Cybercrime is a very broad term that covers a wide range of different activities. If you use the web for any of your regular transactions or activities, here are some types you should be aware of.
Web jacking
Web jacking, like hijacking, involves a hacker taking control of a website. They may then change the content of the site or redirect users to a similar-looking page to steal personal details or hold the original site to ransom.
Cyberstalking
Like stalking in the real world, cyberstalking involves pursuing or harassing someone online. The stalker follows the victim’s online activity and may make verbal threats in a form of online intimidation. This might happen via social media sites, chatrooms, email, and many other online activities. In extreme cases, the stalker may even seek to gain control of the victim’s computer or smartphone.
Data diddling
This may sound like something from an earlier age and it is true that data diddling has its roots in more traditional types of fraud. Most computer processes involve data being moved around, such as PDF to Excel conversions via resources such as https://pdftables.com/; however, diddling involves altering the data as it is entered – usually to make some financial gain – and then changing it back later to hide the crime. This is a crime that can be carried out with minimal computer knowledge.
Identity theft
This is one of the best-known cybercrimes, involving using someone else’s details to apply for loans or credit or to order goods online. Details to perpetrate this type of crime can be harvested online or from documents taken from your bin. To protect yourself, it is vital that you take steps to safeguard your personal information.
Salami slicing
This is another traditional type of fraud that is made easier by the use of technology. It involves skimming off small amounts by rounding transactions up or down and saving them to a different account so there is no net loss apparent on a cursory inspection.
Piracy
In the cyberworld, piracy no longer involves a cutlass and a parrot; instead, software pirates make commercial software available free or at heavily discounted prices, thus depriving the developers of revenue. There is also a risk that pirated software can contain viruses and other nasties.