A Critical Analysis of Cybercrime Trends and Policing Strategies

This report delves into the multifaceted world of cybercrime, critically examining its emerging trends and the associated challenges in policing online offenses. The report identifies several key trends, including attacks via smartphones, remote access attacks, hacking, and the utilization of artificial intelligence by criminals. It highlights the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and the vulnerabilities arising from the Internet of Things. The report further discusses the problems related to policing cybercrime, such as the lack of skilled personnel, insufficient training, increased workloads, and the absence of reliable statistical data. These challenges hinder effective law enforcement and the prevention of cybercrimes. The analysis underscores the need for enhanced training, improved resource allocation, and the development of robust cybersecurity measures to combat the growing threat of cybercrime.

Cyber Crime

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................3
Main body .......................................................................................................................................3
Critically discuss emerging trends in cybercrime and the problems related to policing online
crimes. ........................................................................................................................................3
Problems related to policing cyber crime....................................................................................5
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
Books and Journals.....................................................................................................................8

Introduction
Cybercrime popularly known as computer crime which is mainly done by using computer
system as an instrument for conducting illegal activities such as fraud, stealing identities of
individuals, trafficking within child pornography, violating privacy and many more. It has also
been said that cybercrime is an act usually done by using internet as it becomes the backbone for
performing various activities conducted by business entities, entertainment sector or by the
government (Weimann, 2016). The present assignment is based on the increasing cases related to
cyber crime. This report includes various emerging trends as well as problems associated with
online crimes. Along with this, evaluation about how constantly online risk are being managed
within the society are going to be discussed in detail manner.
Main body
Critically discuss emerging trends in cybercrime and the problems related to policing online
crimes.
Information Technology refers to one of the most common and advanced technology
used by large number of business organizations, government institutions, individuals and many
other people. Increase in the use of information technology will lead to have various benefits as
well as drawbacks. It is essential to use information technology in more effective and efficient
manner. Misuse of advance technology and not using it correctly will lead to increase in cyber
crime. This includes all those criminal activities which are performed through the use of internet
and computer. It is true that advancement in IT brings various positive changes and facilities but
at the same time it creates lot of issues and challenges which is known as cyber crime. This is a
sort of crime or illegal activity where the person hack or use another individuals information and
data without their concern through their computer system, mobile phones, internet and many
more (Gehl, 2018). Cyber crime is also consider as computer crime as in this criminal activity
computer is used as the instrument of illegal practices. Fraud commitment, trafficking, stealing
identities, harming intellectual property and violation of privacy are the major illegal practices
that are considered in cyber crime. Individual and societies are major dependent on electronic
networks as well as information technology systems. Evolution in Information communication
technology in European societies will lead to increase increase in criminal practices. Due to this
criminal are able to threaten citizens, government, business as well as critical infrastructures such

as cybercrime. For managing progressively diffuse as well as complex and difficult networks,
business entities mainly adopting techniques like artificial intelligence (AI) along with some
time-consuming activities which requires intense level of manlike supervision as well as
intervention. Improvement in new technology as well as innovation will lead to create more
criminal opportunities for criminal. Internet is one of the important aspect for conducting cyber
crime. There are various trends and techniques which are increase in cyber crime and this will
lead to increase in illegal activities (Pace, 2017). It is essential to stop criminal practices in order
to develop more secure and safe society for individuals. There are various issues and problems
that occurs while controlling cyber criminal practices and these problems are related to policing
online crimes. There are some emerging trends in context of cybercrime which are going to be
discussed as follows:
Attacks via smartphones - It is one of the main emerging trend used by attackers where
they attack through smartphones. Attack through mobile phones and smartphones are quite
common in today's world where around 60% of the frauds are done by using mobile platforms
where as almost 80% of the crime and fraud is conducted by mobile apps rather then of mobile
web browsers. It has been said that almost every person in today's competitive environment use
their mobile phones in order to manage their operations and for handling various sensitive data
which becomes one of the main threat for the individuals. This is the easy way for criminal or
fraud for performing criminal practices as well as take advantage of the data that is stored on
person smart phone. In smart phone individual access various sites and download different files
which is a way for criminal to get assess of smart phone in order to attack individual. Many
mobile applications and web browsers have virus that is created by criminal so that they can
easily attack through smart phone.
Remote access attacks - Apart from smartphone attackers another main emerging trend in
the field of cybercrime is the remote attackers which are continuously increasing and becoming
sophisticated. It has been said that major type of remote access attackers in the year 2018 was
crypto jacking. They mainly target cryptocurrency owners (Yar and Steinmetz, 2019). As per the
threat intelligence database, it has been identified that the remote access attackers are the most
common attack vectors (Pace, 2017). They target or hack smartphones, computer systems,
internet protocol (IP) and many more. These devices can easily be hacked by attackers as they
have open ports as well as forwarded to outsiders networks and internet.

