Technology has made life easy - even for those with criminal intent!
The cyber boom has fuelled a steep rise in cyber crimes across the world - and its ripples can be felt even in the small bylanes of Pune.
With computer technologies acting like the backbone of all business needs, cyber security is grabbing attention in the current scenario.
Hacking
The rate of cyber crimes has grown exponentially and is consistent with the growth of technology. Cyber expert Anil Raj of CyberVault Securities Solutions Private Limited said that when computers came into the picture in the society, the basic cyber crime was related to tampering, stealing of computer data and hacking.
“Earlier, hacking was limited to getting someone’s computer password to gain illegal access to the computer system. This was done through social engineering, password guessing and later through software like a key logger,” added Raj.
Spamming
Experts highlighted that Internet was a major boom in cyber world, which also led to several illegal things in the cyber world and cyber crimes. “Following the Internet, there was a large number of people using e-mail for communication and fraudsters started sending spam e-mails, lottery e-emails and people fell to such frauds. Nigerian scams also gained ground in these days,” added Raj.
Another cyber expert Pankaj Ghode of iCybersec Global, a company dealing in computer forensics and information security, said that the Internet boom was followed by a website and social media boom, which also led to a rise in cyber crimes.
Financial frauds
“Networking and new computer technologies led to new ways of banking and financial system grabbing attraction of online fraudsters too. Financial computer frauds evolved from ATM frauds to thefts in mobile wallets. The vulnerability in the technologies led to cyber fraudsters to exploit it, which led to a rise in cyber crimes,” added Ghode.
Experts highlighted that online fraudsters continuously tried to break the system for their benefit, which led to an expansion of cyber security field. Hackers too continued to look for new ways to hack into computers and networks.
Social media and cyber crimes
Fraudsters started using combined technologies over a period of time to launch their attacks. “For instance, fraudsters use social media to gain basic information of the victim and use the same for phishing their banking and personal details,” added Raj.
Speaking of the present and future bothering trends of cyber crimes, experts highlighted that computers are used in money laundering, terrorism, cyber extortion, pornography and other illegal things.
“We are aware that ISIS is using social media to recruit and radicalise youths,” added Raj.
Major challenge
Police officials from cyber crime cell of the city police highlighted that as the world is turning digital in all fields, cyber security is a major challenge for all.
“Imagine a medical dose of a patient, which is loaded in a computer, is manipulated by cyber crooks. The patient can also die leading to a case of cyber murder. In another case, imagine a scenario where your biometrics is modified or deleted. This can make you an illegal citizen in your own country,” a police inspector said.
Police officials pointed that Internet, social media and smart phone technologies were accepted by masses, which led to an increase in cyber crimes.
Cyber experts said that hospitals, financial institutions, defence orgnisations and other sensitive institutes need to abide by technological standards to save ourselves from the mayhem in cyber space.
