Understanding Digital Crime

2. Describe some of the most common forms of digital crime.

The most prominent digital crime include child pornagraphy, cyberstalking, online identity theft, financial crimes and information and corporate espionage.

Child soliciting and abuse is a type of a digital crime where mostly occurs chatrooms, instant messaging and gaming devices.The more risky behaviors kids engage in online, the more likely they will receive an online sexual solicitation.These risky behaviors include:

•Posting personal information (50%)

•Interacting with online strangers (45%)

•Placing strangers on buddy lists (35%)

•Sending personal information to strangers (26%)

•Visiting X-rated sites (13%)

•Talking about sex with strangers (5%)

Cyberstalking is online stalking. Common characteristics include false accusations, monitoring, threats, identity theft, and data destruction or manipulation. Cyberstalking also includes exploitation of minors, be it sexual or otherwise. The harassment can take on many forms, but the common denominator is that it's unwanted, often obsessive, and usually illegal. Cyberstalkers use email, instant messages, phone calls, and other communication devices to stalk, whether it takes the form of sexual harassment, inappropriate contact, or just plain annoying attention to your life and your family's activities (Merritt).

Online identity theft is another type of a digital crime. Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain (Department of Justice).

Financial crimes involve activities that defraud people of their money. Whereas robbery involves the threat of violence, crimes of financial fraud tend to be stealthy and non-violent. They are often called white collar crimes. Although these crimes don't cause physical harm, they're still serious and carry significant penalties.

Cyber spying, or cyber espionage, is the act or practice of obtaining secrets without the permission of the holder of the information (personal, sensitive, proprietary or of classified nature), from individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments and enemies