WEEK 1-3

OVERVIEW OF CYBERCRIME, BASIC COMPONENTS, AND FUNCTIONS OF

DIGITAL DEVICES AND DEFINITION OF COMPUTER TERMINOLOGY

“Ever since men began to modify their lives by using technology they have found
themselves in a series of technological traps”
Roger Revelle
What is Cyber Crime?

Cyber-crimes are essentially a combination of the elements of Computer

(criminal activity in computer alone) and Net Crime and can be best defined as
"Offenses that are committed against individuals or groups of individuals with
a criminal motive to intentionally harm the reputation of the victim or cause
physical or mental harm to the victim directly or indirectly using modem
telecommunication networks such as the computer, Internet and mobile
phones.

In its simplest definition, Cybercrime is criminal activity that either

targets or uses a computer, a computer network ( or a networked device.

What is Cyber Criminology?

Cyber Criminology is the study of causation of crimes that occur in the

cyberspace and its impact in the physical space (Jaishankar 2007).

General categories of Cyber Crime:

1. Computer as a Target
2. Computer as a weapon
Cybercrime is a term used broadly to describe criminal activity in
which computers or networks are a tool, a target, or incidental to the
commission of a crime.

Any offense that can be committed by means of a computer,

computer system, computer or communications network or
networks.

Any offense, which has as its target, a computer, computer system,

computer or communications network or networks.
The use of a computer, computer system, computer or
communications network or networks as a means of hiding/storing
possible evidence.

Cyber Crime includes traditional crimes in which computers or

networks are used to commit a crime.

Concept of Cyberspace

Cyberspace is “the environment in which communication over computer

network occurs.” And almost everybody in one way or the other is connected to
it. Cyberspace, amorphous, supposedly “virtual” world created by links
between computers, Internet-enabled devices, servers, routers, and other
components of the Internet’s infrastructure. As opposed to the Internet itself,
however, cyberspace is the place produced by these links. It exists, in the
perspective of some, apart from any particular nation-state. The
term cyberspace was first used by the American-Canadian author William
Gibson in 1982 in a story published in Omni magazine and then in his
book Neuromancer. In this science-fiction novel, Gibson described cyberspace
as the creation of a computer network in a world filled with artificially
intelligent beings.

In the popular culture of the 1990s, cyberspace as a term was taken to

describe the “location” in which people interacted with each other while using
the Internet. This is the place in which online games occur, the land of chat
rooms, and the home of instant-messaging conversations. In this sense, the
location of the games or the chat room itself can be said to “exist” in
cyberspace. Cyberspace has also become an important location for social and
political discussion, with the popular emergence in the late 20th and the early
21st century of Web-based discussion boards and blogs. Blogs are typically
produced by individuals who include their personal writing and often offer
running commentary and links to other locations on the Web they deem of
interest. With the emergence of blogging software, even those people unfamiliar
with software programming for the Web can create their own blog. Thus, blogs
can be seen as offering an opportunity for public discussion in cyberspace that
is not available in the off-line world.

Early in the evolution of the Internet, in the middle of the 1990s, many users
believed and argued that the world of cyberspace should be free from the
regulations of any national government. John Perry Barlow’s “A Declaration of
the Independence of Cyberspace” proposed that national governments should
play no role in governing cyberspace. He argued that the community existing in
cyberspace would create its own rules and manage conflicts apart from the
laws and judiciary of any particular country. Particularly important was the
protection of free expression and exchange among the “bodiless” personalities
of cyberspace. This perspective would be particularly relevant if it were possible
to hide the physical location and identity of a person participating in an activity
“in cyberspace.”

Since the emergence of the Internet, however, national governments and their
analysts have shown the relevance of both national regulations and
international agreements on the character of cyberspace. Those bodiless actors
in cyberspace must access this other realm through their corporeal form, and
thus they continue to be constrained by the laws governing their physical
location. The Chinese government maintains strict controls on who is able to
access the Internet and what content is available to them. The U.S. government
limits certain online activities, such as the sharing of digital data, through the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other legislation. In addition, the United
States developed a strategy for the security of cyberspace in order to prevent
and respond to attacks on the Internet infrastructure. The control of
cyberspace is thus important not only because of the actions of individual
participants but because the infrastructure of cyberspace is now fundamental
to the functioning of national and international security systems, trade
networks, emergency services, basic communications, and other public and
private activities. Because national governments see potential threats to the
security of their citizens and to the stability of their regimes arising within
cyberspace, they act to control both access and content.

Nature of Cybercrime

History of Computer and Cybercrime

 The computer as we know it today had its beginning on 19th century.

English Mathematics Professor named Charles Babbage designed the
Analytical Engine and this design was used as basic framework of the
computers of today are based on.

 The first recorded cybercrime took place in the year 1820.

