Computers and Crimes

Angelica Silva de Limongi
Greenspan
AE2 W052
Final Draft Summary Response #2
May 9th, 2005

The thesis of “Computers and Crime” by Brown and Hood (2002) in Academic Encounters (Chapter 7 p. 159) is that while technological advances have brought some benefits in the world like to solve crimes quickly, recently new kinds of crimes are involved with the use of computers. In other words, this technology has permitted high-tech crimes. The article discusses about types of crimes such as selling over the Internet or booming business including fraud and scam; computers viruses and hackers; and theft of information like to phishing. For instance, in 1995, one employee was charged for fraud because she stole from per paycheck ten cents every month into her personal account. According to the authors, some studies recall concerns about the use of computers related to attitudes of people. The authors report one research in which there are different degrees of opinions connected with wrong or right believes using computers. One example of that is to make copy of software for home use. This study shows one important question related with technology, changes of thoughts, activities on Internet, and issues of moral values. However, I am so worried about the consequences of these changes of people’s thoughts because anyone can learn through Internet how to commit two dangerous high-tech crimes: phishing and hacking.

First, phishing on-line is a kind of crime related to sending emails. Of all types of computers crimes, in my opinion, it is the worst because people who commit this crime not only take personal information in order to steal money but also they break moral values and feelings. In Venezuela the process of phishing is very simple. When they send emails asking for monetary help for a person who suffers diseases like cancer, and that person does not exist at all, criminals do not care about the good will of helping people. The direct consequence of this act is that in another occasion good will people would not help a real person who needs some help. This implies that Internet might become in the most effective source of fraud. So, we need to put limit this situation. Some solutions can be: do not open unsure websites, delete emails from unknown people, do not send personal information like passwords or numbers of credit cards, social security, and invest some money to buy protection systems for computers like Spy Ware and Norton.

Second, hacking is another computer crime that is against private lives and familiar values. A hacker is a person who breaks into people’s computers to seal information or destroy personal information. That is too bad and illegal. I am married and some time I am planning to have children, but I worry that he or she might learn from the Internet how to be a hacker. Nowadays, children are smart since very early, and they are learning of computers anyway. Although the Internet is the most amazing mass media, it is dangerous for little children who are connected to improperly websites. Consequently, we cannot control them all the time, and they can access every kind of information due to there is not all censorship in some websites. Therefore, the Internet might teach them how to be hackers in spite of my efforts to give them an adequate education in moral values. Nevertheless, we should use some controls on the computer home to prevent our children can visit dangerous website.

In conclusion, computers and crime is a main topic that should worry to anyone. I am sure that technological advances have brought many interesting ideas related to benefits for the society. But in the last time, some people have learned use these technological advances for commit high-tech crimes: phishing and hacking. First, the terrible consequence of phishing has been that some people not be confident and do not believe in others. Second, learning how to be a hacker is easy. Only you need to spend a lot of time on the Internet to break into people’s computers to seal information or destroy personal information. So, adults should think in a special solution like censorship on computers at home and buy different programs to protect private information.

Reference
Brown, K., & Hood, S. (2002). Computers and Crime. In Academic Encounters: Life in Society (pp. 159-160). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.