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Information technology and the technological revolution of recent decades have had a broad reaching affect on many aspects of life for global societies; commerce, employment, education, entertainment and many other aspects of society have been impacted by information technology and its apparent cohesion with the day to day activities of people all over the world. Such technological advancements have been shown to have many positive effects on society, but with these advancements it seems only fitting that the scales are balanced by a number of negatives, such as the emergence of information technology related crimes.

Since recorded history began it would seem apparent that crime has always been an element of societies. As technology within society advances so too does the way in which such technologies are used exploitatively. As Paul Virilio, French cultural theorist and urbanist once put it;

“To invent the train is to invent derailment; to invent the ship is to invent the shipwreck. The ship that sinks says much more to me than the ship that floats!” (VIRILIO, P, 2006 p. 20)

By this Virilio ushered in a warning; a warning to consider that while technology has many inherent advantages, that perhaps its disadvantages are equally if not more important to consider as society moves forward. History has proven that progress, in its various forms is inevitable, it would therefore be foolish to conclude from Virilio’s warnings that society should attempt halt the progress of technology to prevent negative repercussions such as information technology related crime. However society must be urged to tackle such negatives within their own context and on their own merits. Criminology and crime prevention are deeply rooted sociological concepts, as criminal activity and technology come together a new context emerges that must be considered in an entirely new light.

Crime prevention and investigative techniques employed to tackle traditional or localised crime may no longer be appropriate when tackling computer related crimes. When reporting for the U.S Department of Justice Catherine Conly commented that;

“Law enforcement faces new challenges as it seeks to strengthen capabilities for successfully investigating and prosecuting computer crime.” (CONLY, C, 1989 p. iii)

Information technology advances so rapidly that so to do the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies all over the world. Unlike other forms of crime, information technology related crime is ever evolving and mutable; opportunity structures for criminals alter and evolve day to day as new advancements in technology are made. In short as opportunities for criminals increase so to do challenges for law enforcement and crime prevention agencies.

The rise in the use of information technology within the professional workplace is evident to anyone who may work in an office. Such technologies have been employed in the workplace for a number of reasons that include;

Faster and more efficient communications internally via intranet and externally via the World Wide Web.

The ability to store masses of data, to cut down on the wastage and space taken up by traditional paper records management.

Reduction of data loss or to backup important data.

To speed up the maintenance of records, making amendments more accurately and easily.

These examples demonstrate some of the more common reason information technology is made used within the workplace. While it would seem apparent that modern technology provides us with workflow advantages, Virilio would remind us to keep in mind the disadvantages that they may pose. In the context of computer related crime, and as mentioned earlier, evolving technologies provide criminals with new forms of opportunity structure to commit further crimes.

One such example is the rise in “white collar crimes.” The rise of efficient computer use within the workplace has meant that less people in general are required to manage the previous traditional records management process. This leaves those data controllers responsible for overseeing computer related records management activities in an opportune position to commit information technology related crimes. It is no surprise then that those most likely to commit IT crimes are IT officers. One such contextual example might be a bank worker overseeing digital transactions, perhaps skimming money from one account into another.

As society becomes further reliant on technology it becomes increasingly evident that much of the world’s information systems are becoming linked by intranet and/or internet. This creates a globalised socio-economic environment, that while having its key advantages in making communications and global trading possible, also has its advantages for global crime. Felix Stalder, cultural theorist and sociologist notes that;

“Organized crime – have (re)organized themselves into networks with global linkages” (STALDER, F, 2006 p. 65)

Boundaries such as time, distance, and place have often been used to investigate and measure traditional crime. In the context of information technology related crime these boundaries become skewed in a number of ways. Time becomes of little consequence as masses of data or commands can be processed in an instant, distance becomes inconsequential as these processes can traverse national boundaries in a heartbeat, place becomes difficult to measure or define as such crimes take place on a global network not a local one. While a crime may undergo investigation in one country, it may find itself with repercussions in innumerable others.

