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Computer crimes: reasons and consequences

Date: April 29, 2005
Source: Computer Crime Research Center
By: CCRC staff

Computer technologies and international computer systems created a new environment. This environment favors crimes of national and transnational levels. Criminal formations and specialists in illegal business use the newest technologies to the full extent for money laundering, distributing of false information, unauthorized access to information systems and other violations.

Unwillingness of a victim (enterprise, institutions, organizations or individuals) to tip off the police about criminal violations in their computer systems is among the obvious reasons. According to the FBI official data, only 17% of interrogated American companies were ready to inform law enforcement about incidents of unauthorized intrusion in their computer systems.

Last month's survey figures released by the UK National Hi-tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) revealed that net crime cost businesses £2.45bn in the last 12 months. A growing proportion of that figure is now represented by fraud against financial institutions as a consequence of organized criminal gangs using remote access Trojans and other identity theft techniques to raid customers' bank accounts.

The artificial latency of computer crimes is so high because many companies resolve this conflict on their own. Losses from investigation might be higher (seizure of file server for examination may lead to suspension of operation from 1 to 2 months, that is inadmissible to any company). Among other causes we may name an absence of victim’s confidence that criminals will be punished, lost money will be returned, etc. Among these reasons, we can also mention low legal awareness of citizens, lack of knowledge of human rights and unwillingness to press for protection of their rights and legitimate interests by legal methods.


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2010-08-18 12:36:51 - LAMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE KIMBERLY
2005-05-02 18:13:30 - Corporations should be made aware that... Ted Coombs
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