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Computer Crimes

TitleComputer Crimes
# of Words1423
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)5.69

Computer Crimes



Computer Crimes


    It's the weekend, you have nothing to do so you decide to play around on
your computer.  You turn it on and then start up, you start calling people with
your modem, connecting to another world, with people just like you at a button
press away.  This is all fine but what happens when you start getting into other
peoples computer files.  Then it becomes a crime, but what is a computer crime
really, obviously it involves the use of a computer but what are these crimes.
Well they are: Hacking, Phreaking, & Software Piracy.

     To begin I will start with Hacking, what is hacking. Hacking is basically
using your computer to "Hack" your way into another. They use programs called
scanners which randomly dials numbers any generating tones or carriers are
recorded.  These numbers are looked at by hackers and then used again, when the
hacker calls up the number and gets on he's presented with a logon prompt, this
is where the hacking really begins, the hacker tries to bypass this anyway he
knows how to and tries to gain access to the system.  Why do they do it, well
lets go to a book and see "Avid young computer hackers in their preteens and
teens are frequently involved in computer crimes that take the form of
trespassing, invasion of privacy, or vandalism. Quite often they are mearly out
for a fun and games evening, and they get entangled in the illegal use of their
machines without realizing the full import of what they are doing", I have a
hard time believing that so lets see what a "hacker" has to say about what he
does "Just as they were enthraled with their pursuit of information, so are we.
The thrill of the hack is not in breaking the law, it's in the pursuit and
capture of knowledge.", as you can see the "hacker" doesn't go out to do destroy
things although some do.  It's in the pursuit of knowledge. Of course this is
still against the law. But where did all of this start, MIT is where hacking
started the people there would learn and explore computer systems all around the
world. In the views of professional hacking is like drugs or any other addictive
substance, it's an addiction for the mind and once started it's difficult to
stop.  This could be true, as hackers know what they are doing is wrong and they
know odds are they will be caught.  But as I mentioned some hackers are just
above average criminals, using there skills to break in banks and other places
where they can get money, or where they can destroy information.  What a hacker
does at a bank is take a few cents or even a few fractions of a cents from many
different accounts this may seem like nothing but when all compiled can be alot.
A stick up robber averages about $8,000 each "job", and he has to put his life
and personal freedom on the line to do it while the computer hacker in the
comfort of his own living room averages $500,000 a "job".  As for people
destroying information, this is for taking some one down, destruction of data
could end a business which for some is very attractive.  It can cost a company
thousands of dollars to restore the damage done.

     Now that you have an understanding of what a "hacker" is, it time to move
on to someone closely associates with a hacker.  This is a Phreak, but what is
that.  For the answer we turn to the what is known as the "Official" Phreakers
Manual "Phreak [fr'eek] 1. The action of using mischievous and mostly illegal
ways in order to not pay for some sort of telecommunications bill, order,
transfer, or other service. It often involves usage of highly illegal boxes and
machines in order to defeat the security that is set up to avoid this sort of
happening. [fr'eaking] v. 2. A person who uses the above methods of destruction
and chaos in order to make a better life for all. A true phreaker will not go
against his fellows or narc on people who have ragged on him or do anything
termed to be dishonourable to phreaks. [fr'eek] n. 3. A certain code or dialup
useful in the action of being a phreak. (Example: "I hacked a new metro phreak
last night.")" The latter 2 ideas of...This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Electronic References. Please register below now!

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