The New Nation - Internet Edition

The rise of computer and others high technologies equipment has paved the way for the genesis of new crime types. High-Tech Crime involves an attempt to pursue illegal activities through the use of advance electronic media. High Technology as a form of sophisticated electronic devices- computer, cellular telephone, internet and other digital communication- that is in common use today. In the same way Computer crime has been defined as 'any illegal act fostered or facilitated by a computer, whether the computer is an object of a crime, an instrument used to commit a crime, or a repository of evidence related to a crime' (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2000).

Characteristics of High-Tech Crime: mainly it is property related crime; no direct contact with victims; electronic travel; involve less visible and tangible kinds of property such as information, data, computer networks; victims realis many times later after actual commission of crime; profits of high-tech crimes are vast; hackers are able to steal greater amounts with greater comfort; single act can victimis multiple places at once; easy to evade detection and prosecution; criminals can carry their illegal activities without any geographical limitations; tracing high-tech criminal activity to the responsible individual is very difficult; high-tech criminals can easily move on to a new target; criminals can precipitate in a modem phenomenon: global community,etc.

Categories of computer crimes: I) computers can be used as storages or communication devices where by information can be created, stored, manipulated, and communicated electronically; 2) the computer can be used as an instrument or a tool of crime; 3) can be used as a weapon to commit attack on the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Computer networks breaks-ins; industrial espionage; software piracy; pornography online; mail bombing; passwords sniffers; credit card fraud,etc. The criminal Justice Problem High-Tech Crimes pose a special problem to law enforcement agencies for two reasons: I) these crimes are not easily detected since the offenders can quietly commit them from any computer terminal, usually in the comfort of their own homes. 2) Most law enforcement agencies are not equipped to deal with the phenomenon.

Muhammad Kamruzzaman Ferose

Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail