Cybercrime and businesses

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

With the growing presence of the internet, it is becoming a target of lucrative organized crime for criminals. The internet is present in all aspects of our daily lives, and is essential to businesses. In this paper, we will study the nature of cybercrime, and the challenges that it poses for criminal law. As criminals continue to find new and sophisticated ways to hack into computer systems, it becomes more difficult for law enforcement to keep up with their methods and track them down. We have seen the difficulties surrounding tracking down criminals, and it may indeed be difficult if not impossible to do so without invading a person's privacy. Earlier in the international response section, we have discussed some of the conventions, organizations, and laws aimed at addressing the issue of cybercrime internationally. Law enforcement will need to develop better technology to keep up with criminals, which may be very difficult and costly.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER NO 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Rationale of the study1

Aims and objective of the study2

CHAPTER NO 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

Cybercrime3

US Response4

UK Response5

Sufficiency of cybercrime legislation6

Challenges to the issue of cybercrime7

Global Harmonization of Legislation8

Combating Cybercrime10

CHAPTER NO 3: CONCLUSION13

Conclusion13

Recommendations16

REFERENCES18

CHAPTER NO 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

With the growing presence of the internet, it is becoming a target of lucrative organized crime for criminals. The internet is present in all aspects of our daily lives, and is essential to businesses. According to report on cyber crime, "Cost of Cyber Crime", released by Detica, “Across the world, there are now nearly two billion internet users and over five billion mobile phone connections; every day, we send 294 billion emails and five billion SMS messages; every minute, we post 35 hours of video to YouTube, 3,000 photos to Flickr and nearly 35,000 'tweets'1, 2. Over 91 per cent of UK businesses and 73 per cent of UK households have internet access and £47.2 billion was spent online in the UK alone in 2009.” We depend on the internet, and depend on the “continued availability, accuracy and confidentiality of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT).” Due to the prevalence of the internet in all areas of our lives and for businesses, the government, the economy, and society as a whole, it has become a target for criminals to try to reap a profit (Doyle, 2008).

Rationale of the study

As part of the study, we will look at how cybercrime is affecting businesses, the scope of criminal law and whether it sufficiently encompasses acts of cybercrime. We'll discuss specific acts that have been passed, and how ...