Examples of Cybercrimes in Cyberspace

Examples of Cybercrimes in Cyberspace

With the introduction of computers into human life, society has continuously witnessed profound transformations. As a natural consequence of these developments, many aspects of daily life have shifted into a new environment: cyberspace. For this reason, criminal conduct has also taken new forms and now requires modern methods of prevention, detection, and response.

On a daily basis, new categories of cyber offenses, including unauthorized interception and computer-related theft, are identified that may not yet be expressly criminalized in existing legislation. Cyber offenders are often highly intelligent individuals with advanced technical skills. It is therefore evident that confronting a sophisticated computer fraudster is considerably more challenging than dealing with traditional street-level offenses.

Internet Fraud and Phishing

Illustrations of Offenses

Unauthorized Access to Computer Data

This offense refers to situations where an offender unlawfully gains access to protected data by breaching security measures. For example, obtaining information about national entrance examination candidates by hacking the national examination authority constitutes this crime. Another example includes extracting a customer’s personal records and usage history by hacking the systems of a mobile network operator.

Unauthorized Interception

Unauthorized interception refers to unlawfully monitoring or acquiring private content transmitted through telecommunications systems, computer systems, electromagnetic waves, or similar means. Accordingly, obtaining an individual’s passwords and reading their messages may constitute instances of unauthorized interception.

Computer Espionage

Computer espionage includes gaining access to classified or confidential computer data, intercepting such information, and making it available to persons who lack legal authorization to receive it.

Computer Forgery

Computer forgery includes the fraudulent alteration of computer data and its subsequent use. For instance, a bank employee may manipulate account information by abusing access to banking networks and falsifying account statements. This offense is not limited to companies or financial institutions. It may also occur where a student hacks a professor’s website, alters educational records, and changes grades. Another example is making unauthorized changes to data stored on another person’s memory card.

Computer Theft

Computer theft refers to the unlawful taking of another person’s data or information. For example, stealing the personal data of students or government employees by accessing their individual accounts and systems constitutes computer theft. In this manner, the primary objective of computer theft is the taking of confidential information and its misuse, whereas traditional theft is generally aimed at taking tangible property.

Computer Fraud

Computer fraud refers to unlawfully obtaining property or a benefit for oneself or another by means such as inputting, deleting, altering, creating, or stopping data, or by disrupting computer systems. For example, if an offender steals banking users’ information, gains access to their accounts, and withdraws or transfers funds, the conduct constitutes computer fraud, and the offender will be deemed criminally liable. Computer fraud may also occur through the creation of a fraudulent website designed to imitate a legitimate one, in which the offender collects the information of users who mistakenly enter the fake site and then misuses it.

Offenses Against Public Morality and Decency

Another category of computer crimes involves acts against public morality and decency, including computer-based pornography. The production and distribution of obscene images and videos of individuals fall within this category.

Dissemination of False Information

This offense includes the dissemination of false statements in cyberspace by attributing to others acts that are untrue, with the intent to disturb public opinion and cause harm. For example, falsely attributing a fabricated quotation to another person in cyberspace, with the purpose of damaging that person’s social standing, may constitute the cyber offense of disseminating false information.

An effective approach to combating cybercrime in Iran becomes practically enforceable when the public’s role is properly recognized. A portion of education on the correct and lawful use of cyberspace can be entrusted to the public. People can participate coherently and lawfully, and cooperate voluntarily, only where an effective communication framework is established among them, the police, and other responsible authorities tasked with addressing cyber offenders.

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