Parents, teachers, non-profits, government, and industry have
been working hard to protect kids online. However, we also need
to think about protecting the Internet from kids who might abuse
it. The Department of Justice categorizes computer crime in
three ways: - The computer as a target - attacking the computers
of others (spreading viruses is an example). - The computer as a
weapon - using a computer to commit "traditional crime" that we
see in the physical world (such as fraud or illegal gambling). -
The computer as an accessory - using a computer as a "fancy
filing cabinet" to store illegal or stolen information. Reports
of alleged computer crime have been a hot news item of late.
Especially alarming is the realization that many of the
masterminds behind these criminal acts are mere kids. In fact,
children no longer need to be highly skilled in order to execute
cyber crimes. "Hacker tools" are easily available on the Net
and, once downloaded, can be used by even novice computer users.
This greatly expand