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

October 27 2008

Cyber Crimes: Defamation

Do you wonder how much is true that is said about candidates during the race for the White House? Is there anything that prevents presidential candidates from flat-out lying?

There are laws that give people the right to sue someone for defamation, which is the use of false statements to harm someone's reputation. Laws against defamation apply to both slander (which is spoken defamation) and libel (which is written defamation). Libel even includes the Internet and TV broadcasts because the defamation is written into a script.

There are also truth-in-advertising laws. These laws aim to protect people from being tricked into believing something false that they hear in a commercial or another kind of advertisement. Some truth-in-advertising laws apply to political advertisements. But there are no truth-in-advertising laws governing federal candidates, like those candidates who run for President of the United States.

The First Amendment in the Constitution protects the freedom of speech, so any law that would limit what a federal candidate can say would violate that right. TV stations must show the ads, even if they believe them to be offensive or false, and they must show ads from all candidates as well.

Despite laws against defamation, most political candidates do not sue each other for slander or libel. Cases in court take a very long time. The election would be over long before the case ever goes to court. Also, the candidate would have to prove without a doubt that the other person knew a statement was false and advertised it anyway. The offender can always claim they believed it was true or that there was a grain of truth in it.

That's why it's so important for you to be informed. Seek the facts and compare the statements before making your own decision, because what you're hearing from the candidates very well might not be the absolute truth.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Crimes

October 13 2008

Cyber Criminals: Who are they?

Just like offline crimes, most cyber crimes are committed by individuals or small groups. However, large organized crime groups who make money through criminal means are also taking advantage of the Internet. These "professional" criminals find new ways to commit old crimes and steal or trick people out of their money. They are particularly dangerous because they treat cyber crime like a business. They form criminal communities that span the globe.

Criminal communities can combine forces to launch coordinated attacks and share their criminal strategies and tools. They have also created an underground marketplace to make it easy for cyber criminals to buy and sell stolen information and identities. There are even sales and bulk discounts! Because the Internet makes it easier for people to do things anonymously and from any location on the globe, it's very difficult to crack down on these crimes.

In recent studies of where cyber attacks come from, the United States was at the top of the list. That doesn't necessarily mean that most cyber criminals are from the United States though. Many computers used in cyber attacks have actually been hacked and are controlled by someone far away. This makes it harder to trace attacks and because crime laws are different in every country. It's also harder to stop the criminals. That's why it's so important for you to take responsibility and keep your own computer secure, to keep it from being used for a cyber attack and to help stop cyber criminals.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Criminals