Cybercrime is criminal activity done using computers and the Internet.

This includes anything from downloading illegal music files to stealing millions of dollars from online bank accounts. Cybercrime also includes non-monetary offenses, such as creating and distributing viruses on other computers or posting confidential business information on the Internet. Perhaps the most prominent form of cybercrime is identity theft, in which criminals use the Internet to steal personal information from other users. Two of the most common ways this is done is through phishing and pharming. Both of these methods lure users to fake websites (that appear to be legitimate), where they are asked to enter personal information. This includes login information, such as usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other information criminals can use to "steal" another person's identity. For this reason, it is smart to always check the URL or Web address of a site to make sure it is legitimate before entering your personal information. Because cybercrime covers such a broad scope of criminal activity, the examples above are only a few of the thousands of crimes that are considered cybercrimes. While computers and the Internet have made our lives easier in many ways, it is unfortunate that people also use these technologies to take advantage of others. Therefore, it is smart to protect yourself by using antivirus and spyware blocking software and being careful where you enter your personal information. http://www.techterms.com/definition/cybercrime Cybercrime is a term for any illegal activity that uses a computer as its primary means of commission. The U.S. Department of Justice expands the definition of cybercrime to include any illegal activity that uses a computer for the storage of evidence. The growing list of cybercrimes includes crimes that have been made possible by computers, such as network intrusions and the dissemination of computer viruses, as well as computer-based variations of existing crimes, such as identity theft, stalking, bullyingand terrorism. There are a number of controversial issues surrounding cybercrime. Opinions differ, for example, as to whether some widespread activities (such as file sharing) should be classified as criminal acts. The U.S. Digital Media Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 stipulates that exchanging files of copyrighted material, such as music or videos, is illegal and punishable by law. In August, 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that they would begin to prosecute cases of peer-to-peer piracy. Since that time, there have been sporadic suits brought against individuals. Such prosecutions please many in the entertainment industries but are less popular with the general public. Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, has remarked that "If we have 70 million people in the United States who are breaking the law, we have a big issue." Another controversy related to cybercrime is the issue of digital surveillance and its impact on civil liberties. Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001, many have deemed it necessary to curtail some individual rights to privacy of information in exchange for greater security. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), government surveillance networks monitor enormous volumes of private communications and apply artificial intelligence (AI) applications to filter out relevant data. Although such extensive surveillance might significantly decrease the possibility of cybercrime, it is nearly impossible to do so

without infringing upon individual privacy. Furthermore, because surveillance organizations operate in secret, they are not open to scrutiny. The ACLU suggests that while surveillance can be effectively used to curtail cybercrime, it must be properly overseen to ensure that it is not at the cost of individual rights http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/cybercrime Computer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network.The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Netcrime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Such crimes may threaten a nations security and financial health. Issues surrounding this type of crime have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding cracking, copyright infringement, child pornography, and child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise. Internationally, both governmental and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Activity crossing international borders and involving the interests of at least one nationstate is sometimes referred to as cyber warfare. The international legal system is attempting to hold actors accountable for their actions through the International Criminal Court.

More than 4,000 cybercrime cases reported in Malaysia within two years JOHOR BARU: More than 4,000 cyber complaints, mostly concerning cyber crimes have been lodged with Cybersecurity Malaysia in the past two years. Its chief executive officer Lieutenant-Colonel Husin Jazri said that the complaints, mostly consisted of hack threats, fraud, denial of services and other computer problems such files lost or corrupted by viruses. We have received about 2,000 complaints in 2007. Last year, a total of 2,123 cases were lodged with us, he told pressmen after the presentation of five computers to a school in the Kampung Simpang Arang Orang Asli settlement. Science, Technology and Innovation secretary-general Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut presented the computers on Saturday. Lt-Col Husin explained that the agencys services catered for individuals, as well as companies, who faced computer related problems. Our consultation services are free but we will charge any work that needs to be done such as repairs. The charges varies on a case by case basis, he said adding that the agency rarely charged students or those from the lower-income group. He said that the agencys 150-strong staff was dedicated to solving computer problems as they aimed to serve the needs of the public. We have an emergency response team that caters to the complaints. Among our other services are digital forensics, security assurance, security management and best practices, he said.

