The Challenges of Combating Cybercrime In USA with Solutions

The Challenges of Combating Cybercrime In USA with Solutions

As much as we celebrate the continuous technological advancements we experience daily, these advancements also come with some disadvantages among which is the increase in Cybercrime. 

 

The more sophisticated security agencies get, the more sophisticated forms it seems cyber crimes take. In this article, I will be highlighting the challenges of combating cybercrime in the USA as well as proffer solutions to those challenges.

What is Cybercrime?

In its most basic form, any criminal activity carried out via computers and the Internet is referred to as cybercrime. Anything from downloading unlicensed music to stealing huge amounts of money from online bank accounts falls under this category. 

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Cybercrime also encompasses non-financial violations like developing and disseminating viruses on other computers or publishing private company data online. Identity theft, in which criminals exploit the Internet to steal people’s personal information, is arguably the most well-known type of cybercrime in the USA.

Challenges of Combating Cybercrime In the USA with Solutions Listed Below

1. Cybercriminals Move More Quickly Than Security Agencies
2. Fast Evolution of Cybercrime.
3. Availability of Cybersecurity Devices on the Black Market
4. Insufficient Laws
5. Lack of Cross-border Legal Authority
6. Proxy Servers and Related Technology
7. Not Enough Reporting

 

1. Cybercriminals Move More Quickly Than Security Agencies

The first challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA is the slow response rate of security experts to crimes. Cybercrime is distinguished by its sturdiness and agility, whereas large corporations and security agencies with extensive hierarchical structures are often inactive and slow to make decisions. 

 

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Multiple levels of administration hinder their ability to respond quickly to an attack on IT infrastructure, giving the free-roaming and nimble criminal networks the upper hand. Because these criminals are aware that a response will not come immediately, they can quickly launch their attack and will have enough time to hide all traces.

 

Solution:

Corporations and security agencies need to reorganize restrictive internal arrangements to be more flexible if they are to intervene at even half the speed that cybercriminals move. 

 

2. Fast Evolution of Cybercrime.

 

The second challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA is the fast speed with which cybercrime evolves and the intelligence of hackers to read a set of circumstances is one of the factors contributing to cybercrime’s speedy evolution. 

 

ALSO, READ How To Create A Secure Password For Your Accounts/Profile (2022)

 

As that’s what many used in the early 1990s, viruses were distributed using floppy disks, then the ILoveYou virus was a notorious example of how email would become the mechanism used to infect computers as electronic mail became more widely utilized. 

 

The popularity of cryptocurrencies and the high prices of bitcoin in 2017 also prompted attackers to release specialized malware known as crypto-mining bots. Once this form of malware was installed on a victim’s computer, the machine became a slave to mine cryptocurrencies. Crypto-mining bots were abandoned by hackers as the price of Bitcoin fell. And it continues to take different forms.

 

Cybercriminals can continually improve their skills thanks to the internet, which has also allowed them to adapt.  Statistics on cybercrime seem to be rising every year. Since 2013, 14.7 billion datasets have been compromised, according to the Breach Level Index, which tracks data breaches. This is because cybercriminals can adapt as the personal and commercial landscape changes.

 

Solution:

As much as security agencies cannot stop cybercriminals from constantly evolving, they can see that their security mechanisms are equally evolving or even faster. This way, they are one step ahead of the criminals and can quickly stop their attacks.

3. Availability of Cybersecurity Devices on the Black Market

The third challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA is the easy accessibility of cybercrime devices through black markets. The malicious mechanisms that cybercriminals use are endorsed by a wealth of readily available devices on the black market, continuing to make these persons disturbingly well-resourced to target organizations. 

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Malware and phishing “kits” can also be purchased for a few bucks, making cybercrime accessible to beginners as well. Cybercriminals have developed into intelligent planners and slick implementers. The focus of malware writers is changing from infection quantity to infection quality.

 

Vulnerability testing services are one of the many areas the black market supports this new philosophy. These quality control procedures pre-scan new infections against all the most recent malware signature databases, ensuring that they will get past mainstream anti-virus software. 

 

With the black market supporting their activities, cybercriminals can be deliberate and effective, which is one of the reasons they frequently get one up on big businesses.

