There is a popular saying that goes "it's a dangerous world out there!". In a blockbuster movie Lord of the Rings, Sam Gamgee reminded Frodo that going out from his door is dangerous business. However, in today’s world, one does not need to step outside their doors to be exposed to dangers. It is more dangerous being in-doors especially when one logs into the internet, be it an adult, elderly, child or teenager. The internet has evolved to become a big part of our daily lives, just like how mobile phones have become a basic necessity for all. To that, danger lurks even closer than one could possibly imagine.
Statistics in June 2012 showed that there are more than 2.4 billion internet users worldwide and of course this number would have increased today. On the other hand, crimes on the internet have been on the rise. Interpol identified cybercrime as one of the speediest growing extent of felony. Cybercrime refers to any criminal activity committed by an individual or a group of individuals which involves a computer, program and network. Such crimes include computer fraud, hacking, phishing, copyright infringement, identitytheft, financial theft, cyber bullying, cyber stalking, cyber terrorism, child grooming, child pornography, cyberwarfare, cyber espionage, cyber suicide, cyber homicide, and the list goes on questioning the extent to what a criminal can do on the internet. In the 2011 InternetCrime Report, more than 300,000 complaints were filed on internet crimes in the US, with a 3.4% increase from 2010. The top five types of crimes included FBI-related scams, identity theft, advance fee fraud, non-delivery of merchandise and overpayment fraud and the total loss from these cases amounted to USD485.3 million. These kinds of frauds and scams seem to be the ideal business for criminals to be in, in the internet era.
Government bodies started looking into protection and preventive measures some time ago. Yet, up-to-date, only 49 countries have set up and implemented cyber laws of their own. Malaysia is one of the earlier countries that set up cyber-related laws which started back in 1997. Some of the laws include:
With all these laws in place, it is still insufficient to prevent cybercrimes from happening. As internet crimes increase, it is critical that internet users take all necessary precaution to protect themselves against being vulnerable victims to cyber criminals.
Footnote: Sam Gamgee and Frodo are fictional characters on Lord of the Rings blockbuster sequels.
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