The increased focus on security since September 11 has amplified
the need to cut down on cybercrime. Cybercrime includes worms, viruses,
hacks and other intrusions that cause damage. Cybercrime is a worldwide
problem and costs billions of dollars annually. The largest obstacle in the
prosecution of hackers is that many businesses that have been violated are
reluctant to provide law enforcement officials with information. These
companies fear that they will lose business if security breaches become
public or that they will become targets of revenge attacks. In addition,
many businesses are unaware of what to do and who to contact in the event of
a cybercrime attack.
In order to increase prosecution of cybercriminals a 12 page guideline for
responding to attacks on computer systems was released on February 11. This
was the first guideline endorsed by both the F.B.I. and Secret Service, the
main Federal agencies fighting such crimes. The new guidelines provide
contact information for businesses to report intrusions to public
authorities and various information-sharing partnerships. The guidelines
also outline practices advocated by the FBI and Secret Service, such as
maintaining relationships with electronic crime experts. The guidelines
also advise against reporting minor intrusion in an effort to allow
officials to focus on serious cases. The government is treating cybercrime
as a top priority as evidenced by U.S. attorney Francis Diskin, " The
Department of Justice and the F.B.I. will expend whatever resources are
necessary to protect the integrity of the Internet and legitimate businesses
from the devastating damage that can be done by illegal hackers."
The rise of the internet has provided criminals with the
opportunity to use their computers to gain access to data and personal
information that can be used for criminal enterprises. Cybercrime breaks
with tradition in that the criminals need not even leave the comfort of
their homes to commit illegal acts, making it difficult to for law
enforcement to track them down. Cybercriminals, usually referred to as
hackers, are always developing new ways to get through security barriers and
it is the job of law enforcement personnel to try and stay one step ahead.
In addition, hackers can commit crimes against US businesses from any where
in the world, making it difficult for the US to catch them and bring them to
justice in American courts. One elaborate scheme set up by the FBI involved
persuading two Russian hackers to travel to the United States to visit a
start up security company where they believed they were interviewing for
jobs. During the meeting the Russians discussed their hacking abilities and
took responsibilities for hacking activities. Most of their activity
included breaking into internet sites in order to steal credit card
information for more than 56,000 people, and then using e-Bay to commit a
massive fraud scheme. The Russians were charged with conspiracy and 19
additional crimes. They are currently awaiting trial in America where the
fines for hacking can be as great as five years in jail and a $250,000
fine. While justice should be served in this case, the sheer number of
hackers makes it impossible for law enforcement to eliminate cyber crime any
time soon.
