If you are accused of a cybercrime, you need a strong defense to help you protect yourself. Cybercrimes are penalized heavily, and you could end up facing many years in prison or high fines for actions you took online.
Cybercrimes include crimes that are committed online, via computers or on a local network. They can include actions like introducing a virus to a system or hacking into a financial institution. Sometimes, these actions aren’t criminal in nature, such as if someone is testing security protocols or new software with permission, but other times, these acts have the potential to shut down businesses or harm individuals.
Cybercrimes are generally classed into one of three groups:
- Cybercrimes against the government, such as hacking into government websites
- Cybercrimes against companies, such as cyber extortion
- Cybercrimes against individuals, such as phishing or cyberstalking
As the internet has become more prominent in society, these kinds of attacks have become more common. What’s important to realize is that not all people know that they’re doing something wrong or are even aware that they’ve committed a crime.
Is it possible to commit a cybercrime accidentally?
It is. For example, you could be accused of cyberstalking someone when you were honestly just interested in seeing what they were doing across a few social media platforms. You could be accused of hacking into a company network and arrested despite having permission to test the security system due to a series of miscommunications.
Defend yourself if you’re facing accusations of cybercrimes
Since cybercrimes happen primarily online, it’s possible to defend yourself in a number of unique ways. For example, imagine if a computer in a public space was used to hack into a government’s website. Depending on the presence of security cameras, sign-in documents and other information or evidence, it may be difficult to prove that you were the one using the computer.
Since computers have IP addresses, it may be possible to track where a crime originated, but identifying the person who committed it is a little more challenging. Even if it’s suspected that you were on the computer, it may not be possible to prove what you were doing. These are just a few things to keep in mind.