Cybercrime: Any solution in sight?

As the world is being reduced to a global village, cybercrime has since taken a different dimension. Cybercrime is a type of offence committed by cybercriminals who use the computer as a tool and the internet as a pathway to commit vices such as: Cyber-fraud, popularly referred to as ‘yahoo-yahoo’, illegal downloading of files (videos and music), Spam mailing: which is sending a phony e-mail in order to steal somebody’s private information and hacking a protected website, dissemination of pornography, data diddling, impersonation, web jacking, cyber defamation and forgery. 

Over time, different countries have come up with diverse strategies to contend with crime depending on their nature and extent. One thing is certain- a nation with high crime rate cannot develop. It is appalling to see people take advantage of the blessing accrued to mankind-Internet, and turn it to a curse. 

Questions like “how did money disappear from my bank account? Who logged in to my e-mail? How did the plan leak out of the company website?” and the likes have been recurrent for several years. Crimes like rape, armed robbery and money laundry need not necessarily be isolated from cybercrime as they all have equal consequences. For instance, wars have ensued where severe cases of cybercrime have ensued. When either individuals or organizations are the main target of cybercrime, their computers can be considered as the tool rather than the target. This crime requires less physical involvement as the damage done manifests itself in the real world. In this case, the victim’s carelessness may be his bait.

To tackle cybercrime effectively, it is highly imperative to establish active partnership between information security organizations, financial institutions, public organizations, private sectors and social media operators in order to enlighten them on the features of communication technologies liable to exploitation by cybercriminals. Also, improvement of security barrier within software packages and network structures would lead to improved security, keeping hackers at arm’s length. Parents could go a long way in preventing cybercrimes by advising their wards not to disclose personal details to strangers in the cyberspace as it could be dangerous. Organizations ought to hire individuals who are experts in computer security to supervise their content publication which will give them a secured environment in cyberspace.

Cybercrime is a growing concern throughout the world. Thus, research must continue to take place in order to keep the cyberspace as safe as possible and to keep it protected from ‘Yahoo boys’. The abuse of computer is a punishable offence before the law Therefore, the Computer Misuse Act (1990) could be principal to prosecuting an individual or organization that attempts to use the computer and the internet unlawfully.

The internet serves as a source of educational assistance to widen the horizon of students since no man is an island. The internet also serves as a form of entertainment. Hence the ‘edutainment’ role of the internet cannot be overemphasized; we should be on the alert for the dreadful social and economic effects of cybercrime. It is only through these that lasting solution can be proffered to this treat.