The unique attributes of cyberspace have made traditional law enforcement strategies more challenging because criminals can commit crimes anywhere in the world and hide their identities behind computer screens. They could do this by creating fake accounts, using VPNs, or using compromised devices. With that being said, it makes it difficult for law enforcement to establish jurisdiction when they don’t know exactly where the crime is happening. One example is fraud. Traditional fraud could be selling a designer bag while knowing that it is fake. Online fraud would involve posting a picture of a designer bag and pretending to ship it to the seller’s address after the payment has been made. This makes prosecution difficult if the criminal is experienced and hides their IP address, making them impossible to track down.

Second reading explored the gap between technology-connected crime and mainstream criminal justice research. I believe this gap exists because technology evolves so much faster than academic research, where findings must be tested in experiments, which takes more time. The criminal justice system focuses on physical crimes and social behavior, while cybersecurity focuses on acquiring technical skills that many researchers may not have. As a result, integrating both fields can be challenging and time-consuming since they require a completely different set of skills. 

One specialized course that would help bridge this gap is probably Cyber and Surveillance Law and Governance. This course combines criminal justice, ethics, and technology to examine how governments and organizations collect digital information while safeguarding individuals’ privacy rights, and integrates social science with STEM disciplines to help individuals understand the technical and legal aspects of cybersecurity. 

Overall, I think the criminal justice system should focus on creating a specialized cyber unit to handle advanced technology-related investigations, because nowadays technology plays a role in almost every criminal case. On the other hand, officers with limited cybersecurity experience should be given opportunities and resources to expand their knowledge and develop digital investigation skills, if they choose to do so. The cybersecurity and criminal justice career fields are completely different and require distinct skills, so giving officers an option is vital.