Vocabulary Practice: Cybercrime

Read the text again and complete the task.

Have you ever been a victim of cybercrime, a.k.a. computer crime? This broad term might refer to any criminal offence, committed against an individual or a group of people, which utilizes a computer or a network. The computer might also be the target of cybercrime. Today, most computer crimes are categorised as netcrimes since the internet is their medium. Let’s take a look at some of the most common examples.

Computer fraud is any intentional deception that causes unfair or unlawful loss. Such a deliberate misrepresentation might result in unauthorized transactions or data loss. Phishing, in other words imitating trustworthy websites to acquire sensitive information, may also be seen as a type of computer fraud.

Cyberterrorism involves organised attempts to find and exploit security holes in systems. Cyberterrorists aim at carrying out computer-based attacks that would discredit an organisation or government or force the victim to meet the terrorists’ demands. On the other hand, a crime in which the victim is threatened with cyberattacks, usually aimed at computer systems, websites or e-mail servers, and the attackers demand a ransom, is known as cyberextortion.

As you can see, cybercrime comes in many different forms and incarnations. The offences mentioned in this article are just some of the many dangers you might come across. Remember to always keep an eye out for any potential hazards online.