INCREASING YOUR CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS: UNDERSTANDING CYBERCRIME AND FINDING WAYS TO FIGHT IT

Abstract

Dependency on global cyberspace is rapidly increasing nowadays. Virtual reality generates opportunities for enterprises, governments and individuals; however it also poses significant threats to security on different levels including the national level, whereby key state infrastructures can become a target of cyber attacks. This was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic when the healthcare system in a number of countries experienced cyber threats, which in the example of the Czech Republic, led to severe disruption of the medical processes in a hospital. Thus, cybercrime can cause detrimental effects not only to individuals or business entities, but also to a large group of stakeholders. Infinite cyberspace, the anonymous character of cyber attackers, advances in technology and a lack of cyber security measures in place – these all give cybercrime a sophisticated and aggressive nature and as a result, make us more vulnerable to it. This article will consider different categories of cybercrime, namely, crimes against the person; crimes against property, and crimes against the government, drawing examples from real life cases. This will be followed by an exploration of the methods which should be employed in the fight against cybercrime. In addition, the EU legislative framework will be considered as an example of legal measures against cybercrime. Key words: Internet, cyberspace, cybercrime, cyber attack, cyber threat, cybersecurity, ransomware, cyber terrorism, European Union legal framework, NIS Directive, ENISA, ways.