computer crime w8

Take the cyber crime that is used  for assignment #2. Using information from assignment #5 (methods to stop cyber crime) , list methods the cyber criminals used to commit their crime and list methods that could have been used to either stop them or to catch them sooner. Complete a 5 to 7 page paper using APA style formatting, original content#2 assignment: Softwarepiracy schemes when conducted involve large amounts of money. One of these wasuncovered in the US, Kansas, when six people pleaded guilty to charges thatstemmed from investigations into illegitimate software worth $100 million (Oberholtz, 2016). The justice department termed this oneof the largest software piracy schemes to involve stolen and/or counterfeitsoftware products that ranged from Microsoft access codes to products for AdobeSystems. Software piracy is considered anoteworthy crime that renders software manufacturers and developers as well asunsuspecting consumers’ victims. Softwarepiracy if conducted on a massive scale poses considerable damage to theAmerican economy and the private businesses. Microsoft and software developerssued defendants and the entities they owned civilly for willful trademarkactivities and the infringement on copyrights. The scheme, which was amulti-million dollar undertaking, was characterized by co-conspirators who heldoperations overseas in Germany, China and Singapore and across states in the USand illegally selling Microsoft Corporation software products and Adobe Systemskey codes using a charitable organization as well as online business (Oberholtz, 2016). Key codes are important in that theyallow a user to acquire unlocked as well as licensed versions of programs thatare copyrighted by corporations. The conspirators in the software piracy schemesold precuts numbering to 170,000, key codes which were used and activatedseverally.Oneof the defendants managed and maintained an online presence of a PayPal/eBaycharity (Project Contact Africa) which was used as a platform for sellingillicit and unauthorized software and its components and the payments werefacilitated using the charity’s PayPal account (Oberholtz,2016). Customers paying to the charity believed that the proceeds fromthe sale of the software were for charity while in reality, they were used topurchase inventory and only a meager portion went to charity. The investigationinto the software piracy scheme uncovered that the inexplicably cheap copies ofthe software like Microsoft Office and Photoshop were sold even over reputablesites like Amazon and Oversctock.com.Investigatorsdiscovered that the ring that consisted of half a dozen men bought real, |stolenaccess codes that were listen in Word documents and Excel spreadsheets as wellas counterfeit packaging cards that looked genuinely official where the accesscodes were faked and printed, and stolen authenticity certificates that wereused to make the software packages appear genuine. The six individuals tookplea deals in the fraud scheme selling copies of Creative Suite, Windows andOffice. Investigators from the Homeland Security tracked these men anddiscovered pirated software copies through sites like Craigslist, eBay and evenpersonal websites(Oberholtz,2016). The Department of Justice has meted punishments and penaltiesranging from between three and five years in federal prisons to restitutionfees of up to a quarter million dollars.#5 assignment: Cyber-crimes havebecome rampant recently. They can, however, be stopped by application of somemethods. Firstly, people should use strong passwords for their accounts. Inthis way, it becomes difficult for the cybercriminals to hack one`s account.Secondly, people should use different passwords for their different sites. Thiswill help stop people from easily getting access to all your accounts. Thirdly,people should secure their computers. This will also stop cyber criminals fromeasily acquiring information from one`s computers. Also, people should securetheir wireless networks. This will, in turn, stop people from hacking into thewireless networks and accessing one`s information. In addition to that,securing mobile phones can also stop cyber-crimes (Das, 2015). This is in thesense that once mobile phones are secured it becomes difficult for cybercriminals to hack and get information from one`s mobile phone.  Catching cyber criminals can alsohelp stop cyber-crimes. Cyber criminals can be caught in several ways. To beginwith law enforcement in coordination with government agencies should beapplied. It will be easy for law enforcement bodies to catch cyber criminals ascompared to common man since once the bodies get to corporate with thegovernment, then they can get all the necessary resources to enable them tocatch these criminals. Also, employing of investigators who are technicallytrained can also help catch cyber criminals. This is because most cybercriminals use methods of high standards such that their paths remainuntraceable (Guitton, 2012). However, once the well-trained investigators areemployed, they can use the knowledge and skills that they have to be able tocatch the cyber criminals. With the application of the above methods ofstopping and catching cyber criminals, then cyber-crimes shall be eradicated.