PROTECTING THE INFORMATION SOCIETY: ADDRESSING THE PHENOMENON OF CYBERCRIME

摘要

As developing countries embrace, exploit and integrate computer and communications systems at an economic and social level, concerns arise about the vulnerability of such systems to deliberate attack. An attack may target the data being processed by systems, or the integrity, confidentiality and availability of the systems themselves. Most users, for example, will have experienced and suffered from viruses infecting and corrupting their data and the operation of their systems. However, where such attacks are targeted at, or inadvertently impact on, a country's critical national infrastructure, such as power systems or transportation networks, the consequences may be significant and cause substantial damage.rnProtecting systems from attacks via the Internet obviously relies primarily on the implementation of appropriate technical, physical and operational security measures. It must therefore be the concern of policymakers that users, whether public sector or private sector, implement such security measures to protect their data and systems. However, a parallel requirement for appropriate security is the establishment of a legal framework that deters such attacks by criminalizing the different forms of activities being carried out against systems and enabling law enforcement agencies to adequately investigate and prosecute such activities.