CYBER SPYING

Cyber Spying and Ethics



Table of Contents

Introduction3

Role of a Professional4

Guide for a Security Professional6

Laws and Legislation6

Extending Law for Protecting Against the Threats8

The basic principles regulating relations connected to the Internet8

Professional, legal and ethical implications of Cyber Spying10

Conclusion11

References12

Cyber Spying and Ethics

Introduction

Cyber spying is criminal activity, using computers and the Internet to steal, whether directly or indirectly, from consumers or businesses. The global scale of the cyber spying problem is not known, although, by most estimates, it is running at several billion dollars (USD) per year. This paper focuses solely on ensuring that cyber spying is contained. Even within cyber spying, there are different subcategories, such as direct theft of money from a bank or credit card accounts, identity theft, as well as theft of intellectual property where the financial costs are indirect (potential loss of sales revenue). Another key challenge is to ensure cost-effectiveness in the functioning of the cyber spying lab. This is a substantial challenge, since the development of investigative skills and the assurance of optimal expenses in the functioning of the cyber spying lab are two tasks, which are significantly of varying nature. Since computers and networks now pervade almost every corner of our lives, from making a telephone call to driving on the freeway, the crimes that occur in the cyber environment are many.

Some of these crimes may or may not be crimes, depending on the jurisdiction, especially as the Internet transcends international borders. Gambling, for example, or even trading in child pornography, may not be crimes in some countries. Some of these crimes are old crimes with a new face. For example, a thief may purchase an item from an online store using a false identity or credit card; a robber may force a victim to divulge his PIN number at an ATM; an embezzler may siphon off money from online bank accounts. Cyber offenses can directly or indirectly harm anyone. Indeed, everyone who connects to the Internet via unprotected information systems or IT devices. The vast variety of online offending methods also means that thousands, even millions of victims, can be harmed anywhere they happen to be connected to the Web while browsing, chatting via instant or text messaging, emailing, blogging and uploading or downloading any form of content (e.g., text, pictures, video, or audio recordings). The greatest potential danger rests on using unprotected systems and IT devices, along with having confidential information discovered and used or manipulated for illicit purposes.

Four primary types of victims likely to be targeted by cyber offenders include youth, elderly people, financial institutions, and government, health care, and educational organizations. Apart from the cyber enhancement of traditional crimes described above, we are probably all victims of some aspect of cybercrime, since the costs (both economic and social) of maintaining secure networks is on the long run passed on to consumers. This is reflected not only in the necessity of purchasing antivirus software to protect our personal computers, but also in the high risk we take when we give out ...