| The world of business is cutthroat and | | | | strategies etc. While sometimes this |
| everybody vies to be the best. The money | | | | data can be stolen by an employee, it |
| involved runs into millions of dollars | | | | does not always have to be an inside |
| so the stakes are high. Just as some | | | | job. |
| companies invest a lot of money in | | | | Cyber Crime |
| Research and Development, some companies | | | | Cyber Crime is the new age version of |
| invest in staying ahead of the | | | | crime. Since it happens in a virtual |
| competition through industrial | | | | world, it is difficult to trace and |
| espionage. | | | | prevent. Cyber criminals are experts who |
| Industrial Espionage in the Age of | | | | use their knowledge of computers and |
| Digital Data | | | | information technology to steal data. |
| Just as every aspect of our lives keeps | | | | They use different ways to steal this |
| up with current trends, industrial | | | | data and can do so without being at the |
| espionage too has utilized digital | | | | location of the crime. These computer |
| technology to its advantage. The risk of | | | | criminals are clever and becoming |
| cyber theft is constant and every | | | | increasingly more sophisticated in their |
| company has to guard against this. | | | | attacks. They use customised programs |
| Digital data is easy to steal when one | | | | like "remote access Trojans" or RATs to |
| knows how to do it. Since cyber space is | | | | lurk in virtual territory. These |
| such a vast universe, it is hard to | | | | programs are specially designed to latch |
| secure every bit of data that is created | | | | on to a web user's credentials and gain |
| and stored. While there are | | | | insider information. |
| professionals who create this valuable | | | | These cyber criminals are always one |
| data there are equally trained experts | | | | step ahead of the security measures |
| lurking around to get hold of this data. | | | | adopted by companies. For every |
| Global economies constantly need to | | | | encryption code that is developed, there |
| share and exchange data. This data is | | | | is someone hired to decode it. |
| transferred using the advantages that | | | | "Pharming" is a cyber tactic that is |
| the Internet has to offer. Between the | | | | used to intercept communication between |
| person sending the data and the person | | | | online shoppers and an enterprise. This |
| receiving it, there is a case of | | | | data is then used by cyber criminals to |
| industrial espionage waiting to happen. | | | | their advantage. |
| The reason why companies are willing to | | | | Digital Forensics |
| pay so much to have access to this data | | | | Digital forensics is the science which |
| is because it gives them an insight into | | | | investigators use to unravel cyber |
| what the competition is up to. Also, | | | | crimes. Forensic experts investigate |
| unlike before, digital data can be | | | | files and data stored on the computer |
| stolen from a remote location and does | | | | belonging to a suspect. Even when data |
| not always need a person to be | | | | is erased it can be recovered and this |
| physically present. | | | | can help police solve a case. Forensic |
| Valuable Data | | | | investigators examine three basic kinds |
| The data that cyber criminals are after | | | | of data. The data that they look at are |
| can vary in content. There are some | | | | -- saved data, meta data and deleted |
| hackers who are paid to steal any kind | | | | data. The data that is normally |
| of data that they can gain access to. | | | | accessible on a hard drive is known as |
| Since data carries the clues about how a | | | | saved data. Images, Internet Logs, |
| company is functioning, it helps a | | | | Documents and Program Files all comprise |
| competitor get an insight. However, | | | | saved data. |
| there are also some cyber crimes that | | | | Meta data is the data that defines the |
| are very specific and require a great | | | | saved data giving clues about when a |
| deal of expertise. When a company is in | | | | file was created, when it was last |
| the research and development stage of a | | | | accessed and modified etc. Deleted data |
| breakthrough product, there could be a | | | | includes those files that have been |
| lot of rivals wanting access to this | | | | deleted from a computer. In reality, |
| data. | | | | these files still exist on the hard |
| When cyber crime is specific, it | | | | drive and only have been removed from |
| involves highly skilled and trained | | | | the Master Index Record. Experts can |
| cyber criminals. These people are | | | | recover this data and trace the path of |
| usually professionals and very | | | | the cyber crime. |
| intelligent. They have probably given up | | | | Digital forensics is a highly |
| lucrative careers for an even more | | | | specialised and technology-dependent, |
| lucrative option. The kind of data these | | | | investigative process. This process is a |
| professional hackers are after could be | | | | very necessary part of the world of |
| strategy paper, engineering designs, | | | | Information Technology. Industrial |
| blueprints of new products, financial | | | | espionage in the digital age can only be |
| information, bids and mergers, future | | | | countered by digital forensics. |