The prefix "cyber" relates to the culture of computers, information technology, the internet, and virtual reality. The term "cybercrime" refers to criminal activities carried out by means of computers or the internet.
Just like any other human activity, the internet carries with it new avenues of illegal behavior. The internet makes it easier to commit certain crimes, such as dissemination of pornography, copyright infringement, and defamation. The internet also gives rise to crimes exclusive to the internet, such as computer hacking and misuse. And the internet can make certain crimes complicated, because they could be illegal in some countries, but not in others.
Computer misuse was dramatically demonstrated in 2000, when a Filipino hacker attacked and destroyed data in 45 million computers. He created a virus that the media called the "Love Bug," because it used the subject line "I love you" in the emails that carried it. The estimated cost in damages was $10 billion. The Filipino was never punished, because the Philippines at that time had no law criminalizing computer misuse.
As economics and business students, you are already aware that cybercrime works to prejudice ecommerce. Companies with online operations are subject to credit card fraud, identity theft, phishing, and intellectual property crimes. Cybercriminals continue to negatively impact ecommerce.
The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, officially recorded as Republic Act No. 10175, is a law in the Philippines approved on 12 September 2012. It aims to address legal issues concerning online interactions and the Internet in the Philippines. Among the cybercrime offenses included in the bill are cybersquatting (is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else), cybersex (a virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely