The advances that have been made since the advent of the internet age have come with their own limitations in society. While it is irrefutable to observe that internet connectivity has hastened the pace of development in the modern world, it is also profound to mention that digital crimes have been elevated with this kind of development.
Some of the recent empirical researchers carried out on the development of information and technology reveal that organized crime is entering its fourth great era (Fafinski, 2009). This era will most entail the use of internet knowledge to commit cyber-related crimes. In any case, the internet era has practically converged the offline and online environments due to the rapid flow and sharing of information from one point to another.
Due to improved ease of sharing information, it has also been discovered that there are myriads of illegal organized activities that can be conducted through the internet by individuals with the aim of committing a felony. About 80% of modern digital crimes are presumed to be organized by individuals in remote locations through the internet.
Although the young tech-savvy generation has been closely associated with the fast growth of digital crime through the internet, it is understood that individuals who are above 35 years account for nearly 45% of all the digital crimes committed through the internet. On the other hand, the youths who are perceived to be tech-savvy account for about 29% of all the digital crimes (Caeti et al., 2005).
In about 50% of the organized crimes that are conducted through the internet, there are usually between six to ten individuals who collaborate to commit such acts. Nonetheless, it should be noted that digital crimes do not rely on the performance of groups since individuals can equally engage in acts of crime.
The digital crimes committed through the internet have indeed evolved since the early 1920s when authorities largely struggled with offenders who broke the set prohibition laws. During the early 20th century, racketeering, gambling and consumption of illicit alcohol were coordinated and conducted offline (Caeti et al., 2005). As such, the impacts of such crimes were minimal since the influence was largely localized.
The modern society has a wide access to information as a result of quick access to internet connectivity. The latter has turned the world into a global village, making it easy for criminals to access private and confidential information.
For instance, one of the most dominant digital crimes entails cybercrime whereby individuals or organized groups hack into private data stored in emails, websites or offline databases. In any case, the fourth era of digital crime is a major threat to the overall wellbeing of the modern generation (Caeti et al., 2005).
Even though exposure to internet poses major security threats to individuals and the society at large, it has proved to be a necessary evil that the modern world cannot do without if fast development is to be achieved. For instance, the internet provides an extremely efficient and elaborate means of communication. In addition, information technology has been boosted by the presence of internet connectivity. Vast knowledge has been acquired and transmitted through the internet.
Moreover, the society is now more enlightened than it used to be some decades ago (Fafinski, 2009). One outstanding attribute of the internet connectivity is the online learning portal that several institutions are using to disseminate knowledge. Needless to say, business enterprises have also sprung up and hastened their pace of development through the internet. Therefore, it should not be eradicated in the modern world. Governments should come up with prohibitive measures and safety use standards that govern the internet.
References
Caeti, T. J., Liederbach, J. R., Loper, K. J., Fritsch, E. J. & Taylor, R. W. (2005). Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Fafinski, S. (2009). Computer Misuse: Response, regulation and the law. Cullompton: Willan