Welcome to the Crime Lab! Here you will find information about cyber crimes and what happens to people who commit them.
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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.
It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do
- John Baptiste Moliere
Cupcakes
Interests:Coaching softball, fishing, catching cyber criminals
January 26 2009
Cyber Criminals: Punishing Cyber Criminals
Different countries have different laws that cover cyber crimes. So you don't underestimate the seriousness of committing cyber crimes, here's some examples of the punishments for cyber crime in the United States:
- Hacking - Hacking is covered under a Federal law addressing fraud in connection with computers. Punishments range from paying a large fine to going to jail for up to 20 years, depending on the seriousness of the crime and how much damage the hacker has done.
- Spamming - Spamming is covered under the CAN-SPAM Act and the minimum punishment is a fine of up to $11,000. Additional fines are added if the spammer violated policies or used automated bots to collect email addresses, and spammers can be sent to jail if they used false information or a computer they weren't allowed to use.
- Identity Theft - The laws covering Identity Theft were enhanced in 2004, requiring tougher punishments to match the seriousness of the crime. Identity Thieves can go to jail for up to five years. There are also increased punishments for identity theft used to commit terrorist acts and for people who abuse their position for identity theft.
Due to the increase in cyber crimes in recent years, many governments have enhanced their cyber crime laws. However, they still need the help of cyber defenders in tracking down cyber criminals. It's important that you report cyber crimes like spam, so that the criminals behind them can be prosecuted and fined under the law. With everyone's help we can help reduce cyber crime.
posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Criminals
Janaury 12 2009
Cyber Crimes: Zero Day Attack
A Zero Day attack is a special kind of cyber attack that takes advantage of security holes and vulnerabilities in newly released and unpatched software. Cyber Criminals can launch the attack on the first day new software is available, before the developers can create and distribute a patch for it. Most people and software developers don’t know about them until it's too late.
Zero Day attacks frequently target Web browsers and email software because of how many people use them. Machines under attack can expose personal information, become infected with malware, and be used to launch other attacks.
There are a few different kinds of software that can reasonably protect your machine from Zero Day attacks, but they aren't foolproof. The best way for you to defend your computer is to keep your Anti-Virus software up-to-date and to wait a while after a new program or update is released before using it. Most software companies will try to fix their vulnerabilities right away, so by waiting a bit and then installing everything at the same time, you’re better protected from the start.