As technology has become entangled in nearly everyone’s life, it has created a new focus on crimes committed over the internet. These crimes are committed in every aspect of society. Legislation has fallen behind the increasing prevalence of these crimes. Companies scramble to keep their defenses up to date with rapidly evolving technology. In minutes, a hacker can gain access to critical infrastructure, hijack systems, and create chaos in the lives of millions. Victims can be stalked and harassed anonymously over the internet. White Collar crimes such as fraud and laundering also take place with the use of the internet and computer systems.
This has led to a new era of practices in criminal justice and there is indeed some overlap between the two subjects. People who peruse a degree in cyber security can have a career in digital forensics, an important factor in prosecuting individuals who commit these crimes. Businesses are encouraged to routinely educate their employees in means of preventing common cyber threats such as phishing scams that can result in collectively costing companies billions.
The internet has allowed criminals to commit crimes with a layer of anonymity and those who may not outright break into a bank to steal funds may feel more comfortable attempting to scam someone out of money via an email phishing scheme. This is the same as someone who might steal copy written materials off the internet, who otherwise would not steal a book off a shelf at the store. For nearly every traditional crime, there is a cyber crime that can be categorized with it. With the internet becoming more accessible, and most people spending many their lives on the internet, it is imperative that interdisciplinary studies be offered to allow the criminal justice system to better collaborate with cyber security professionals to address the constant and growing threat.