Cybercrimes: When Technology Becomes a Crime Scene
Security Officer Mohammed Al-Sayed discusses the challenges of cybercrimes and the role of law in combating them.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
The digital world has become an essential part of our daily lives. Social media and the Internet are no longer mere tools for entertainment and communication; they are now used for work, education, commerce, and carrying out numerous transactions.
With this development, new patterns of crime have emerged, known as cybercrimes, which pose a genuine challenge to the law and society.
Cybercrimes vary from account hacking and data theft, to online fraud, extortion, defamation, identity theft, and the unauthorized dissemination of private information and images. Some of these acts may seem minor at first, but their consequences can be severe for individuals, affecting them materially, psychologically, or socially.
The danger of cybercrimes lies in the fact that perpetrators can conceal their identities or use accounts and technological means that make it difficult to trace them easily. Moreover, a crime may be committed in one country while the victim is in another, making the response more complex and requiring legal and technical cooperation among competent authorities.
This underscores the role of the law in confronting such crimes by establishing rules that criminalize unlawful electronic acts and impose strict penalties. Penalties serve as an effective element in achieving justice, security, and safety in the application of the law, by specifying stringent sanctions for each electronic offense, alongside setting controls that assist competent authorities in investigating, collecting digital evidence, and proving the crime.
Combating cybercrimes is not limited to penalties alone; legal awareness and digital literacy play a crucial role in curbing them. Internet users must safeguard their personal data, use strong passwords, avoid sharing private information with strangers, and exercise caution regarding suspicious links and messages.
I conclude by emphasizing that technological advancement cannot be halted; therefore, it is imperative that laws and counter-cybercrime measures evolve alongside it, ensuring a balance between harnessing the benefits of technology and protecting individuals’ rights and freedoms.
Amal Mohamed El-Sayed
Faculty of Commercial Studies / Law Major
