Stigma and Social Identity Changes in High-Tech Crime

By:

Pranjal Vyas

INTRODUCTION

"Society prepares the crime, the criminal commits it"

-Henry Thomas Buckle

Sociologists study crime as deviance and see the acts of robbery, theft, rape,
murder etc. in such light. Some of these deviances are against law and are
therefore expressly called as Crime.

Crime, as studied by various sociologists does not depend greatly on the immediate
social environment but a larger social environment considering the biological,
psychological and other theories of crime. Crime has been there in the world since
ages and has been co-existent with society.

But in terms of cause and effect relationship, crime has survived ages and has
more impact in the present world than ever before. Not that the core definition of
crime has evolved much; nor the principle crimes as such but the means have
changed which are fast and can easily cause a ripple-effect.
Use of computers, internet, cellular services or any other digital system has made
Societies to come closer like never before and the world has become a small place.
But then it has a dark side as well. On one hand, criminals find it easier these
days to operate and execute their intentions and on the other the victim faces a
post-act traumatized situation where he/she feels utterly exposed and vulnerable
to the world which can trace him/her easily and derail the recovery process.

This presentation focuses on the stigma and changes in social identity caused by
the high-tech crime. It will also briefly look into the cause of such change by
understanding the very nature of technology and its effect on society.

UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CRIME

Hi-tech Crime in its simplest sense can be defined as a crime caused by the means
of information technology. Some of its synonyms include Computer Crime, E-Crime
or Electronic Crime. Most of the crimes committed are not new but the means are
and often include the usage of Internet.

Moreover, High Tech crime can be classified according to its target and feature
and can be broadly classified into- Computer, Computer related and Technology
Crime, the distinction could be made clear by the study of the following table:

Classification Unique Feature Types of crime

Computer Computer system or capability is the object of the crime. Viruses,
theft of system capabilities
Computer Related Computer facilitates crime or keeps records of crime. Some are
traditional crimes, others are crime created as a result of computer age.
Traditional:
Child pornography, Narcotics Trafficking
Non-Traditional:
Software Piracy, Internet Fraud.
Technology Crime Technology is stolen, or other technology services are stolen
Computer Hardware theft, theft of cellular telephone service, theft of cable
television services

The most prominent of the crimes committed over the cyberspace include:
• Hacking
• Fraud
• Confidence Tricks and Scams
• Piracy
• Extortion
• Pornography
• Offensive Content
• Harassment
• Drug Trafficking

So why is that Internet or E-Crime such a big threat to our society? Well the
answer lies in the very nature of the Internet or Information Technology.

Some of the basic characteristics of IT are:

• Easily Accessible- A computer can be accessed from anywhere, not only that
the computers are virtually everywhere but the internet is also available from all
the parts of the Globe.
• Wider Audience- With 338% growth in internet users (2000-2008) there over
1.5 billion people using it giving it a truly global status with almost every 6th
person using it.
• Fast- Internet is one of the most fastest and versatile modes of
communication ever invented by mankind.
• Cheap- Computers are cheap and so is an internet connection.
• Great Platform- Internet is like having your own billboard on Times Square
on a New Year’s Eve the only difference is it’s being throughout the year.
• Hard to Trace- yes it is like finding bones in my body.
• Virtual- Perhaps the most vital flaw gone unnoticed, internet is virtual and
not physical; you are in an environment which has no boundaries and perhaps no
stable culture at least not in the near future.

SOCIAL IDENTITY IN HIGH TECH WORLD

The Social Identity Theory

Social Identity Theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979. The theory was
originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup
discrimination. Tajfel attempted to identify the minimal conditions that would
lead members of one group to discriminate in favor of the ingroup to which they
belonged and against another outgroup.

In the Social Identity Theory, a person has not one, “personal self”, but rather
several selves that correspond to widening circles of group membership. Different
social contexts may trigger an individual to think, feel and act on basis of his
personal, family or national “level of self”. Apart from the “level of self”, an
individual has multiple “social identities”. Social identity is the individual’s
self-concept derived from perceived membership of social groups. In other words,
it is an individual-based perception of what defines the “us” associated with any
internalized group membership. This can be distinguished from the notion of
personal identity which refers to self-knowledge that derives from the
individual’s unique attributes.

