Assignment 5: Senior Seminar Project
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Campbell_CRJ499Assignment1.docxRunning head: Law Enforcement Faces the New Battlefield, Cybercrime: Identifying the Challenge 1
Identifying the Challenge 5
Law Enforcement Faces the New Battlefield, Cybercrime:
Identifying the Challenge
Janella Campbell
Professor Doris Mitchell
CRJ499
October 22, 2017
Law Enforcement Faces the New Battlefield, Cybercrime:
Identifying the Challenge
As law enforcement attempts to reduce crime rates, in an effort to increase the safety of citizens, they are faced with a new and every evolving threat, cybercrime. Technology has created a new avenue for criminals to decrease their chances of being detected while committing crimes. It has made traditional crimes easier to get away with as well as created a brand-new category of crime. Although the federal government has not established one definition for cybercrime because of its constant evolution, cybercrime is considered to be any crime that involves a computer, network, or technology. These three components can be used to commit a crime or the targets of a criminal.
Law enforcement is faced with several obstacles when attempting to prevent cybercrime or catch the criminal that committed this crime. Proper training for employees, updated technical and analytical equipment, network intrusion software, jurisdictional laws, and cybercrime reporting are the main issues that federal and local law enforcement aim to overcome in regard to cybercrime. Although there have been significant improvements over the past decade in cybercrime prevention and investigation, technology changes at a much faster pace than any other criminal activity.
The Challenges
On any job two of the most important things an employee must have to be effective are training and equipment. College provides individuals with the knowledge needed to enter the workforce however; additional training is often required to ensure employees are up to date on current operational techniques. This is especially important for those that deal with cybercrime prevention or cyber-criminal prosecution. These individuals must be trained regularly to ensure they are able to keep up with the new cyber threats that are developed in conjunction with new technology.
Cyber security has become a necessary part of our society; rather it’s an individual securing their personal electronic devices or a company security their network. Law enforcement administrative employees must also receive cyber security awareness training to prevent law enforcement databases from being compromised due to accidental insider threats. So not only are law enforcement agencies fighting cybercrime for citizens, they are also fighting to prevent being the victims of a cyber-attack.
Technical and analytical equipment is also important because it provides employees with the necessary tools to prevent and detect cyber-criminal activity. Criminals will often attempt to cover up any evidence used to commit a crime such as burning a computer used to store child pornography. For example, if a damaged computer is recovered during an investigation of a crime, specific computer forensic equipment or software must be used to gather information from it.
Cybercrime became very attractive to those looking to get extra money, test out computer hacking skills, and decrease their chances of getting caught committing crimes. This type of crime can be done from the comfort of your own home or completely out of sight with little to no physical ability. Gaining access to a person’s account information from hundreds of miles away has created several jurisdictional issues for law enforcement.
Conclusion
Cybercrime will continue to evolve with our society due to the constant development of new technology. It is a difficult task for law enforcement to constantly keep up with this evolution but it is necessary. Cybercrime, like most other crimes, will likely never be eliminated but it can be decreased. By taking the necessary steps to train employees, update equipment and software, and be well versed on jurisdiction laws, the law enforcement community can begin to decrease cybercrime.
References
CYBER CRIME INVESTIGATIONS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from http://www.iacpcybercenter.org/chiefs/cyber-crime-investigations/
Finklea, K. M., & Theohary, C. A. (2012). CYBERCRIME: CONCEPTUAL ISSUES FOR CONGRESS AND U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT. Journal Of Current Issues In Crime, Law & Law Enforcement, 5(1/2), 1-27.
Wexler, C. (2014). The Role of Local Law Enforcement Agencies In Preventing and Investigating Cybercrime. Retrieved October 19, 2017, from http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series_2/the%20role%20of%20local%20law%20enforcement%20agencies%20in%20preventing%20and%20investigating%20cybercrime%202014.pdf
