People have access to various forms of
technology. The access to technology has positive implications for economic,
social and individual development (as mentioned under role of technology in the
opening topic of this chapter). However, there is misuse of technology. Some of
the misuses of technology are:
1. Misuse
of Information Technology:
IT facilitates storing of more and more information in computer
databases. As these databases become more closely linked in networks, more
people have broader access to more classified and other sensitive information
than ever before. This magnifies the amount of damage that can be caused by a
single insider working for the other side. As Senator Jay Rockefeller once stated "A single spy today can
remove more information on a disk than spies of yesteryear could remove with a
truck."
As it becomes easier for people to access computer databases, ease
of use means ease of abuse. Using the computer, individual employees can
quickly and quietly commit serious crimes that are very difficult to detect.
They can steal information, change information, or destroy information in
automated file systems while
sitting at their desk and doing nothing that appears out of the ordinary to
casual observers.
Personnel with technical skills and administrative access to a
network are also capable of damaging or impairing the operability of critical
information systems. There have been numerous Cases of such malicious behavior
by disgruntled 14 professionals
with some level of administrative access to a government or corporate system.
2. Abuse of
Internet:
Internet abuse refers to improper use of the internet and may
include:
• Computer crime, use of computers in criminal activity
• Cyber-bullying, use of the internet to bully and intimidate
• Spam (electronic), sending unwanted advertising
• Mal-ware, software designed to harm a user's computer, including
computer viruses
3. Misuse of SMS Facility:
SMS facility on the cell phones is misused by various fraudsters.
The fraudsters
For instance, at the time of writing this point on 15th Nov. 2012,
I have received an SMS from a phone No.49188029.45557 which states:
BBC UK:
Your mobile No. has won UK Pound 500,000 in BBC INT Draw. To claim ur prize
send ur bank details, name, Address, ph No, sex, age,
Mail Id to:
bbcdrawwin@hotmail.co.uk.
4. A
virus/worm Attacks:
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a computer or a
file and then circulate themselves to other files and to other computers on a
network. They usually affect the data on a computer, either by altering or
deleting it worms, unlike viruses do not need the host to attach themselves to.
They merely make functional copies of themselves and do this repeatedly till
they eat up all the available space on a computer's memory.
170 The VBS
LOVELETTER virus (better known as the Love Bug or the ILOVEYOU virus) was
reportedly written by a Filipino undergraduate.
In May 2000, this deadly virus beat the Melissa virus hollow-it
became the world's most prevalent virus. It struck one in every five personal
computers in the world. When the virus was brought under check the true
magnitude of the losses was incomprehensible.
Losses incurred during this virus
attack were pegged at US $10 billion.
5. E-mails
Related Crimes:
Email has fast emerged as the world's most preferred form of
communication. Billions of email messages traverse the globe daily. Like any
other form of communication, email is also misused by criminal elements.
The ease, speed and relative anonymity of email has made it a
powerful tool for criminals.
Some of the major email related crimes are:
a) Email spoofing
b) Sending
malicious codes through email
c) Email
bombing
d) Defamatory
emails
e) Sending
threatening emails
f)
Email frauds
Email
Spoofing: A spoofed email is one that appears to originate from one source
but has actually emerged from another source Falsifying the name and /or email
address of the originator of the email usually does email spoofing.
Certain Web-based email services like www.SendFakeMail.com, offer
a facility wherein in addition to the above, a sender can also enter the email address
of the purported sender of the email
Email
Bombing: Email bombing refers to sending a large amount of emails to the
victim resulting in the victim's email account (in case of an individual) or
servers (In case of a Company or
an email service provider) crashing. A simple way of achieving this would be to
subscribe the victim's email address to
a large number of mailing lists.
Threatening
Emails: Email is a useful tool for technology savvy criminals thanks to
the relative anonymity offered by it. It becomes fairly easy for anyone with
even a basic knowledge of computers to become a blackmailer by threatening someone via e-mail.
Defamatory
Emails: As has been discussed earlier cyber defamation or even
cyber-slander as it is called can prove to be very harmful and even fatal to
the people who have been made its
victims.
Email
Frauds: Email spoofing is very often used to commit financial crimes. It
becomes a simple thing not just to assume someone else's identity but also to
hide one's own. The person committing
the crime understands that there is very little chance of his actually being
identified.
6. Sonography
and Sex determination
Tests:
In most of the states or the male child in the society. Many women consider themselves complete only when they have a male child. Many women consider it is better not to have a child rather than having a female child. There are so many misconceptions in the society in this regard. These misconceptions are due to superstitions, poverty and illiteracy and dowry. Some religious rites also add to this problem e.g. only sons can perform the last rites on the dead body.
In most of the states or the male child in the society. Many women consider themselves complete only when they have a male child. Many women consider it is better not to have a child rather than having a female child. There are so many misconceptions in the society in this regard. These misconceptions are due to superstitions, poverty and illiteracy and dowry. Some religious rites also add to this problem e.g. only sons can perform the last rites on the dead body.
With the advancement in the science now the sex of the fetus can be determined in the womb only with the
help of the amniocentesis.
These tests were gradually misused and after determining the sex, if it happened to be female, people
started them getting aborted.
Any doctor doing the abortion of the fetus after such tests can be
punished under the MTP Act and the IPC, depending upon the circumstances, as it
becomes a criminal abortion.
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