Cyber Crime and Security

Hacking is the intentional and unauthorized access to computer systems. According to Maurer (2018), hacking cases began between 1980 and 1990 when many world countries gained internet connectivity and access to computers ...

Hacking is the intentional and unauthorized access to computer systems. According to Maurer (2018), hacking cases began between 1980 and 1990 when many world countries gained internet connectivity and access to computers. In the contemporary world, hacking is associated with cybercriminals, hacktivists and national governments. Large amounts of money attract financial system hackers. Government-led hacking is conducted to disrupt the economy of the targeted countries, to acquire classified information and to spy on other governments. There have been many hacking cases that cause chaos in the targeted institutions. For example, in 2017, a “WannaCry” virus was spread in the British National Healthcare System (Blinderman & Din, 2017). It caused disorder in the country`s medical system since it delayed treatment and compromised the quality of the services provided. The virus spread in over 300,000 computers and temporary locked the essential data. The paper will discuss Alexsey Belan`s case study, a famous Latvian hacker who is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for hacking commercial and private financial institutions (Blinderman & Din, 2017). The FBI states that Belan has been involved with three significant computer intrusions where over 200 million dollars were extorted from multiple user accounts worldwide. He has also destroyed numerous computer software using remote commands and codes. According to Blinderman & Din (2017), some Russian and American private financial institutions have undergone economic espionages as a result of these hacks. The FBI also alleged that in 2012, Belan stole database programs from companies in California and Nevada, after hacking through their computer systems. He then utilized the data to hack through millions of American users’ passwords, and used their profile to bargain the sale of the illegally acquired databases. Blinderman & Din (2017) note that Belan is also indicted with charges of identity thefts which he uses to his advantage in extorting money online and gaining other privileges. The social learning theory and routine activities theory will be applied and demonstrated for the understanding of how and why Alexsey`s Belan`s case occurred. The essay will also suggest the preventive strategies of hacking by utilizing the knowledge from the two theories.