Hacking – This the the most common crime in cybercrime as in this criminals are
hacking software, system, credit cards and other thing in order to collect data from it. This
criminal practices involve miss use of information or violation of privacy of others. Due to this
criminal activities persona data of individual such as files, music, videos, images or other
documents can be used inappropriately and lead to have impact on personal life of individual.
Through hacking practices criminal can easily access to credit card details or numbers. For
example hacking of credit card details and bank numbers of any person will lead to fraud activity
and loss of finance of individual (Marcum and Higgins, 2019). Due to increase in hacking
practices and cyber crime person money is not even safe on digital platform.
Internet of things – In today's modern world most of the people are dependent on
internet or devices. Interconnection via internet on devices which is used every day are enabling
criminals to send or receive data. Through internet of things criminals are able to easily access
the data and information that is available on interconnected devices or objects. Attacking the
internet of things are becoming the emerging trend in cyber crime. It is very simple for criminal
to take advantage of internet of things in order to collect or send data. Due to this type of
practices criminals are able to access the data of other very easily as well as take advantage of it.
In this criminals can access data or information from smart security cameras, smart phones or
speakers, vending machines and other electronic devices. For example most of the people store
important document and details on their phone so that they can easily use data. This information
can be accessed by criminal due to internet connectivity or smart phone devices.
Utilizing artificial intelligence - Most of the big companies and industries are using
machine learning or artificial intelligence in order to carry out business process. Cyber crime is
not exception in this case as criminals are also using artificial intelligence for performing
criminal practices. Due to this it is very difficult for cyber security to identify the actual identity
of the criminal. Artificial intelligence can be consider as the emerging trend for cyber crime
practices. Advance technology of artificial intelligence or robotic system will lead to drive to
threat people (Lusthaus, 2018). For criminal artificial intelligence is used as a weapon for
conducting criminal practices. This is consider as very useful for criminals as artificial
intelligence will support in saving criminal and their real identity will not be revealed.

Problems related to policing cyber crime
It has been said that apart from emerging trends of cyber crime there are some problems
and issues linked with policing cyber crime which highly affects the overall impact of reducing
such cases in a negative manner. Policing cyber crime is very important in order to provide
safety and security to individual or society. Correct and accurate policing will lead to have
impact on criminal activities and illegal practices. There are various issues and problems that are
related to policing cyber crime (Bergmann and et. al., 2018). It has been said that increasing
number of cyber crime threats develop various challenges and problems to the police department
who review such cases and issues. These problems will lead to have negative impact in
developing accurate policies as well as implementing it in accurate and correct manner.
Different issues and problems which are related to policing cyber crime are mention below in
detail.
Lack of skills - One of the biggest problem faced by staff members while investigating
cyber crime cases is lack of skills in order to solve the cases. Skills and capabilities of individual
will lead to have major impact on solving criminal cases correctly. Lack of skills for correctly
and adequately policing the criminal activities is the major issue. It is required by the cyber
crime police officers to have sufficient knowledge and information and keep upgrading their
skills and knowledge on a regular basis so that they can easily cope up with the problems faced
by them while investigating cyber crime cases. Due to lack of skills and potential policing on
cyber criminal practices will not be able to correctly performed.
Lack of training – Training is very important in order to increase person potential as
well as capability to perform task in correct manner. Lack of training of police will lead to have
significant impact on ability to solve criminal case. Government is not focusing on the training of
policies and due to this skills are not develop. It is essential that effective training is provided
that includes improvement in knowledge and capabilities of individual so that they are able to
perform required task in correct manner (Kaakinen and et. al., 2018). Effective training is not
provided in order to solve complex cyber criminal cases of fraud, hacking and so on. Due to this
police have not correct information about how to use information technology and advance
technology in significant manner in order to resolve the issues.
Increase in workload - Another problem is that the workload increases due to rise in the
number of cases because of social media or digital technology platform. This requires lot of

efforts and time to examine and conclude the whole cases in an effective manner. Criminal
practices are increasing day by day and this lead to increase the workload of policies. Due to this
issues police is not able to correctly concentrate in one criminal practices. Because of high
workload many case are pending and not solved as well as on some case investigation is not even
started (Holt and et. al., 2019). Workload is one of the major problem as it will lead to have
significant impact in performance of police and impact on policing cyber crime.
Absence of reliable statistics – Inaccurate statistical data and information is one of the
key problem in which is related to computer crime and cyber criminal practices. Absence of
statistical data which will be reliable for police in order to conduct investigation or policing
cyber crime is the problem. It is very difficult to over defining computer crime as well as
background of the incident of computer crime.
Conclusion
With the help of above discussion, it has been concluded that cyber crime in the present
time is one of the most common act done by individuals by using internet or various other
technologies. Information technology has various advantages and disadvantage so it is essential
to use it is correct manner. Misuse of information technology can lead illegal practice or cyber
crime. There are some emerging trends related to cyber crime which creates threats and harm the
personal data of people at large scale. These emerging trend in cyber crime will lead to harm
individual monetary or emotionally. There are number of problems that occurs while policing
cyber crime.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Weimann, G., 2016. Going dark: Terrorism on the dark web. Studies in Conflict &
Terrorism, 39(3), pp.195-206.
Gehl, R.W., 2018. Weaving the dark web: legitimacy on freenet, Tor, and I2P. MIT Press.
Pace, J., 2017. Exchange relations on the dark web. Critical Studies in Media
Communication, 34(1), pp.1-13.
Yar, M. and Steinmetz, K.F., 2019. Cybercrime and society. SAGE Publications Limited.
Marcum, C.D. and Higgins, G.E., 2019. Cybercrime. In Handbook on Crime and Deviance (pp.
459-475). Springer, Cham.
Lusthaus, J., 2018. Industry of anonymity: Inside the business of cybercrime. Harvard University
Press.
Bergmann, M.C., Dreißigacker, A., von Skarczinski, B. and Wollinger, G.R., 2018. Cyber-
dependent crime victimization: the same risk for everyone?. Cyberpsychology,
Behavior, and Social Networking, 21(2), pp.84-90.
Kaakinen, M., Keipi, T., Räsänen, P. and Oksanen, A., 2018. Cybercrime victimization and
subjective well-being: An examination of the buffering effect hypothesis among
adolescents and young adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking, 21(2), pp.129-137.
Holt, T.J., Brewer, R. and Goldsmith, A., 2019. Digital drift and the “sense of injustice”:
Counter-productive policing of youth cybercrime. Deviant Behavior, 40(9), pp.1144-
1156.
Holt, T.J., 2018. Regulating cybercrime through law enforcement and industry
mechanisms. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 679(1),
pp.140-157.