Cyber Criminal

CYBER CRIME
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Cyber Crime
Cases of cybercrime are drastically increasing across the globe. Due to this, various agencies across the world are taking necessary measures to ensure that its people are not exposed to such. Broadly, cybercrime is a computer-related crime or a crime where a computer and a network are involved. This essay explores multiple aspects of cybercrime. In demonstrating an understanding of this aspect, this essay explains the basic knowledge of communication, as provided for by the internet. It also explains various networking building blocks and their functions. Lastly, this article demonstrates different software vulnerabilities, as they occur in web browsers.

How We Communicate On the Internet
In a broader perspective, internet communication refers to the aspect of sharing ideas or words, over the World Wide Web or the internet. Communication on this platform has changed drastically, mainly due to technological evolution across the world. Ways in which we communicate on the internet are as described below.

Internet Telephony and VoIP
The above consists of various hardware and software components that allow one to use the internet as the transmission media for telephone calls. Instead of using the public switched telephone network, which is common in some scenarios, Internet telephony, and VoIP uses aspects IP for the sake of transferring voice. To use this internet communication technology, one must have a unique phone number and an adapter that facilitates the sending and receiving of calls, through the computer, traditional phone or in some instances through VoIP phone.

The difference between VoIP and the traditional telephony is that VoIP utilizes the internet, where voice gets transmitted in packets. With the public switched telephone network, traditional circuit transmissions transmit data.
Email Communication
E-mail, or electronic mail is the sending and receiving of messages through the facilitation of communication networks. The messages sent and received through this aid can be notes entered by use of a keyboard, or electronic files saved in various storage elements such as disks. Using multiple email software such as Gmail and outlook, one can compose and send a message, given that the recipient address is known. In most instances, email messages are encoded using the standard ASCII text, images and voice can also be transmitted. The email was among the first uses of the internet and has remained to be very popular.

Various internet protocols facilitate the transfer and receiving of the messages email messages. Such protocols include simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and the POP3 protocol. The SMTP facilitates sending, whereas the POP3 protocol facilitates the receiving of emails.
Videoconferencing
Video conferencing refers to a conference between several participants, in diverse locations, aided by the use of computer networks to transmit video and audio data. The participants need a video camera, microphone, and speakers. As they communicate, their voices get transmitted via a network to the receiver’s speakers. Real-time images and videos captured by the video camera, also, on the monitor of the other participants.
Various software applications aid video conferencing. Many dedicated web cameras, come with such software. At the moment, this mode of internet communication is become quite popular, especially due to its real-time nature.

Instant Messaging
This method of internet messaging allows the transmission of online text from one point to the other. It is a mode which has been adopted by various agencies and organizations across the world. Such communication occurs with the help of a shared software client. Other than messages, voice and data and files can be transmitted.

Social Networks
Social networks, through the facilitation of the internet, allow people to connect with their friends across the globe. These sites also enable their friends to share or follow each other, hence increasing the number of participants. Examples of social networks include Facebook and Twitter.
Major Networking Building Blocks and Their Functions
The above refers to components used in the establishment of computer networks. The first network building blocks the client computer. It refers to the machines that aid access of resources and other required aspects on the network. They usually run on a desktop version of operating systems.

The second network building block is known as the server computer. These are computers that aid sharing of resources. Such resources include printers, disk storage, and other network services, including email services and internet access. Server computers are installed with unique network operating systems and work collectively with other related software for the achievement of their objectives.
A network interface sometimes referred to as a network port is an interface, in the computer that enables computers on a network to communicate. A typical networking standard, known as Ethernet is the standard network interface.
Switches are yet another common network building blocks. They are used to expand or build more extensive networks. Another common building block is the network software. It enables servers and client computers to communicate and work collectively. The last building block is the wireless network, which allows computers to communicate.
Software Applications’ Vulnerabilities
In this perspective, vulnerability is a fragile point in the application, which can be utilized by malicious people. They are as explained below.
SQL injection is a software application vulnerability, whereby attackers and other individuals with ill intentions try to use the availed application code, to access or cause damage to the various contents of the database. On instance that this attempt becomes successful, the attacker can either delete, update, alter, read or copy contents in the backend database.
The second vulnerability is the cross-site scripting which is the process of injecting code to a web application’s output. It usually happens on a client-side script. The main aim of such an attempt is to alter the client side scripts of software, into a way desired by the attacker. Through the attack and change web sessions, and redirect the site to other dangerous websites.
The third vulnerability is broken authentication and session management. This vulnerability is used by the attackers in the identification of the user status. Failure to achieve this provides the attacker with an opportunity of altering the session, and hence assuming the status of the user.
The fourth vulnerability, indirect object references refers to a point whereby a software application displays a reference link to the internal implementation object. Such object records include database objects, documents, directories, keys, and files. When the software exposes such a reference, the hackers and attackers are in a position to manipulate user’s data.
The last vulnerability is security misconfiguration. It encompasses various vulnerabilities associated with poor maintenance of the software or lack of attention to the configuration aspects of the software. Such dangerous misconfigurations allow attackers to take control of confidential data.
Conclusion
As demonstrated in the above instances, the number of people communicating on the internet has been increasing drastically. Therefore, to protect information of users, stringent legislation, encompassing access and use of transits information should be enforced to the maximum. Such would ensure that private and organizational data safe.

References
Meyers, Mike. “Introducing Basic Network Concepts.” (2010).
Smyk, Darek A. “Apparatus and method for internet telephony routing.” U.S. Patent 6,597,686, issued July 22, 2003.
Yadav, Bhanu. “Web Application Vulnerabilities.” (2014).