Technology has created many opportunities for workplace deviance. Cybercrime or crime in general is described as “White-Collar Crime”. White-collar crime refers to a crime normally committed by professionals in a workplace environment. The integration of technology into business has helped with productivity and enabled businesses to work more efficiently at higher volumes. However, just as technology can be used for good, professionals with malicious intent can use technology to commit crimes.
There are “Legitimate white-collar cybercrimes” and “Contrepreneurial l white-collar” cybercrime. Legitimate cybercrimes are those committed by an employee or former employee. A good example would be if I worked for a company that’s the main platform was selling E-Textbook, which we all know cost a lot. A theoretical crime could be committed where the person could take that Copyright material and sell it on the black market at half the cost for profit. There are several aspects to this hypothetical scenario. First, did the person who stole the E-textbooks have legitimate access to those files, If not, and they hacked into the server where those were stored, there are possibly several crimes committed along the lines of unauthorized access and the theft itself of the documents.
Contrepreneurial white-collar cybercrime is where a crime has been committed with an illegitimate enterprise. An example of this would be the criminal creating a false business or perception of a legitimate business with the intention of using said business in a fraudulent manner. The illegitimacy of the business is unknown to the victim, and the belief that they are conducting a real business transaction will provide details such as bank account numbers, credentials, and PII (Personal Identification information). This information is then used in a fraudulent way for profit, such as charging the victim’s bank account when unauthorized.
It’s no mystery that technology in the workplace can be used for both good and bad actions. A way to help mitigate the risks a business faces would be the practice of Background checks on employees before hiring and constant monitoring of systems once they leave. It is important to make sure accounts are deactivated and all access is restricted to former employees immediately after severance.