Computer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network, where the computers may or may not have played an instrumental part in the commission of a crime. In this recent year, the number of computer crime (particularly related with information systems) is increased and potentially continues to rise in the following years. Here are some reasons considered giving contributes to increasing in computer crime (which is making current popularity of the field of security):

• Business applications based on information technology and computer networks have increased. For example, business applications such as on-line banking, electronic commerce (e-commerce), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and many others are very popular in this recent decade. Even e-commerce applications is predicted will be one booster applications in Indonesia. Similarly, in various corners of the world e-commerce applications seen beginning to rise.
• Decentralization (and distributed) server means more systems that must be addressed. It requires more skilled operators and administrators are also likely to be distributed across locations. While looking for reliable operator and administrator is very difficult, especially if it should be deployed at various places. As a result, servers placed in local branch/regions (not center) are not well managed, so it becomes more vulnerable to attack. A cracker will attack the first server in the local branch/region before trying to attack the central server. After that he will sneak through the back lane (usually from the region/branch to existing central routing which is not restricted by the firewall).
• Transition from single vendor to multi vendor. It implies more system or device must be understood and interoperability problems between vendors are more difficult to handle. Understanding one type of device from one vendor sometimes could be difficult, moreover when we have to deal with different kinds of devices. For example, router is produced by various vendors, like: Cisco, Juniper Networks, Nortel, The Linux-based router, BSD-based routers, and others. The same condition occur with OS (operating system) for server, you can meet Solaris (with various versions), Windows (NT, 2000, 2003), Linux (with various distribution), or BSD (with variations ranging from FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD). So it’s better not use too many variations.
• Increasing capability among computer users. Few years ago access to computer is very difficult, but now computer are easily obtained and installed in many schools and houses. It implies many computer users start to play (or dismantle) the system they use (or other people’s systems).
• Software for attacking computer and computer network are easier to get. Many places on the Internet provides software can be downloaded and directly used for attacking with a user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI). Some programs, such as SATAN, even only require web browser to run it. Thus, someone who can use web browser can run the program to attack. An attacker who can only run the program without understanding what it means is called the term script kiddies.
• The difficulty of law enforcement to offset with very fast progress of the computers world and telecommunications. Law enforcement based on space and time will have difficulties to overcome problems that occur in a system that doesn’t have space and time borders. Some Digital Evidence is also still difficult to be recognized by the courts. As a result cyber crime actors were punished lightly so still they have tendency to do that again.
• The more complex system used, means bigger size of the program (source code) that is used. That brings the greater probability of security holes (which can be caused by programming errors or bugs). As disclosed by Bruce Schneier in his book: “Complexity is the worst enemy of security”.
• More and more companies are linking its information systems with global computer network like the Internet. This opens access from around the world. Potential of information systems can uprooted from everywhere is to be larger.

Rererence: Keamanan Sistem Informasi Berbasis Internet by Budi Rahardjo &Wikipedia

Picture taken from here

Related posts:

1. Examples of Threats and Computer Crimes
2. Identify Cyber Crime Perpetrator
3. Computer Attacks: Passive Attacks
4. Computer Attacks: Active Attacks (1)
5. Computer Attacks: Active Attacks (2)