The level of technology has improved in recent days, which has led to constant use of the internet, thus making life more comfortable. People can conduct many activities on social media including, professional work or even businesses; ideas and information can be shared easily. Social media has made the world become a small village, and everyone has trusted the internet in a way that they have most of their information everywhere on the internet. Due to this laxity, the level of cyberbullying , which are crimes committed via social media using the computer whereby the computer can be the target or can contain the evidence, has rapidly gone high. There are different types of cybercrimes; this document will discuss how the various cyber crimes have affected social media. First is scamming, which happens in multiple forms. Scammers offer services like troubleshooting and its support services to problems that do not even exist. Many users end up sending money to scammers hence suffering financial losses.
Second is the identity theft; it is a way in which criminals get user's personal information and other relevant information of social media users like business secrets. Through identity theft, criminals can perform business transactions without the knowledge of the owner. In such scenarios, the affected individuals end up suffering financial and emotional toll. The third type of cyber-crime is hacking, which involves the partial or complete acquisition of specific functions within a system, network, or website. It also aims to access to essential data and information, breaching privacy. In the event of hacking, users concentrate on the hackers; hence their regular duties are put on hold.
Fourthly are computer viruses. Criminals take advantage of computer viruses to gain unauthorized access to systems and steal valuable data. Computer viruses can spread through removable devices and the internet. Computer virus leads to the crashing of the machine, leaving the user with no other option other than mending it or purchasing another computer. The fifth cyber-crime is spamming, which uses electronic messaging systems, most commonly emails in sending messages that host malware, and other malicious programs. Email spamming is very popular. Cybercriminals use unsolicited bulk messages to send to large numbers of users. It offers deals, promotions, and other attractive components to deceive users. Eventually, the cybercriminals collect personal information of the users.
On the sixth, cyber-crime is phishing. Phishers behave like a legitimate company or organization. They use emails to obtain confidential information like passwords by sending emails with links to fake websites. Most users believe these are legitimate, thus entering their personal information. At last, phishers use those details for their financial gain. Seven is social engineering, which is a method in which cybercriminals go to the extent of making phone calls, sending emails, or even meeting users in person. They also act like a legitimate company as well. They befriend the users to earn their trust until they provide their essential information and personal data.
The eighth type of cybercrime is malvertising, whereby the criminals add multiple advertisements on websites.those advertisements contain weird codes that users click on, thinking they are legitimate. These ads immediately redirect the user to fake websites or a file carrying viruses and malware, and they automatically download. The ninth cybercrime is cyberstalking. It involves following a person online anonymously. Women and children are the most victims of cyberstalking, who are followed by men and pedophiles.
Tenth, child pornography, porn content is very accessible now because of the internet. Most countries have laws that penalize child pornography. This cybercrime involves the exploitation of children in the porn industry. Child pornography is a $3-billion-a-year industry. Unfortunately, over 10,000 internet locations provide access to child porn . Also, there cyberbullying is; one of the most rampant crimes committed in the virtual world. It is a form of bullying carried over to the internet. On the other hand, global leaders are aware of this crime and pass laws and acts that prohibit the proliferation of cyberbullying.
Lastly, The internet has torrents and other programs that illegally duplicate original content, including songs, books, movies, albums, and software.software piracy is a crime as it translates to copyright infringement. Due to software piracy, companies and developers encounter colossal cut down in their income because of the reproduction of their products illegally.
In conclusion, social media is a blessing to humanity because it has made globalization a reality; people can express themselves fully with no fear. However, like they say that every good thing has its hitch, social media has cybercrimes that affect the users directly. Social media users should be aware of these crimes so that they do not find themselves suffering as victims.
