for naming files.
10. The easiest way to convert a file from one format to another is to find an application program that works with both file formats. (True/False)
11. Deleting a files icon from a directory does not necessarily remove the data from the disk. (True/False)
12. A computer ___ is a set of program instructions that attaches itself to a file, reproduces itself, and spreads to other files.
13. A root directory typically contains smaller ___, often depicted as folders in graphical user interfaces.
14. A (n) ___ is a computer program that seems to perform one function while actually doing something else.
15. A virus can be spread if people distribute infected files by ___.
a) exchanging disks or CDs b) sending e-mail attachments
c) downloading software from the Web d) all of the above
16. You should update your antivirus software regularly. (True/False)
17. Bot-infected computers linked together into a network is called a(n) ___.
18. A virus ___ is a section of the virus program that can be used to identify a known virus.
19. Computer virus trigger events are often tied to a specific date. (True/False)
20. The file ___ helps you keep track of the most current version of your file when you have saved several versions.