 The first person to be found guilty of cybercrime was Ian Murphy, also
known as Captain Zap, and that happened in the year 1981.
 The first unsolicited bulk commercial email was sent by a Digital
Equipment Corp marketing representative to every ARPANET (Advanced
Research Projects Agency Network) address on the west coast of the
United States on May 3, 1978. The message promoted the availability of
a new model of computer and was sent by Gary Thuerk to 393 recipients.
Take Note: Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) was the
first wide-area packet-switching network with distributed control and one of
the first networks to implement the TCP/IP protocol suite. This technology
became the technical foundation of the Internet.

What is I Love You Virus?

I LOVE YOU virus, also known as a love bug virus, was a type of
computer virus that attacked billions of computers with windows operating
systems. It started the attack May 2000 from the Philippines. The virus spread
through internet network as an email attachment, with the subject line as
“ILOVEYOU” and an attachment “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt.vbs”.

This virus was created by computer programmer student of AMA namely

Onel De Guzman.

What happened to the case of Onel De Guzman?

Absolutely nothing happened. Government prosecutors filed cases

against him, but even at the first stage, the indictment was dismissed because
there was no law penalizing the said act during the time of commission in the
Philippines.

What was the effect of I Love You Virus Case on the Philippine
Legislation?

In order to curb the threat posed by cybercrime, the Philippine Congress

enacted Republic Act (RA) 8792, otherwise known as the “Electronic
Commerce Act of 2000”. This was signed into law on 14 June 2000.

The salient features of the Act are as follows:

•Provides for the admissibility of electronic documents in court cases

•Penalizes limited online crime, such as hacking, introduction of viruses and
copyright violations of at least Php100,000 and a maximum commensurate to
the damage incurred, and imprisonment of six months to three years, among
others;
• Promotes e-commerce in the country
•Aims to reduce graft and corruption in government
Take Note: RA 8792 is considered the landmark law in the history of the
Philippines since it has placed the Philippines among the countries penalizing
cybercrime.

Likewise, the Supreme Court drafted the Rules on Electronic Evidence,

which took effect on 1 August 2000, to emphasize the admissibility of evidence
in electronic form, subject to its authenticity and reliability.

Who was the first Filipino convicted of Cybercrime?

The first Filipino to be convicted of cybercrime, was JJ Maria Giner. He
was convicted in September 2005 by Manila MTC Branch 14 Judge Rosalyn
Mislos-Loja. Giner pleaded guilty to hacking the government portal “gov.ph”
and other government websites. He was sentenced to one to two years of
imprisonment and fined Php100,000. However, he immediately applied for
probation, which was eventually granted by the court.

Take Note: The conviction of Giner is considered a landmark case, as he is the

first local hacker to be convicted under section 33a of the E-Commerce Law or
Republic Act 8792.

WEEK 4 – 5

COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

What are the Components of Computer?

A computer is made up of multiple parts and components that facilitate

user functionality. A computer has two primary categories:

1. Hardware - The physical components of a computer system

2. Software - These are the instructions that tell the computer what to do
and how to do it.

Input devices - An input device is any hardware component that allows

the user to enter data into the computer.

 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Scanner
 Microphone
 Digital Camera
 PC Video Camera

Output Devices - An output device is any hardware component that gives

information to the user
 Monitor
 Printer
 Speaker

Processing Devices - Components responsible for the processing of

information within the computer system.
• CPU (Central Processing Unit) – considered as the brain of the
computer
• Motherboard - The motherboard is considered as the backbone of the
computer. It connect some of the parts of a computer together.
 
The two main categories of software (programs):
 System software - The system software also called the operating
system (OS) which actually runs the computer. (Windows Operating
System, MacOS)
 Application software - Application software is a program that allows
users to a specific task on the computer.

Four common examples of application software

 Word Processing Application
 Spreadsheet Application
 E-mail Application
 Internet Application

Storage Media (Storage Medium, Storage Device)

Storage keeps data, information and instructions for use in the future.
Writing –saving data or information into storage device
Reading – opening the data or information that you saved on the storage

Primary storage
 RAM (Random Access Memory) - is the primary storage of a
computer. When you’re working on a file on your computer, it will
temporarily store data in your RAM. It allows you to perform
everyday tasks like opening applications, loading webpages, editing
a document or playing games, and allows you to quickly jump from
one task to another without losing your progress.
 Volatile Memory

ROM – Read Only Memory – Application Software and Operating System -Non
Volatile Memory

Secondary Storage (Hard Disk Drives (HDD) & Solid-State Drives (SSD))
 Hard Disk Drives (HDD) - Hard disk drives are commonly used as
the main storage device in a computer. HDDs often store operating
system, software programs and other files. These are magnetic
storage devices
 Solid-state drives (SSD) is a new generation of storage device
used in computers. SSDs replace traditional mechanical hard
disks by using flash-based memory, which is significantly faster.
SSDs don’t rely on magnets and disks, instead they use a type of
flash memory called NAND “Not And”

