Many consequences may arise when individuals post information about themselves on the internet. Some of the problems include; hacking, spam and lack of privacy. Hacking is the unauthorised admission to data held in a computer system, altering the data, interfering with electronic communication between computers, or damaging the security, reliability or function of stored electronic data.
A person may involve themself in hacking out of curiosity, for financial gain, to alter data for some other reason, or cruelly to spread virus. Hacking can possibly also be used for acts of terrorism. The Cybercrime Act 2001 amended the Criminal Code 1995, as well as the Crimes Act 1914 and numerous other commonwealth acts. It created offences relating to computers, data and the internet, now found in the Criminal Code 1995. As these are federal offences, there must be a ‘commonwealth connecting factor’: for example, the computers are kept or operated by the federal government, or the offenders actions are carried out via a ‘telecommunications network’- which includes the internet.
Spam is the term now commonly used to refer to unsolicited electronic messages, usually spread to a large number of recipients. They usually, but not necessarily, have a commercial focus, encouraging or selling products or services; and they share one or more of the following characteristics: * They are sent in a careless and indiscriminate manner. * They include or sponsor illegal or aggressive content. * Their purpose is deceitful or otherwise dishonest. * They collect or use personal information in breach of privacy principles. * They are sent in a manner that disguises the originator. * They do not offer a valid and functional address to which recipient may send messages opting out of receiving further unsolicited messages.
Major Problems Caused by Spam
The problem of spam has stretched to a point where it is having significantly undesirable effect of users’ confidence in using email. There are clear signs of a serious impact on the presentation of the global email network, with some commentators forecasting that the continuing proliferation of spam could mean the end of email as an effective form of communications.
Privacy
Privacy may