“In old technologies, the accident is “local”; with information technologies it is “global.” We do not yet understand very well this negative innovation.” (VIRILIO, P, 2006 p. 21)

As well as increasing the spread of crime via global networks, information technology also serves to speed up the process of crime. The spread and apparent speed of IT related crime re-defines the investigative methods needed to combat such criminal initiatives. Unlike traditional localised crime that has a “crime scene,” IT related crimes break free of such traditional boundaries and create new logistical problems for the world’s law enforcement agencies. Conly notes that;

“The unique challenge of computer-related crime investigation is understanding computer operations well enough to obtain necessary information and evidence from the computer…in many ways a computer is nothing more than a filing cabinet, but one requiring training and expertise to use” (CONLY, C, 1989 p. 20)

This quote demonstrates one such logistical problem faced by law enforcement agencies, that in many instances to effectively combat IT related crime, one must be an expert in the tools used to commit the crimes, computers and the process’s undertaken by criminals to commit criminal acts. Tracing accountability becomes equally problematic when dealing with IT related crime. Evidence becomes broadly distributed through many interconnected systems at an alarming rate, this makes underpinning the origin of the crime and the perpetrator far more difficult than when dealing with localised crime. Perhaps then it would be fitting to suggest that one of the best ways to combat computer crime would be to understand the computer, or to pose a metaphor; level the playing field.

Computer viruses demonstrate a form of IT crime that is extremely difficult to make any one individual accountable for. Such viruses spread from one computer system to the next making use of networks such as intranet and the internet to aid their spread. They multiply in a nodal fashion as opposed to a linear one. Moving from one computer to multiple others at a time, as this process is repeated tracing the origin of the virus becomes virtually impossible. It is often the complexity of computer systems and procedures that create such opportunity structures for criminals;

“Computers are such complex systems that there are endless ways for unauthorised users to attempt to gain access. Attackers very often use the same security flaws that worms and viruses exploit; such worms and viruses can be seen as an automated form of malicious hacking.” (STANDAGE, T, 2005 p. 51)

As this quote demonstrates it is perhaps the autonomous nature of the spread of computer viruses which makes them so difficult to account for. In this sense it is perhaps the perfect crime, the crime that spreads itself and requires little further input from the criminals who “set it free” in the first instance. The worrying fact for global societies is that information technology related crimes are becoming ever more accessible to un-ethical individuals. IT literacy is increasing globally and information technology is becoming cheaper and ever more accessible across the globe. While this will pose new advantages for global society, it is worth re-iterating that a new set of disadvantages and criminal opportunities will need tackling. Conly re-enforces this warning;

“Given this dramatic increase in the use and accessibility of computers in the home and in the business, it is not surprising to see an increase in the use of computers in the commission of crime.” (CONLY, C, 1989 p. iii)

Many countries are now undergoing a technological revolution experienced by the west some years ago, high speed internet and IT infrastructure will soon be available to those who have little previous experience of its evolution, finding themselves ill educated in the risks this poses to them. This in itself may become a point of contention between western informational networks and emerging ones as Stalder notes;

“The US and Europe are using their political weight to force upon less powerful countries legislation that will deepen their structural disadvantages” (STALDER, F, 2006 p. 205)

It may be logical to suppose that if global societies are to be effective in combating IT related crime that we must keep in mind that it is just that, global. New collaborative research and legislation is needed to ensure the world remains a safer place. To legislate on a local scale over something that has global impact may be the biggest mistake of all. Interpol, short for the International Criminal Police Organization lists; “financial and high-tech crimes – currency counterfeiting, money laundering, intellectual property crime, payment card fraud, computer virus attacks and cyber terrorism” (INTERPOL, WEBSITE. (2009) in its top six global priorities. This example of global unity on research into crime and legislative work is perhaps what global society needs if it is to remain less vulnerable to information technology related crimes in the future.

Author: Simon English – Purple Coffee Interactive, Guernsey, Channel Islands.