Cybersecurity: This is How a Computer Crime Report is Made

Computer crimes move around 600,000 million dollars annually globally, which places it in the third position of the most profitable for criminals only after prostitution and drug trafficking. What to do? Who to turn to? Here we tell you.

A computer crime is an act directed against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems, networks, and data, as well as the abuse thereof, and is more common than a literal physical theft.

These Crimes Are Classified According to:

• Against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and computer systems: Illegal access to computer systems, illegal interception of data, interference in the operation of a system, and abuse of devices that facilitate the commission of crimes.
• Content-related: Production, offering, dissemination, acquisition of child pornography through a computer system, and possession of such content.
• Related to infringements of intellectual property and related rights: Copying and distribution of computer programs (piracy).
• Others: Forgery by entering, deleting, or deleting data, fraud.

What to Do?

In the event that you are a victim, or have knowledge of the development of said illegal activities, remember not to delete or modify the information you have on your computer that is related to the fact. The integrity of the information is crucial to continue with criminal cases that are initiated.

Make the report immediately at the police station closest to your home or work (they have the obligation to take the report and carry out the corresponding procedure for the case). Do not forward the emails constituting the crime and keep them, in order to protect and perpetuate the evidence, so that the investigator can verify and use it in the process.

How to Report Computer Crimes

At the moment that we are victims of a scam, cyberbullying, identity theft, insults, or any other circumstance that could be considered a crime through the internet, we must proceed as follows to be able to report computer crimes effectively.

1. Take a screenshot to report crimes

At the time of the crime, we have to take a screenshot to be able to present it to a competent authority.

The screenshot will only serve for the authorities to initiate an investigation process. The offender or fraudster can never be prosecuted unless other evidence is found that the crime has been committed. This is so because a screenshot is easily manipulated by the complainant by modifying the source code of a website.

2. Find witnesses to report crimes

A screenshot has little weight and is simply used for authorities to launch an investigation.

Therefore, when the crime occurs, we also have to look for witnesses who can testify in front of a judge about the facts that we are reporting.

3. Contact a computer expert and a notary

After the crime has occurred we have to immediately contact a police computer expert and a notary.

The police computer expert, together with a notary, will be the key people to prove that the crime has actually occurred.

In the event that the complaint is through WhatsApp or Twitter messages, you must act quickly. Otherwise, the complainant can delete the messages that we are reporting in a very easy and simple way.

In this way, the crime can be easily credited. However, the events that occurred will have to be investigated since the accused may also have been the victim of identity theft or any other incident.

Note: Install advanced antivirus to protect your data against cybercrime.