Computer Science and the Law

Research Questions

In this research, the research question will be “how computer crimes change the judicial system?” In writing the project, the above question will be answered. Research will be contacted to determine the effects, methods of prevention and the people at risk of the computer crime. Thorough research and data collection will be contacted so as to answer the questions critically and fully. In the time of answering, the researcher will have to find literature which explains about computer crime. Other questions to assist in carrying out the research include what are the effects of computer crime? What are the means of preventing computer crime? Which groups commits computer crime. The groups at risk and the groups that mostly practices computer crime will be discussed. Both benefits and disadvantages of computer crime will be discussed together with the appropriate ways of preventing the act.

The researcher will contact data from various criminal justice institutions. The researcher will work together with the police and judicial officers to determent the effectiveness of the questions. The research will use questionnaire and interview in order to collect relevant data. The research will help in improving criminal justice operation. It will also help the law enforcement officer and fight against computer crime.

Literature Review

Effects of Computer Crime in Judiciary

The computer crimes are very modern that they appear to be of new technology. The digital age is growing at an alarming speed and persons are becoming more computer literate leading to destruction of the sector. When we target computer crimes we feature the communications that are associated with the computer. This is not necessarily the computer hardware but the software therein. There are many ways through which these crimes are perpetrated. They can be through online chatting, hacking and violating with online services. These crimes are very prevalent in that the digital age has many computer users hence this will occur predominantly through out this age (Smith, 2009). Computer crimes are very critical comparing to cyber crimes.

Computer crimes consist of handset devices which require no authorization to own. The computer crimes are not very new because they came into existence from when technology arose. There no laws governing these technological instruments hence prosecution of these crimes become very difficult. Registration should amend this law to help curb these adamant cases of the digital age. These crimes have affected the world at large mostly on the social sectors (Smith, 2009). They have also led to a lot of theft cases revolving around the communication networking.

Methods of preventing computer crime

There are major steps to be followed to abolish the computer crimes that are very prevalent in the communities today. The first thing is identification of the requirements for protection. Identify all the software, services and hardware that can give adequate prevention to the computers. Secondly know the value of the required items. Thirdly identify the issues related to the system in your computer. The other thing is to have the knowledge of the risk exposure that can really become a problem. Then identify the solutions that can be used to deal with the problem causing risks. After this process is over one can improve the security measures employed and performing regular checkups to your system. Then the next issues is to be renewing and see whether there are any threats upcoming gradually and dealing with them on the spot (Smith, 2009).

Types of computer crimes

There are many crimes that are committed through the computer such crimes are Net crime, fraud, drug peddling, harassment and threats. Net crimes are crimes involving the internet. They are very critical offences that lead to physical, mental and psychological torture towards an individual. They are perpetrated through handsets like mobile phones and chat rooms and emails. These crimes are very fatal if not dealt with at early stages hence they might ruin the national security and may also decline the health issues. They have also become a financial viruses to most of the developed and developing countries (Smith, 2009). Fraud involves use of technology to dishonestly refrain one from per taking to the right thing leading to worse mal practices leading to huge losses which are very unnecessary.

Harassment can be caused by sending online bully messages regarding to persons on bases of gender, ethnic group or religion causing derogatory torture to the technology users. Threats consist of hate speeches that are used to create tension and intimidate certain parties. Although there are freedoms exhibited in many constitutions including the freedom of speech threats violate the freedom of speech, which is a very enormous offence (Smith, 2009). On drug trafficking decoded languages are used in internet markets. Drugs are sold and purchased online through very secretive and unscripted methods. This has increased the peddling of drugs world wide hence the percentage of drugs use has increased enormously.

Groups of People Who Commit Computer Crimes

The youths are the most affected by these crimes. They are adversely affected because they are the people who are in the digital age and are the people using the digital instruments mostly. The other factor that drives them to these crimes is their huge desire to get knowledge. Influence is the other factor that can cause them to be associated with these crimes. They are also the most jobless being in the world today which is the other major facto leading to these crimes (Smith, 2009).

Effects of Computer Crimes in Judiciary

A computer crime is any crime that is committed with the aid of a computer and also involving a network. In most of the cases the network used is the internet because of its availability. Computer crimes include instances whereby a computer or network is used to harm someone elsewhere through plotting a virus, data stealing or by computer hacking. In broader terms, this act also include copying of copyrighted material, child grooming , making computer virus with an intention to revenge through plotting of someone’s computer and also stealing  of confidential information belonging to somebody. Computer crimes present lot side effects especially in the developed countries where most official work is done and stored in computers. Some of the companies, individuals or countries suffer big losses as a result of the computer malpractices (Icoe, 2009).

A company or an individual may lose a lot of money when recovering the documents lost or when redoing work that it has been destroyed by computer viruses (Parker, 2008). Some Companies also spend a lot of money to fight the computer crimes already existing. In this fight judiciary is involved and so is also a loss on its side. Computer crimes result in the loss of information as a result of destruction by the virus or bug or any other malware. The loss of information becomes a big blow to the company in the sense that a lot of work is done to get the information back (Icoe, 2009). Since judiciary is the key organ in the fight against malpractices, it spends a lot of time in these issues hence making other things delay

According to (Parker, 2008) day by day countries put measures to curb computer crimes. This then wastes a lot of countries’ time and income. The overall outcome of this is that the affected countries drag behind economically, hence taking a lot of time to catch up with other countries of the same category.

Methods of Preventing Computer Crime

Due to the many side effects that arise from the computer crimes, various organizations in various countries have come up with methods to combat computer crimes. The methods applied depend on the nature of the crimes that are committed in the respective countries (Icoe, 2009). For instance in USA, the patriotic act does a lot of effort to ensure that the issues of computer c crimes are dealt with accordingly by the country’s judiciary. Some of the methods that are employed in this fight are:

These are the changes employed to several procedural related statutes that assist in prosecuting computer related activities (Parker, 2008). This act explains the circumstances under which the service providers notify law enforcement about suspicious in formation. This categorically deals with increment of the computer tools for investigating crimes in cyber. The initiative in various countries has called for establishment of the regional computer forensic laboratories for investigating computer crimes (Icoe, 2009). The laboratories would serve a very important purpose in the investigation of computer crimes both in cyber and other areas as well.

This approach discusses sections related to money laundering, revision of the computer fraud statute and the federal crime of terrorism. In the section of money laundering, the approach explains the fine that an individual or a company involved in computer crime should pay. Defining computer crimes as acts of terrorism, the section gives information that made the computer crimes be equated with acts of terrorism. Revision of computer fraud statute expounds on the areas of the computer crimes that are entitled to jurisdiction (Parker, 2008). These areas include: intentional access of a computer without authority, act of stealing protected computers, passwords trafficking and extortion of computers among others. With these and other upcoming suggestions on the solutions of the computer crimes, there is hope that a permanent remedy on the computer crimes will be achieved in the near future.