In today’s world, much of the criminal activity occurs not in the
streets, but behind a computer screen. Many crimes now occur from afar,
with the authorities putting the pieces together with forensic analysis
to retrace criminals’ steps. These have become big problems in Wisconsin
and across the country.
1. Viruses and Malware
Computer programs and apps rely on coding to function properly.
Unfortunately, very smart programmers identify weaknesses in the security
for major programs every day. They create viruses and malware to
interfere with computer function. Some of these steal data, or hijack
systems until a user or business agree to pay to be let back in. Other
viruses can either destroy a device or give a criminal unfettered access
into your data.
2. Identity Theft
Identity theft and credit card fraud are closely related crimes in which
a person steals data and uses it for his or her own purposes. This might
be as simple as using a stolen credit card to make purchases, or as
complex as using a person’s Social Security number to obtain credit cards
and bank account information. It often results in people assuming an
identity for months or years before the victim realizes it.
3. Hacking
Clever computer hackers steal or guess passwords to get into individual
user accounts, or exploit security weaknesses to steal large amounts of
data from companies. Major data breaches occur often, with companies
losing their customers’ personal or financial information, often costing
a company millions of dollars.
