Traditional crimes in which computers are now used as an instrument.
Identify and describe two or three traditional crimes in which computers are now used as an instrument. How has the nature of these crimes changed as a result of technology?
What is anonymity on the Internet? What are the pros and cons of anonymity?
Find a spam or phishing e-mail in your e-mail account. Analyze the condensed and full e-mail header fields. What did you observe? Which header fields were included in the chosen e-mail that were not covered in this week? What forensic value do they hold, if any?
What is the difference between stand-alone and networked computers? What are the different types of computer networks?
Mobile devices have been the targets of crimes, have been used to commit crimes, and have held evidence of crimes. Conduct an online search for a case (not described this week) where a mobile device (PDA, mobile phone, or smart phone) was involved in a criminal or civil investigation. What were the facts of the case? What was the role of the device in the investigation?
Sample Solution
Two traditional crimes in which computers are now used as an instrument include cybercrime and money laundering. Cybercrime refers to the use of computers and the internet to commit criminal activity, such as identity theft and hacking. Money laundering is a method of disguising illegally obtained funds by transferring them through multiple bank accounts or using online payment systems, such as Bitcoin. The nature of these crimes has changed significantly with advances in technology, making them easier to commit, harder to detect, and more difficult for law enforcement agencies to investigate.
Anonymity on the Internet is the ability for users to remain unidentified when engaging in activities on the web. It allows users to hide their true identity from others while browsing or communicating online. The advantages of anonymity include privacy protection from intrusive companies or governments that may be tracking user behavior, freedom to explore sensitive topics without fear of retribution, and a level playing field for all participants regardless of physical characteristics. On the other hand, it can also be exploited by malicious actors who use it for malicious purposes such as cybercrime or child exploitation.
I observed a spam e-mail in my inbox containing offers on cheap airfare tickets that was sent from “Travel Deals” <travel_deals@example>. The condensed header fields included: Return-Path: <travel_deals@example>; Message-ID: <2f5daf22ffa5cbcb3e7bd158020b1eb9@example>; From: Travel Deals <travel_deals@example>; Date: Sat Sep 12 17:17:18 2020 +0200; Subject: Cheap Airfare Tickets !; To : undisclosed recipients [obfuscated]. Additionally there were many full header fields including X-Mailer (which indicated what program was used), DKIM signature (to confirm authenticity) and X-Confirm-Reading-To (to track if it was opened). These fields did not appear in this week’s study but have forensics value that indicate what programs were used when sending/receiving messages along with verifying its authenticity and whether it was opened/viewed or not respectively.
Stand alone computers are individual devices connected only internally with no connection outside itself while networked computers are multiple interconnected devices within a single local area network (LAN). Types of computer networks include LANs where two or more connected devices are located close together such as within offices/homes, Metropolitan Area Networks (MANS) which cover larger geographical areas like cities linked through public transportation hubs etc., Wide Area Networks (WANs) which expand coverage across greater distances like countries/continents through communication lines between routers etc., Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) uses wireless radio signals over short distances instead cables etc., Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) create encrypted connections over public networks providing secure remote access etc..
A case involving mobile device usage included R v Cunningham[1] , where an iPhone seized at police station turned out having videos showing children being sexually abused stored inside its internal memory card . Through forensic analysis performed upon phone's digital evidence , prosecution was able Court convict defendant Robert Cunningham due digitally captured evidences found inside his device . In this case investigative bodies utilized forensic tools like Encase Forensic toolkit & Oxygen Forensics suite effectively retrieve deleted files / photos conclusively proving defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt . This incident demonstrated how mobile phones can be instrumental role in investigations due their immense storage capacity & easy accessibility even after suspect had left crime scene before police arrived allowing investigators extract valuable evidence against perpetrators enabling successful prosecutions .</travel_deals@example></travel_deals@example></travel_deals@example>