NCJ Number
162120
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1996) Pages: 38-45
Date Published
1996
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article suggests ways in which police officers can use the Internet to better understand and detect crimes committed via the Internet and also to access information helpful in police training and continuing education.
Abstract
The Internet is the closest thing we have to the so-called "Information Superhighway"; by most accounts, it is the future location of a high number of crimes. This fact is discussed in a report by the National Research Council, which concluded that "the modern thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun." There is a need for more law enforcement presence on the Net, since the "cybercriminals" show an impudence and disregard for the law, partly because they believe that law enforcement officials have no idea about who they are or how to catch them. The Secret Service was recently involved in a cybercrime that spanned seven States. Six hackers were arrested for their involvement in cloning cellular phones (reprogramming the computer chip inside the cellular phone to mimic a legitimate phone to get free phone calls) after a sting operation was conducted that involved a Secret Service-controlled computer bulletin board service that was used for obtaining information from the cybercrooks. Police officers should regularly monitor the news group for hackers called alt.2600, as well as Phrack Magazine, http://www.fc.net/phrack-html. Law enforcement resources to be found on the Internet are also described in this article, including information from the National Technical Information Service, the National Institute of Justice Technology Center, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, and CopNet. The latter resource enables police officers to chat and exchange information with other sworn police officers.