Officer Ward

Officer Ward
Cyber Defender & Detention Center Security Officer

Officer Ward believes that most people who disrespect the privelages of Cyberspace are more ignorant than criminal, and that most cyber criminals can be rehabilitated into faithful cyber citizens through education about the dangers of delinquency in Cyberspace.

Working closely with Commander Omni and the Cyber Defense Academy, Officer Ward hopes to secure Cyberspace for everyone.

Favorite Quote:

It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do
- John Baptiste Moliere

Favorite Food:

Cupcakes

Interests:

Coaching softball, fishing, catching cyber criminals

August 25 2008

Cyber Crimes: Defining Cyber Crime

I thought it might be a good idea to go over what exactly constitutes a cyber crime. A cyber crime is a crime that is committed with the help of a computer or communication device and a network. The network is usually the Internet, but it can also include internal networks or even mobile device networks.

According to the United States Department of Justice, there are three different types of cyber crimes:

  • The computer as a target - attacking other people's computers with malware or other damaging attacks.
  • The computer as a weapon - using a computer or the Internet to commit "traditional" crimes that can be committed offline too, such as theft or illegal gambling.
  • The computer as an accessory - using a computer to store illegal or stolen information.

Victims of cyber crimes can lose their money, their jobs, their dignity, and their good name, and sometimes it takes years to repair the damage. Even the most novice computer user can commit a cyber crime, whether they are aware of it or not. But if it's a crime offline, you can bet it's also a crime online, and can have just as severe of a punishment as an offline crime.

Do your homework and don't just assume something is legal just because everyone else is doing it. Just because you feel anonymous in Cyberspace doesn't mean you are, and cyber crimes can be traced back to the person who committed them.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Crimes

August 11 2008

Cyber Criminal Profile: The ID Bandit

Knowledge is the best weapon against cyber crime. It's important to know as much as you can about cyber criminals so you can learn how to defeat them.

Alias: The ID Bandit
Real Name: Unknown
Location: Email, Web sites, online communications
Primary attack: Identity Theft
Weakness: Protecting your personal information

The ID Bandit is the Cyber Villain responsible for creating the Master Hacker. Ex-Commander Nils was on an undercover operation to infiltrate the ID bandit's secret lair when he mysteriously disappeared. Preying on Nils' idealistic tendencies, the ID Bandit convinced him to use his computer skills to control the Internet rather than defend it. Together, they would hack directly into unprotected computers to use them for their own plans, stealing identities and wreaking havoc throughout Cyberspace.

With the capture of the Master Hacker, the ID Bandit was forced to scale down her operation. She now works with the Phisherman to steal credit card numbers and bank account information through phishing attacks. She also employs the DisGuys to infiltrate chat rooms and other online communications, searching for personal information to steal. She even attacks offline, stealing computers for the information stored on them, and sometimes even stealing people's mail.

The ID Bandit's identity theft attacks can end up costing her victims hundreds of thousands of dollars and ruining their reputations, so be especially wary of her! To learn more about how to protect yourself and your computer from identity theft, refer to Cyber Crimes: Identity Theft and never share your personal information with anyone online.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Criminals