Social Identity Theory asserts that group membership creates ingroup/ self-
categorization and enhancement in ways that favor the in-group at the expense of
the out-group. The examples (minimal group studies) of Turner and Tajfel showed
that the mere act of individuals categorizing themselves as group members was
sufficient to lead them to display ingroup favoritism. After being categorized of
a group membership, individuals seek to achieve positive self-esteem by positively
differentiating their ingroup from a comparison outgroup on some valued dimension.
This quest for positive distinctiveness means that people’s sense of who they are
is defined in terms of ‘we’ rather than ‘I’.

Tajfel and Turner identify three variables whose contribution to the emergence of
ingroup favoritism is particularly important.
A. The extent to which individuals identify with an ingroup to internalize that
group membership as an aspect of their self-concept.
B. The extent to which the prevailing context provides ground for comparison
between groups.
C. The perceived relevance of the comparison group, which itself will be shaped
by the relative and absolute status of the ingroup. Individuals are likely to
display favoritism when an ingroup is central to their self-definition and a given
comparison is meaningful or the outcome is contestable.
Social Identity in Cyberspace

Self-identity in cyberspace can be forged, partially revealed or entirely exposed,

depending on the individuals’ expectations from a particular community. The desire
of anonymity online reflects the need to eliminate critical factors of identity
that individuals do not want to expose. Individuals can create avatars and write
entries in online community boards, which corresponds more to their ideal self
rather than what they are. Individuals who want to explore their negative traits
(such as biased attitudes towards racial, sexual issues) by discussing them
online, can work through them and transform them to positive ones, by gaining
approval or disapproval of others online. This is something that would be quite
challenging, disturbing and embarrassing in the real world. Furthermore, virtual
worlds provide an opportunity to compensate for disabilities, low self-esteem and
lack of initiative in the real world. These opportunities of compensation in the
virtual world are psychologically real and are not limited to individuals who
forge their real world identities.

The internet gives individuals a platform to present their real world identities
and views, just like any other interaction venue offline along with the
opportunity to raise their voice, without the fear of being unheard and
unaccepted. Achieved blogs create a scaffold on previous impressions and
expressions constructing identity on a continual process; furthermore, the
feedback provided on these blogs foster a sense of peer relationships, which is
another important way to construct self- identity
Cultural constraints of biological sex are absent in cyberspace. This gives
individuals a platform for self-exploration, discovery, expression and the
opportunity to go beyond their “culturally constructed gender identity”.

Psychoanalytical philosophy claims that many individuals have multiple sexual

identities, which remain suppressed due to social constraints in the real world.
However, the internet allows individuals’ sexual identity to become a reflexive
quality that is transmigrated grasped, interrogated, investigated, and discovered
by asocial, electronic formats, web cams, distance, and through the flexibility to
change identity markers. Sexual identity is more often explored, discovered and
expressed online, than self or gender identity. The internet has certain
characteristics such as flexibility, anonymity, and a platform to create a
surrogate body to experiment and fulfill sexual desire which are not fulfilled
offline.

The analysis presented suggests that cyberspace has transformed the understanding
of identity. To some extent individuals offline identities are mirrored in
cyberspace, however the anonymity that cyberspace provides, presents a platform
for compensation of real life disabilities, free from cultural, biological and
social constraints. It is also an interaction venue where individuals explore,
discover and express there unconscious desires, and thoughts. Many negative
attitudes are explored and worked on, enriching individuals’ moral and personal
beliefs. Furthermore, individuals have an opportunity to interact with other
people who share their desires and identities.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HI-TECH OFFENDERS

Professionals indulging in Hi-tech security matters are of two types- Hackers and
Crackers. However, the “Hacker” mainly aims at revealing weak places in the
computer security system and informing users and system developers in order to
eliminate detected defects, make suggestions on its improvement. “Hacker” in many
cases means a gifted law-obedient programmer. On the other hand “Crackers” break
computer systems to gain unauthorized access to somebody else's information. The
motives can be different: rowdy-dowdy incentives, mischief, revenge, self-
interest, industrial and other espionage and so on.

