Notes 5

5. Crime

With the assistance of technology, there are many new ways to commit crimes. However, there are also new ways to detect and prevent crime, as well. This week we will look at both sides - good and evil.

Objectives

In this module, students

• understand issues associated with computer crime
• find web resources appropriate to the topic
• facilitate student discussion
• learn to work collaboratively online

Study Guide: Crime

These notes are guides to reading and studying the chapter of the textbook assigned for this module. Here are some questions to get you thinking about the important concepts and information.

• What are some new forms of criminal behavior that did not exist before the internet? What crimes are easier with the aid of computers and technology?

• Worms and virus - have you been attacked or infected? What "cost" to you in time, effort or money? Should the creators be punished for spreading these? What is suitable punishment?

• Is any hacking harmless?

• Should the age of the hacker be taken into consideration when judging these crimes? Why or why not?

• Who is ultimately responsible for the security of computer assets? To what extent can the owner expect that others will abide the laws and not harm the information?

• Does hacking improve security?

• Have you received email or visited sites that you thought were engaged in fraud or some criminal activity?

• Is spam really a kind of theft? How big a problem is spam? What steps do you take to avoid spam?

• Do you understand identity theft? What steps do you take to prevent your identity being stolen? Are you personally concerned about having your identity stolen?