Chapter I

Introduction

At this recent utmost advancement, great usability of Internet in the

information and communication technology of all places in the globe has brought
a massive and affirmative impact to the world’s business processes and human
means of faster and easy way of distant communication. Internet has made its
way to network more people in the world together to create a new world or space
which commonly termed as cyberworld where different business activities are
being held such as socializing activities. These socializing activities are
ubiquitous in the cyberworld and everyone is free to join whenever he/she
wanted. According to www.pcmag.com that term cyberworld is pertaining to the
world of computers and communications. It implies today's fast-moving, high-
technology world.

Indeed, Internet has really a lot of tempting and interesting to offer to its
users. Using the internet, the user may be able to have its own research on a
particular subject. In socializing activities in the cyberworld, the user may be able
to join in a community of users of social networking sites like friendster,
facebook, myspace, and ect., be able to create a personal account in a web mail
site just like yahoomail and gmail, be able to join on an online chatting like yahoo
messenger, be able to do transaction in an online store or market like ebay and
many other related activies.

Over the years in the global scene, the growing community of Internet
users seemed become a normal norm as the way technology grows in technical
sense. As this growth surface, vulnerable menace to human safety such as
preserving the confidentiality of ones identity also evolves the way technology
does. This event truly raises serious issues and concerns in industries and in the
society in every country in the world and even also here in the Philippines.

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Menaces are caused by these we call cybercrimes and they are vulnerable to
attack at any moment of time from any corner in the cyberworld. Since the word
cybercrime is such a complicated to be specific one, according to Vezina (2008)
in an article, What is Cybercrime, that cybercrimes have to be classified in to two
categories; type I and type II crime in order to understand further the behavior of
these crimes. Type I crime typically a single event of effect on the mind set of
the victim and usually enabled by crimeware programs such as viruses, Trojan
horses, and etc. while type II crime exists at the set of circumstances or series of
interaction with the victim and this is mostly observed in file sharing using FTP.

According to Sharma (2007) that cooperation and collaboration from all

segments of society – right from home level computer users to extremely crucial
government bureaus, is required to combat cyber terrorism. At worldwide level,
Interpol, which works as mediator between law agencies of different countries,
has served a great role in publicizing the names of cyber terrorists and in tracking
of criminals on international scale. Apart from providing intelligence services to
the countries associated with it, Interpol is attempting to facilitate data sharing
between member nations, conducting operational information analysis,
sponsoring training in cyber terrorism. This is another way of gaining confidence
of one self in combating cyber terrorism that continues to harm computers and
users. As these threats continue, menace is absolutely vulnerable to everyone in
the cyberworld. This is now become a great and constant challenge for all
concerned in the Information and Communication Technology industry both
private and public sectors, as wide usage of Internet is concerned.

This unwanted and intolerable action of this phenomenon in the

cyberworld keeps every country in the world to be aware of these remarkable
threats hid in every walks of life in the cyberworld. There's no place or country is
exempted by any form of attack held by these notorious enemies in the Internet
such as cyber criminals who have continued to flourish in doing such crimes.

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 Here in the Philippines, according to Villafania (2008) in his news report in
inquirer.net that the Republic of the Philippines still lack in cybercrime laws that
enable to manage digital crimes as confirmed by a Filipino digital forensics
expert. Many companies are being victimized by roaming digital crimes. Yet, the
Department of Justice and the Commission on Information and Communications
Technology along with private sector groups have been working on a long-
overdue draft cybercrime bill, as stressed again by Villafania. This one step
initiative by the Philippine government will embark on serious way of as much as
possible ceasing criminal activities in the cyberworld that keep on bringing
menace to every user’s security. As Silva and Escalante (2000) reported that the
openness of the Internet is partly to blame for the vulnerability of computer
systems worldwide to cybercrimes. Part of being open and wide access to
Internet, computers and especially the user are very vulnerable to cyberworld
menace through different ways of attack done by cyber criminals.

According to Sun.Star Davao (2008) that Davao City Councilor, Pilar

Braga, added provisions also cover all offenses related to cyber sex including
production of child pornography for the purpose of distribution, offering or making
available child pornography through a computer or computer network; distribution
of child pornography; possession, prostitution or solicitation of any form of cyber
sex, operation of internet café or any type of establishment that engages in cyber
sex and promotion and advertisement of any form of cyber sex. This is a great
initiative by the local government pursuing to update E-Commerce law in order to
seize the enemy in the cyberworld. Threats in the cyberworld can also cause a
huge damage to economic stability that's why the locality of government of
Davao City is active about this advocacy.