In addition depending on the kind of activity subjects of illegal access to

computer information can be divided into:-

Frickers - people specialized in using telephone systems to avoid the

payment for telecommunication services;
Carders pay their expenses with other's credit cards;
Collectors collect and use computer program products, intercept various
passwords and also phone call codes and numbers of phone companies having an
access to computer networks of general application for example Internet;
Cyber crows deliberate offenders specialized in penetrating into computer
systems of financial, banking payments. They use computer technologies to get
numbers of credit cads and other valuable information for the purpose of profits.
They often sell obtained information to third persons;
Computer pirates are specialized in illegally breaking protective systems of
licensed computer program products distributed then at prices, which are
noticeably lower than those of legal manufacturers.

According to Interpol expert commission, statistical ratio of various motives at

the computer crime commitment is the follows:
Mercenary motives – 66%;
Political motives (terrorism, political actions) – 17%;
Research interest – 7%;
Hooligan and mischief motives – 5%;
Revenge – 4%.

Foreign and native researches give an opportunity to form abstract portraits of

typical computer offenders. Literature sources often describe the typical modern
computer wrongdoer (hacker) in the following way:
he early learns computer;
computer system is his sense of life;
he is a social renegade paying no attention to surrounding world, and he
often has some negative complexes. The first real life achievement for many
children is to become a hacker.

Researches show that hackers-amateurs are the most numerous but the least
dangerous (80% of computer attacks). They are interested in no aim but the attack
process itself. They enjoy overcoming systems of protection. Their actions are
often easy to suppress because hackers-amateurs prefer not to enter into a
conflict with the Law. According to practice, most hackers do not have the
traditional criminal past.

The improvement of computing technique favors the sophistication of computer

crimes. Whereas the development of global information network Internet caused
cyber-crimes.

The analysis of native and foreign practice and the study of literature sources
show that the age of computer offenders is ranged from 14 to 45 years.
It can be concluded from materials of expert researches that the age of 33%
deliberate criminals did not exceed 20 years when committing a crime, 54% - from
20 to 40 years, 13% - were older than 40 years. That is researches deny a formed
opinion that hackers are mainly teenagers from 13 to 20 years.

Men five times oftener commit crimes by using computer technologies. Most subjects
of such crimes have finished or unfinished high technical education (53,7%) and
other finished or unfinished high education (19,2%). However, the number of crimes
committed by women has increased recently. It is connected with the professional
orientation of some specialties and posts equipped with automated computer working
places, which are often taken by women (secretary, book-keeper, economist,
manager, controller, cashier and so on).
Criminological researches show:
Fixed offenders had a special training in the field of automated computer
processing of information (2%);
Officials of state establishments and organizations, which used computer
systems and information technologies in their everyday activity (97%);
Directly connected with operating means of computing techniques (30%).

Organization officials taking up main posts also commit computer crimes. Experts
note that organization directors commit over 25% computer crimes. Modern managers
as a rule are experts of a high level, possess sufficient computer training and
professional knowledge, have an access to wide information and can give
instructions but do not directly response for the computer system operation.

On this basis three separate groups of computer criminals can be classified:

Persons characterized by fixed combination of the professionalism in the

sphere of computing technique and programming with elements of peculiar fanaticism
and inventiveness;
Persons suffering from a new kind of psychic diseases – information illness
or computer phobia;
Professional computer criminals with pronounced mercenary purposes.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE IDENITY

It’s not easy to distinguish the changes occurring in one’s identity with respect
to his/her cyberspace identity. The aforementioned characteristics are not
complete in a sense that a very little has been done regarding the study of socio-
psychological analysis of Hi-tech criminals. However, assumptions and
possibilities can be implied and a realistic picture can be drawn regarding such
identity variants.

The study of Social Identity theory clears that a person has more than ‘one self’
when he/she interacts with other groups in a social order. The possibility of
change is huge in cyberspace as multiple identities can be made conveniently with
reference to the image one wants to portray in front of a particular group.

A person committing a hi-tech crime can be a lot different in real life than what
he/she appears virtually. This is mainly because of the various kinds of people
committing such crimes and range from amateurs to professionals with different
motives ranging from revenge to mere adventure.

But the very nature of internet makes it possible that many people who are not
aware of the crime they are doing just because of the convenience and cost
effectiveness of the medium or it may be possible that those people do not want to
take the legal course at all. For instance these days most of the teenagers and
others log in to their internet connections and start downloading materials which
straightaway infringes of somebody else’s copyright material and thus right.

This is how technology works it blinds one’s perception of right and wrong because
it is a virtual scenario that people operate in.