 

Solution:

Proactive measures should be taken by the government to ensure that these cybersecurity devices are kept away from the black market. Strict persecution should be given to whoever is caught in possession of these devices.

4. Insufficient Laws

 

The fourth challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA is the insufficiency of laws to meet up with the changing nature. People cannot be accused of crimes if their behaviors have never been deemed unlawful in the past. To stay up with the most recent technologies, it is crucial to adopt new rules. 

 

For instance, two hackers were prosecuted under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 in the Regina versus Gold and Schifreen case of 1987 before the advent of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Despite breaking into BT’s Prestel service, they were not breaking any specific laws, thus this law was applied in its place.

 

This kind of tactic can be effective occasionally, but in this event, the hackers were exonerated after winning their appeal since the legislation that was utilized to convict them did not apply to their crime. 

 

Solution:

Although cybercrime laws are much better developed now, they are still relatively new and will inevitably need to be revised in the future. More and more laws should be enacted to cover other newer versions of Cybercrime as they are discovered. This will make prosecution more effective.

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5. Lack of Cross-border Legal Authority

 

The fifth challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA is the lack of cross-border legal authorities. New cybercrime laws have largely eliminated the need for specialized police divisions to enforce them. 

 

Due to the widespread nature of cybercrime, these laws are frequently applied outside of their legal purview, which materially reduces their effectiveness in defending enterprises against threats that frequently come from beyond their country of origin.

 

What could be illegal in the perpetrator’s geographic region may be legal in the offender’s geographic region, and this lack of fast and fluid cross-border statutory provisions remarkably benefits the lawbreakers. Cybercrime legislation varies domestically and even transnationally in some cases.

 

There is even less of a disincentive to stop cybercriminals’ illegal behavior given that top countries find it difficult to convict them. The advantage belongs to governments until there is a global understanding among countries on how to prosecute cybercriminals.

 

Solution:

Cross-country policies should be established to unify the prosecution of all forms of cybercrime. This can be championed by cross-regional bodies like the United Nations.

 

6. Proxy Servers and Related Technology

The availability of proxy servers is the next challenge in combating cybercrime in the USA. Expert cybercriminals will go to considerable measures to conceal their location and identity. They frequently do transactions on the dark web and use online aliases which makes it difficult to trace them. 

 

Additionally, they might conceal their true IP address using VPNs and proxies, making it very challenging to determine their true location. The proxy or VPN provider will typically have the true IP address on file, but if it refuses to freely reveal it, the officials will need to obtain a court order to force it to do so. If the business is located overseas, that can be nearly difficult.

 

Solution:

While VPNs and proxy servers are useful in their ways, legislation should be made that will ensure the providers freely release information about users as long as they are needed for criminal investigation.

 

7. Not Enough Reporting

The last challenge of cybercrime I will be highlighting is the fact that people do not report cases of cybercrimes enough.  The overwhelming majority of online crimes go unreported. Most people are unaware of where and how to report an online crime, and even if they do, very little usually happens as a result.

 

Since you could lose a lot of money and most organizations would have to spend much more to try to get it back for you, if the retrieval was even achievable. So you won’t likely see resources allocated to the case when you call and report that you lost $300 due to a ransomware attack committed by a perpetrator that law enforcement is unlikely to be able to locate or apprehend.

 

Even though they are necessary for prosecution, precise statistics and proof are difficult to find because the majority of internet offenses are not recorded.

 

Even companies are frequently reluctant to acknowledge being hacked since they come off poorly as a result of that, and it can turn away future clients.

 

So it’s possible that many hacking incidents continue to go unreported even in the wake of GDPR. As a result, the police are unable to even start looking into these incidents, and although the likelihood of apprehending offenders is always remote, not filing any crimes makes it undetectable.

 

Solution:

Companies must promptly report cyber breaches under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is one of its key obligations. Also, the process of filing cases of cybercrime should be made easier and cheaper so more individuals will be encouraged to report cases.

 

 

Conclusion 

Although there are obvious difficulties and challenges in combating cybercrime in the USA, it is still very possible. With deliberate and concerted efforts, a whole lot can be done to ensure maximum security in cyberspace.

 

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