He added that the agencys main objective is to be a one-stop coordination centre for all national cyber security initiatives. Among the initiatives are reducing vulnerability of ICT systems and networks and nurture a culture of cyber security among users and critical sectors, he said. Lt-Col Husin said the public could contact the agency at 03-89926888, fax at 03-89453205 or email at info [at]cybersecurity.my. People can also contact our hotlin

INTRODUCTION What is Cybercrimes? According to Oxford dictionary, Cyber means combining form relating information technology, the internet, and virtual reality. Meanwhile crimes means as an action which constitutes as serious offence against an individual or state and is punishable by law. By combining these two definitions, we can conclude it as crimes that commit thru or via internet. This kind of crimes are used or done by people who had hyper skill in computer technology. Computer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Net crime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Such crimes may threaten a nations security and financial health. Issues surrounding this type of crime has become high-profile, particularly those surrounding cracking, copyright infringement, child pornography, and child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise. The U.S. Department of Justice expands the definition of cybercrime to include any illegal activity that uses a computer for the storage of evidence.

CLASSIFICATION OF CYBER CRIME. Cybercrimes consist two major categories of offences. The first one is computer connected to a network is target of the offence. In this case, R. spinello, 2002 says attacks on network confidentiality, integrity and availability. The second category is consists of traditional offences such theft, fraud, and forgery, which are committed with the assistance of any means of computer connected to a network, computer network and related information and communications technology. M.D Goodman & S. Brenner.

Hacking and Related Activities. Some examples of computer crime are the interception of data from a computer network or hacking. The word "hacking" originally involved illegal computer trespassing, although the meaning now has often been generalized and is not specifically linked to computer crimes. A hacker or unauthorized person would gain access to a computer network for various reasons, such as the disruption of service or the gaining of proprietary or personal information from the network. The transmission of a computer virus is a kind of computer crime that is intended to disrupt service, since a virus can cause damage to computer systems, create a loss of information, and result in financial losses. There are two kinds of hackers, "white hat" hackers and "black hat" hackers. White hat hackers are hired by businesses to test internal computer systems in order to determine its integrity and whether or not there are vulnerable points of entry for outsiders. White hat hackers therefore use their powers for good, and can also create new and useful software. Black hat hackers, who work independently, are intent upon destruction, and may engage in data interception, data modification, data theft, network interference, network sabotage, unauthorized access, virus dissemination, aiding and abetting, computer-related forgery, and computer-related fraud.

Malicious Code

In today's network environment, malicious code (or malware) has become a serious problem. The target is not only the information stored on local computers, but also other resources and computers. As a security professional, part of your responsibility is to recognize malicious code and know how to respond appropriately. This section covers the various types of malicious code you might encounter, including viruses, Trojan horses, logic bombs, and worms. Viruses A program or piece of code that runs on your computer without your knowledge is a virus. It is designed to attach itself to other code and replicate. It replicates when an infected file is executed or launched. At this point, it attaches to other files, adds its code to the application's code, and

continues to spread. Even a simple virus is dangerous because it can use all available resources and bring the system to a halt. Many viruses can replicate themselves across networks and bypass security systems. There are several types of viruses:

Boot-sector this type of virus is placed into the first sector of the hard drive so when the computer boots, the virus loads into memory. Polymorphic this type of virus can change form each time it is executed. It was developed to avoid detection by antivirus software. Macro this type of virus is inserted into a Microsoft Office document and emailed to unsuspecting users.

Viruses have to be executed by some type of action, such as running a program Here are some common viruses:

Stoned The Stoned virus was first reported in New Zealand in early 1988. All known variants are capable of infecting the hard disk Master Boot Record (MBR), and some may damage directories or the File Allocation Table (FAT). It is transmitted via floppy from one computer system to another. Michelangelo Michelangelo is a Master Boot Record virus. It is based on the Stoned virus, although it is different in its behavior. The Michelangelo virus erases the contents of the infected drive on March 6th (the birth date of the virus' namesake) of the current year. Melissa Melissa first appeared in March 1999. It is a macro virus that is received by email and is embedded in a Microsoft Word document. When the recipient of the email opens the document, the virus sends email to the first 50 addresses in the victim's address book and attaches itself to each email. I Love You A variant of the Melissa virus that emails itself to all addresses in the address book. It also infects the Normal.dottemplate in Microsoft Word, causing all new documents created to be infected as well.

The viruses listed are a very small number of the total population of computer viruses. Viruses are growing at an alarming rate, and newer ones do more damage as virus writers get more sophisticated. In any case, viruses cost you money due to the time it takes to clean the software and recover lost data.

THE SITUATION IN MALAYSIA Based on the definition of Clinard and Quinney (1973) (who divided whitecollar crime into occupational crime and corporate crime), white-collar crime in Malaysia can be categorized as follows: Offences Cyber crime Provisions of Law Computer Crimes Act 1997, Digital Signature Act 1997,