The leaps and bounds by which the cyber world has grown in recent years continue to astonish many people. You can sit in your living room here in Florida and communicate with someone across the country or across the globe.
Such advances have made the world smaller, but have also made it more dangerous in some respects. Cybercrimes happen every day, and if authorities accuse you of committing a cybercrime (also referred to as a computer crime), you may want to seek out the appropriate guidance as soon as possible after you discover that officials suspect you of wrongdoing.
Common computer crimes
You have probably heard of at least some of the following common cybercrimes:
- Electronically stealing another individual’s personal information is against the law. Identity theft often occurs in order to gain some financial advantage such as applying for credit cards or receiving medical care.
- If you download movies, games, music or software in violation of copyright laws this could be a crime.
- If you illegally copy software programs, you could find yourself facing theft charges.
- If you break into a computer without permission and access sensitive and private information, you could face charges for hacking.
- If you use a computer to stalk another person, you could face charges for cyberstalking. This often includes sending multiple emails, texts or other online communications within a short period for a significant amount of time.
- If you plant a virus in a computer or computer system over the internet, this is a crime.
- Actions that destroy or damage data also violate the law.
- If you flood someone’s inbox with messages to the point where they cannot access his or her services, it could constitute a “denial of service attack” against the victim.
Any of these crimes can be against property, individuals or a government. Some people use computers in the furtherance of human trafficking. Some individuals also use computers for purposes of creating and disseminating child pornography. These types of computer crimes can be quite sophisticated. Obviously, the FBI and other governmental agencies take both of these crimes seriously.
If you discover that you are under investigation or arrest for a crime related to computers, you may want to exercise your right to counsel as soon as possible in order to ensure that your rights remain protected and to help you determine a course of action that could provide you with the best resolution possible to the situation.