Menace in the cyberworld has a great manipulative way of attracting

victims whenever and wherever may be possible. There’s no exact time where
that menace in the cyberworld will come out and seize valued victims in nowhere.
These victims might not be able to recover anymore of what is being lose or

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damaged caused by these criminals in the cyberworld. Hence, this is now the
right time to start a wise initiative to address this growing global cyber crisis
through counducting a deeper awareness of human threats in the cyberworld
here in the USeP community. This is study will be a great help for Internet users
especially here in USeP and as well as to the outside of the community to be
more aware of what is happening behind the efficiency of Internet tools and
services.

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Statement of the Problems

1. What are the scenarios that one individual student is vulnerable to several
menace in the cyberworld?
2. What are those forms of threats that are nimble to encounter in the cyber
activities?
3. What are the standards of threats in the cyberworld that will serve as
preventive measure to every Internet user as the study’s recommendation
takes place?

Significance of the Study

This research study intended to discuss mainly on the scenarios

in cyberworld that are vulnerable to expose fourth year IC students to
different menace and examined their awareness in forms of threats.
Since most of the population of this University is a user of Internet
especially IC students, this study would be a great chance to help
minimize the chances of infecting users to a certain menace.

 This research had able to study the different behavior of the

users in using the Internet that capable of bringing them into
dangerous situation and how would be able to cope up and
avoid.

 This study had also addressed the current and constant issue in
the cyberworld with regards to user's security and protection in
the cyberworld.

 This study would contribute great benefits to this school's

Internet users and to all concerned in this University regarding

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 this great comprehensive awareness about the situation of
cybercrimes in the local and international scene especially to the
IC students.

The following list below would be the beneficiary of this research study:

• USeP Students
This will be able to help every student to realize about this
constant challenge in the information and communications
technology where it is truly happening in the reality. They are the
most beneficiary of this study since they spent their spare time
in the Internet.

• Educators
Since they are also subscribing the Internet, this study will be
able to help these professionals to keep up the awareness about
this roaming menace in the cyberworld.

• School Employees
This study will be able to help them be guided in surfing the
Internet and they will be going to let understand how to cope up
with any suspicious threats in the web which may be harmful in
effect them.

• Researchers
This study is truly beneficial for the researchers as they go
through along the end of this study. Their learning in the issue of
cybercrime in the cyberworld will be sharpened and be able to
contribute their knowledge and ideas to the alternative means in

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 keeping open the eye of the public about menace in the
cyberworld.

Objectives of the Study

Threats in the cyberworld are yet insurmountable due to its broadness and
prevalence. Thus, this study aims to come up several ways to ascertain and
avoid those identified threats to the user in the cyberworld.

 Identify several scenarios that one individual is vulnerable to several

menace in the cyberworld.
 Determine those forms of threats that are nimble to encounter in the cyber
activities.
 Come up standards of threats in the cyberworld that will serve as
preventive measure to every Internet user as this study’s recommendation
takes place.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

Since threats in the cyberwold covered a wide area of respondent, this

study had only put its focus on the menace in the cyberworld that directly affects
and harms person or the internet user itself that the study was able to exempt
viruses. The study had furthermore discussed the risky behaviors of the Internet
users in the cyberworld and their awareness with those identified cyber threats
that target individual.

Definition of Terms

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Internet Users – Refer to the fourth year Institute of Computing students who
are actively surfing the Internet.

IC – Stands for Institute of Computing where the respondents of study belong.

Cyberworld – Refers to the space or community of Internet users that connected
as one through Internet.

Cybercrime – Refers to the crime committed digitally by most Internet users.

Menace – Refers to the danger or risks hiding in the cyberworld.

Risky Behaviors in the Cyberworld – Refer to the scenarios in the cyberworld

that recognized as risky for Internet users.

Forms of Cyber Threats – Refer to different forms of threats in the cyberworld

that are nimble to encounter by most Internet users.

Perilous Cyber Activities – Refer to surfing the Internet where different cyber
community can be created and joined with.

Assess of Internet Users to Cyber Threats – Refers to the Internet user’s

confidence of being protected against threats in the cyebrworld.

Assess of Internet Users to the State of International Cybercrime law

Issues – Refer to the Internet user’s agreement with the current issues in state
or situation in enforcement of international cybercrime laws.