Nathan Guman
CYSE 201S Cyber Security and Social Science
Journal Entry 14
Andriy Slynchuk has described eleven things Internet users do that may be illegal. Review what the author says and write a paragraph describing the five most serious violations and why you think those offenses are serious.
Of the 11 items listened in the article this is my top 5 ranking.
- Using other people’s internet
- Collecting Information about children
- Illegal searches
- Faking identity
- Bullying and trolling
Too often, online crimes are not compared to their real-world equivalent. First on the list is using someone’s internet. Theft is always a big deal, including theft of services. Additionally, using someone’s internet attributes your activity to the owner and if conducting illegal activity, would be like planting drugs in another person’s car. Second on the list is collecting information about children. This is outlawed by federal law and state laws and is something which should be taken very seriously. This generation of children are spending more time online then any in history and their privacy and safety must be paramount. Third on the list is illegal searches. Using the internet to learn, plan, coordinate, or share information on how to conduct illegal and violent activity is a very serious issue. Weather drugs, people, or weapons, smuggling and planning operations taking place online warrant higher levels of oversight and monitoring. Fourth, faking your identity online. This depends on context; however, identity theft and phishing attacks are a real concern. Imitating a trusted individual, weather online or in person is a serious offense, depending on intent. For example, impersonating a police officer or lawyer in real life is a serious crime. It should be online as well. Lastly, we have bullying and trolling. This activity can cause psychological harm to very vulnerable people. The anonymity and distance of being online often leads people to be far harsher than they would be in person.