External storage devices

 External hard drive - is a device which is plugged into your
machine to give almost-immediate storage space, without the need to
open or use your computer’s internal storage.
 Floppy disks were the first widely-available portable, removable
storage devices. They work in the same way as hard disk drives,
although at a much smaller scale.
 iMac was the first PC release without a floppy disk drive.
 CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray disks are used for a lot more than just
playing music and videos—they also act as storage devices, and
collectively they’re known as optical (light) storage devices or optical disk
media.
 CD – ROM – read only meaning the data written on them
is permanent and cannot be removed
 DVD – ROM

 CD-R -Recordable but cannot be overwritten

 DVD-R

 CD- RW-re-writable
 DVD – RW
 Flash memory devices – these are small, portable storage devices
that have long been a popular choice for extra computer storage. The
most recognizable type of flash memory device is the USB flash drive.

MOTHERBOARD

CPU
EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Saying that computers have revolutionized our lives would be an

understatement. These machines have completely changed the way we perform
all daily tasks. In order to further maximize their potential, we must
understand the core components of a computer system in detail – input unit,
output unit, CPU.

Computer

In simple words, are machines that perform a set of functions according to

their users’ directions. Going by this definition, several electronic devices, from
laptops to calculators, are computers. A computer comprises of some basic
elements. These include hardware, software, programmes, data and
connectivity. No computer can function in the absence of these elements. Apart
from these elements, a computer system comprises of three basic components.
These components are responsible for making computers actually function.

Hardware - The physical components of a computer system

Software - These are the instructions that tell the computer what to do and
how to do it.

Input devices

These components help users enter data and commands into

a computer system. Data can be in the form of numbers, words, actions,
commands, etc. The main function of input devices is to direct commands and
data into computers. Computers then use their CPU to process this data and
produce output.

Output Devices

After processing of data, it is converted into a format which humans can

understand. After conversion, the output units display this data to users.
Examples of output devices include monitors, screens, printers and speakers.
Thus, output units basically reproduce the data formatted by the computer for
users’ benefit.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

After receiving data and commands from users, a computer system now has to
process it according to the instructions provided. Here, it has to rely on a
component called the central processing unit. The CPU further uses these
three elements:

Memory Unit

Once a user enters data using input devices, the computer system stores this
data in its memory unit. This data will now remain here until other
components of CPU process it. The memory unit uses a set of pre-programmed
instructions to further transmit this data to other parts of the CPU.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit

This part of the CPU performs arithmetic operations. It does

basic mathematical calculations like addition, subtraction, division,
multiplication, etc. Further, it can even perform logical functions like the
comparison of data.

Control Unit

This unit is the backbone of computers. It is responsible for coordinating tasks

between all components of a computer system. The control unit collects data
from input units and sends it to processing units depending on its
nature. Finally, it also further transmits processed data to output units for
users.

Processing Devices

Components responsible for the processing of information within the computer

system.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) – considered as the brain of the computer

Motherboard - The motherboard is considered as the backbone of the

computer. It connects some of the parts of a computer together.

The two main categories of software (programs):

System software - The system software also called the operating system (OS)
which actually runs the computer. (Windows Operating System, MacOS)

Application software - Application software is a program that allows users to a

specific task on the computer.
Four common examples of application software;

 Word Processing Application

 Spreadsheet Application
 E-mail Application
 Internet Application

Storage Media (Storage Medium, Storage Device)

Writing –saving data or information into storage device

Reading – opening the data or information that you saved on the storage

Primary storage

RAM (Random Access Memory) - is the primary storage of a computer. When

you’re working on a file on your computer, it will temporarily store data in your
RAM. It allows you to perform everyday tasks like opening applications, loading
webpages, editing a document or playing games, and allows you to quickly
jump from one task to another without losing your progress.

Secondary Storage (Hard Disk Drives (HDD) & Solid-State Drives (SSD))

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) - Hard disk drives are commonly used as the main
storage device in a computer. HDDs often store operating system, software
programs and other files. These are magnetic storage devices

Solid-state drives (SSD) is a new generation of storage device used in

computers. SSDs replace traditional mechanical hard disks by using flash-
based memory, which is significantly faster. SSDs don’t rely on magnets and
disks, instead they use a type of flash memory called NAND “Not And”

External storage devices

External hard drive - is a device which is plugged into your machine to give
almost-immediate storage space, without the need to open or use your
computer’s internal storage.

Floppy disks were the first widely-available portable, removable storage

devices. They work in the same way as hard disk drives, although at a much
smaller scale.

External storage devices

CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray disks are used for a lot more than just playing music
and videos—they also act as storage devices, and collectively they’re known as
optical (light) storage devices or optical disk media.

Flash memory devices – these are small, portable storage devices that have
long been a popular choice for extra computer storage. The most recognizable
type of flash memory device is the USB flash drive.