To provide an assessment of the current computer crime units in operation on the federal and state level, including responsibilities, requirements, an analysis of crime unit sites, and issues involved in prosecution of computer crimes.
To provide an analysis of computer crime cases using the three most common types of computer crime: fraud, hacking, and sex crimes. Also to provide an assessment of the problems involved in the reporting of computer crime.
To provide an assessment of why Suffolk County needs a dedicated crime unit and to provide an example of what such a future crime unit might entail.
The development of any new technology opens a world of opportunities for users, but it also offers an equal opportunity for those who wish to misuse it. One good example would be nuclear technology. The rapid rise in use of computer related technology over the past fifteen years has benefited society greatly, but it has also represented a new means of opportunity for those who wish to perpetrate electronic crimes. There are various definitions of computer crime throughout the literature. Looking at two will suffice as a general explanation and understanding of the most common types of computer crime. In looking at the Justice Department’s 1995 report on the most common types of computer crime, we see that some are conventional types of crime committed with the aid of computers while others are relatively unique to electronic media:
Stealing tangible or intangible assets
Defrauding consumers, investors or users
Producing/distributing child pornography
There are many other kinds of computer crimes that are possible and occur which are not on the above list. Some of the reason for this is that technology has changed enough since 1995 to offer more potential for those wishing to misuse it. However, if we look at a broader definition of computer crime, we see that four categories exist under which all computer cr...