Actions to Take Under Information Transparency Society

Actions to Take Under Information Transparency Society
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Introduction
The rapid development of both computer technology and the network has made it possible for most people to be connected to the internet. In contemporary society, information and communication technologies are widespread, and all individuals and organizations are focused on digitization. It is essential to note that the development of computer technology has facilitated a new form of crime, cybercrime; this form of crime is carried out by using a computer or network to commit illegal activity. Ideally, cybercrimes may be undertaken for various reasons, for example, the cybercriminals may commit a crime with the goal of generating a profit, and they may also carry out the illegal activities to acquire information from unsuspecting computer users or damage their computer systems. The information transparency society has significantly contributed to the increase of cybercrimes, and it affects millions of people across the world. Information transparency means that individuals’ personal data, as well as, their devices can be tracked. This literature explores the widespread of cybercrimes in the modern society and ways that people can protect themselves from becoming the victims of cybercrime and maintain their privacy.
Cybercrime
In this age of information explosion, there is always likely to be a boom in the cases of cybercrime. There is actually a very close relationship between crime and technology. The increased sophistication of the globe due to technological innovations and inventions also bring about increased sophistication in cybercrime. The only difference between the increased sophistication and the ways of cybercrime is in the complexity of these aspects or the utilities used in either. However, the basic idea usually remains the same. The execution of these ideas also remains the same, and that is how the whole thing about cybercrime is also little.
Such a kind of phenomenon is what has continuously made cybercrime a rapidly evolving field of crime. The new hacks and techniques employed by the cybercriminals is rather quite ingenious and will continue to be so for as long as technology keeps evolving. Security agencies have their hands full, as they brace for even more of such activities in the present and in the future. It also acts as a wakeup call for the legal and justice system to come up with new legislations against cybercrime.
There are various forms of cybercrimes that individuals can suffer from for example include identity theft. Identity theft is one of the most common types of cybercrime around the globe. It involved stealing and mimicking of one’s persona. It occurs when the cybercriminals have access to one’s personal information and may use it to steal funds, gain access to other confidential information and participate in other forms of fraud. The criminals may infringe an individual’s privacy through the use of various strategies such as hacking passwords and usernames, accessing essential information from social media, and may also send phishing emails. Phishing mails usually mimic the actual appearances of the sites that individuals often log in, from mails to social media accounts. Once the user uses their personal credentials to log in, these malwares send it to the criminal, who then uses the information for their own fraudulent purposes.
Ransomware may also be used by the perpetrators of crime to lock valuable files that contain crucial personal information, and they demand a ransom to release the files (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2020). Just like phishing mails, ransomwares also install themselves on the computer system through file downloads or flash disks connected to these systems. Once these malwares get into the systems, they then encrypt all the data in such a manner that the owner cannot even access it.
Most importantly, cyber stalking is also a significant cybercrime which necessitates online harassment where the victims are subjected to numerous messages and emails that are focused on intimidating and instilling fear. Besides, the criminals may also use phishing where they send malicious emails that are aimed at helping them to gain access to a personal computer where they can access essential information, and content can be used to blackmail them.
There are numerous criminal syndicates across the world that focus on the use of blackmail to demand for money from their victims. They utilize these cybercriminal techniques such as hacking, phishing and even jamming to demand for pay from these individuals out there. They utilize the sensitive information they get from these criminal activities to extort their targets. The main threat usually, is to either get paid or they release the sensitive information either to the public or to certain people. The same happens with companies, where firms are forced to kind of buy back their own sensitive data from these criminals, or else suffer the leakage of the same to their competitors.
Ideally, transparency is a critical issue in this era of computer technology. Information transparency entails making the information explicitly available to the intended users; often, confidential and transparency information may be made available to other individuals, and an organization would require it for decision-making processes (Turilli & Floridi, 2009). Customers engaging with business relationships with most companies and organizations in the current society are needed to give some of their personal information to the firm. In such situations, the company is responsible for ensuring that the privacy of the customers’ information is upheld, and this can be achieved by setting clear guidelines to determine who, how and when this information is used in the organization.
It is essential to comprehend that the number of data breaches reported every year from 2010 to 2019 has remained high, and since 2016, over a thousand cases of violations are reported. Figure 1 provides a summary of the number of breaches that have been reported since 2010. This is a clear testimony to the earlier discussion that as the years go by, more and more technological advancements are done, and so do the cases of cybercrime increase.
Figure 1 (Insurance Information Institute, 2020).
Vaccaro (2006) explains that customers’ confidential data should always be protected, and this is possible by limiting the practices that necessitate the use of sensitive information. It is essential to note that there are many companies that have failed to safeguard and secure the information of their customers by ensuring that it is not given to other parties without the consent of the owners’ consent. However, some companies, such as Facebook, have failed to safeguard the privacy of Facebook users. The firm, Facebook, has been accused of allowing cybercrime groups that are aimed at selling stolen credit card data, hacking tools, intensity information, and other cyber...