Cybercrime: Key Issues and Debates

Thesis focuses to define the realms of hacker activity which have political aspects. These realms which build the scientific context of the thesis are labelled as the realms of cyberwarriors. The aim of this study is to clarify how above realms are defined in research literature before the 9/11 incident. Through this context, a hacker case is analysed. The beginning of thesis is about defining the context, which consists of: cyberterrorism, cyberwar, netwar and hacktivism. The focus of the thesis is in defining the concepts. The rest of the thesis analyses TCB-hacker case documentation of the trial. The analysis uses the above context. The concepts are defined by literature analysis. The primary source of concept analysis and definitions include books and articled written by several authors including: Denning, Arquilla, Ronfeldt, Martinez, Zanini ja Devost. In the empirical part of the thesis, method is Chaïm Perelman's New Rhetoric. The theoretical part of the thesis tries to find answers to following research questions: 1) what are the possible realms of hackers and what is the role of hackers in these politically charged realms? Furthermore, the empirical part of the thesis is about answers to questions: 2) how did the judge, defendant and prosecutor use the elements of the selected context in argumentation? 3) Did some element gain more focus than others? 4) how these elements where used as premises for argumentation? 5) can TCB-hacker case be located to any concept of the realms? The research indicates that defendant's argumentation often laid it's ground on different aspects of hacker ethics. Hacker ethics was used as justification for hacking. TCB-hacker case can not be labelled as clear example of cyberterrorism or hacktivism. For example, TCB-hacker did not have any political aims when hacking the selected targets. The case was more about activities of a single hacker experiments, which were successful mostly because of insufficient security of the target systems and organisations. Though the consequences of the hacking could have been extremely harmful for society (Finland) if the TCB-hacker had been benign.

Social Science Research Network, 2024

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2014

One thing that has emanated from the development of the internet technology and popular embrace of social networking is the emergence of a second digital world which is a virtual reality world called the cyberspace. The cyberspace users who can be described as the Cyberians are attracted to the cyberspace from time to time especially because of the various opportunities/activities available via the cyberspace cutting across many spheres of human endeavor. There are however many threats or challenges which may be inimical to the safety of the cyberspace, the cyberspace assets/resources and the interest of the Cyberians, the regular cyberspace users or cyber citizens. This paper, based on extensive examination of contemporary literature on the cyberspace, explores fundamental activities of the cyberspace and explicates various forms of cybercrimes orchestrated by cyber criminals posing great threats to the cyberspace. The basic ideas of the paper are equally captured in vivid illustrative models.

Theory, Culture & Society, 2017

This article offers a reading of internet-based activism or 'hacktivism' as a phenomenon that cannot be confined to the instrumental use of information technologies. It focuses on a subset of hacktivism – the distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack for political ends – that aims at making an internet host unavailable to its intended users. Since the early 2000s these attacks have been increasingly conducted by means of botnets – networks of infected computers that send bogus requests to a target website without the consent of their users. The capacity of botnets to engender a more-than-human politics is analyzed from two distinct theoretical angles. First, drawing from Deleuze and Guattari, the hacktivist DDoS is discussed as an assemblage of signifying and a-signifying components, voluntary and involuntary actions. Second, Gilbert Simondon's notions of transindividuation and transduction allow for a conceptualization of hacktivism as a sociotechnical assemblage with a high degree of indetermination.

International Journal of Data Science, Bioinformatics and Cyber Security, 2025

In today's hyper-connected society, the prevalence of cyber-attacks and Cybercrime has escalated to a critical level, posing significant threats to individuals, organizations, and nations. This essay aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the nature and implications of cyber threats. It begins by defining key concepts and categorizing various types of Cybercrime, exploring the motivations behind criminal behaviors and the evolving landscape of illicit activities facilitated by technological advancements. The societal impacts of cyber-attacks are analyzed, focusing on both financial repercussions and psychological effects on victims, thereby underscoring the urgency for effective countermeasures. Furthermore, the legal frameworks governing Cybercrime are scrutinized, revealing challenges such as jurisdictional issues and enforcement gaps. The discussion extends to future trends in Cybercrime and cyber security, particularly the implications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. This paper ultimately synthesizes findings from each section, emphasizing the need for ongoing research and robust strategies to enhance security in an ever-evolving digital environment. Through this exploration, readers will gain critical insights into the multifaceted nature of cyber threats and the necessary approaches to combat them effectively.

The Internet is developing dangerously, as is the number of crimes committed against or utilizing computers. Hence, there arises the need for Cyber security. Cyber security is one of the most important parts in the field of information technology. As we think about Cyber security, first thing which comes to our minds is the increasing number of cyber-crimes. Governments around the world are taking steps to prevent these cyber-crimes. This paper focuses mainly on the problems and obstacles created by cyber-crimes. It also points out the ongoing trends about cyber security.