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Phishing

Phishing is another type of the most common computer crime, this type of computer crime is old school crime, it is an attempt to gather sensitive information by masquerading a trust website. The following website screen cut is high quality masquerading facebook website:

Firstly, from above picture, the URL is fake, because the real facebook does not use facebook-team.com as their URL, it uses facebook.com. Secondly, facebook does not acquire users’ real email password. Therefore, leave this page for sure, do not provide any information to this kind of website, must be aware.

There are certain thing should be aware for a website:

1.   URL for the website

2.   Content of the website, if one website acquire user’s outside of this website account, leave the website

3.   Never enter personal information in pop-ups.

4.   Never enter personal information in unsecured website

Phishing can also be in other form to acquire users information. Firstly, email can be one of the ways to spread phishing. Secondly, face time also become a type of phishing, some offenders will record users video or voice to acquire information.

Here are some solutions to prevent been phishing:

·         Turn on against unrecognized email option

·         Communicate personal information only on phone or secured websites

·         Click on unknown links are highly dangerous

·         Do not communicate personal information or financial information via email

·         Install anti-viruses, spam filter

·         Check online banking and other financial account statements

DDoS (denial-of-service attacks)

Distributed Denial of Service is a type of DoS attack. It is a new type of computer crime which makes a machine or network resource not available to its intend users. A DoS attack can also disruption of configuration information, disruption of physical network components and also state information (DDoShelp.com).

The most common DDoS attack appears in online game application.  Many game players have been attack by DDoS. Sometime, they lose important matches because of DDoS and lose their rating or rank. According to MMA-Champion, DDoS attack is mainly target your IP-address and disrupt every information that connect to the IP-address and also ICMP flooding via ping requests, it is very difficult to defend against a DDoS attack,but there are some solution to prevent DDoS:

·         An effective defense against an HTTP flood can be the deployment of a reverse proxy

·         Update gateway, servers, switches and firewall would protect from DDoS attack

·         Change IP-address

·         Use IP agent to transfer IP-address to different country such as Lowerping, Wowtunnel

Malware

Malware refers to malicious software, which it is intent to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information or gain access to private computer. Malware includes worms, Trojan horses, and any other forms of computer viruses. Malware was very popular few years ago; the deadly computer viruses have spread all over the world. In 2009, the most dangerous virus has been created called Conficker Virus, it designed as a worm that spread million of Windows computer around the world, creating a massive botnet army of remotely controlled computers capable of stealing financial data and other information (smithsonianmag.com). Many users have been affect by this virus, and it is also confound security expert in nowadays.

There are lots of solutions to prevent or defense from general malware attacks, from users perspective, users can do (Malware help):

·         Install firewall

·         Install anti-virus software

·         Update anti-virus patches

·         Update windows patches

·         Secure the browser

·         Secure the email client

·         Activate Real-time spyware protection

·         Use SpywareBlaster

·         Backup files to other device such as USB

·         Do not plug any suspicious device (unfamiliar people’s USB)

These advises can 90% prevent been attack by malware, these can be solutions for malware affection.

Obscene or offensive content

Obscene or offensive content is the most common to websites. It is any forms of messages that contain racist, slanderous, sexual, offence or others content. This type of computer crime is easy to publish and easy to spread. And they are hardly to stop or delete because they can publish in different websites. This type of computer crime will affect underage people mainly, if they view any of these websites, they will change children’s brain easily, which can lead them to a very bad attitude or even more, such as underage criminal. 

The way that can solve these problems can be government censorship which to stop those contents before reach the Internet and spread.  And also can report to the ACMA (the Australian communications and Media Authority) if users discover an obscene or offensive content website, which the website will affect to others.

From user perspective, here are some solutions for users to deal with these problems:

1.   Use a filter to block obscene or offensive content

2.   Report to ACMA

3.   Report to the website administration.

4.   Communicate with adult (parents) who can help

5.   If website warning under 18, leave the page

Fraud and identity theft

Fraud and identity theft are also a major section in computer crime, which affect society healthiness of Internet using. Firstly, in recent years, fraud/identity theft cases increase rapid, one of the factors that leading fraud increases is expand on social Media and online commercial. Such as facebook, twitter, ebay and etc.

         

Australian Payments Clearing Association makes the following statistics, which shows the recent trend on fraud in Australia:

             

From above result, the money fraud every year is massive, which need to be solved that can protect Australian users healthiness from surfing the Internet.

Here are some solutions, which can prevent or protect from been fraud or identity theft: (Appendix C, theNewYorkTimes & morganStanley SmithBarney)

Prevent fraud:

·         Do not give any your personal information to unfamiliar person or people

·         Strong passwords (such as A21sEew2!eQ)

·         Change passwords every month or two months

·         Do not go in suspicious website

·         Aware scam emails

·         Do not reply any personal information on Email

·         Be aware, clicking links

Prevent identity theft:

·         Review monthly statements check with financial account

·         Review credit reports

·         Keep important personal information or privacy in safe place

·         Do not care social security card in your wallet