CCJ 4931 SPECIAL TOPICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REF # 6002
DIGITAL CRIME/DIGITAL TERRORISM
SUMMER 2010
COURSE TAUGHT COMPLETELY ONLINE
JOHN ORTIZ SMYKLA, PH.D.
JUSTICE STUDIES
DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
EMAIL: [email protected] (ALLOW 24 HRS FOR REPLY)
PHONE: CELL - 205.862.4024 (NO CALLS AFTER 8 PM PLEASE)
NOTE: DO NOT LEAVE ANY MESSAGES ON MY OFFICE PHONE
OR NOTES IN MY OFFICE MAILBOX B/C I AM NOT ON CAMPUS.
MY GRADUATE ASSISTANT IS JEREMY SPARKS
EMAIL: [email protected] (ALLOW 24 HRS FOR REPLY)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Digital Crime/Digital Terrorism is an undergraduate, introductory course for
students with a beginning interest in studying crimes and terrorists acts committed
using digital technology. Course material is presented in a nontechnical and
nonjargon manner. The course covers four topic areas: (1) the etiology of the digital
crime and digital terrorism problem; (2) the various types of crimes that are
committed using digital technology; (3) the law, law enforcement, and investigation
of digital crime and digital terrorism; and (4) the prevention of digital crime and
digital terrorism and an overview of what the future might hold in these areas.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Robert W. Taylor, Eric J. Fritsch, John Liederbach, and Thomas J. Holt, Digital Crime
and Digital Terrorism Second Edition (Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011).
STUDENT LEANING OBJECTIVES:
1. Explain the etiology of the digital crime and digital terrorism problem
2. Illustrate the various types of crimes that are committed using digital technology
3. Sketch the law, law enforcement, and investigation of digital crime and digital
terrorism
4. Predict the prevention of digital crime and digital terrorism and an overview of
what the future might hold in these areas.
TOPICS:
1. Descriptions of the types of crimes and terrorists acts committed using computer
technology
2. Criminological theories addressing hackers and other types of digital criminals
3. Types, nature, and extent of digital crimes (white-collar, viruses and codes, sex
crimes, obscenity, pornography, pedophilia, and child molestation)
4. Overview of the legal strategies and tactics targeting computer crime
5. Future of digital crime and terrorism
GRADING EVALUATION:
Quizzes: 130 points
Discussions: 70 points
Final Project: 50 points
233 - 250 A
225 - 232 A218 - 224 B+
208 - 217 B
200 - 207 B193 - 199 C+
183 - 192 C
175 - 182 C168 - 174 D+
158 - 167 D
150 - 157 D< 150 F
Weekly Quizzes:
There are six quizzes in the course. See the link "Schedule of What to Do and When".
Each quiz covers only that week's two chapters. It is NOT a group quiz. Each one of
you completes his/her own quiz.
The quiz will be available online beginning 1 AM Saturdays and end 11:59 PM
Sundays. The quizzes are short, ranging from 15 to 25 or so TF/MC questions. You
will have ONLY 12 minutes to complete each quiz.
Make sure you have Respondus LockDown Browser installed on your computer. A
new version of the Respondus LockDown Browser, version 1.0.4, is now available.
Make sure you upgrade to the latest version in order to access the quizzes. You can
download the software and reinstall it by going to the "Software Downloads" link in
your Argus Software tab. For Qs or concerns, please contact the ITS HelpDesk at
850.474.2075. I call your attention to the Expectations for Academic Conduct and
Plagiarism Policy discussed below. I realize the temptation to cheat when you are
taking an online examination. The quizzes are NOT open book. I hold you to the
highest ethical standard when completing the quizzes.
I compare your computer's IP address to all other students' IP addresses. I can see
exactly where and when you logged on, how long it took you to answer each Q, when
you logged off, and who your Internet provider is.
In a recent semester I caught three students all using the same IP address. They
took the exam one right after the other using the same computer. I filed academic
misconduct charges against all three and all three failed the class. I do not need
proof beyond a reasonable doubt, only reasonable suspicion so don't do anything
stupid that makes me think you cheated
Participation in Discussion Board:
You will be assigned to a small group of three students for the purposes of weekly
threaded discussions and completing a final project.
The topics of the weekly threaded discussions are shown in the link "Schedule of
What to Do and When".
The Discussion board opens every week at 1 am Mondays, and closes at 11:59 pm
Fridays. You must make a minimum of three (3) "thoughtful" and evenly spread out
postings.
By "thoughtful postings" I mean your postings must show evidence of (1) having
read BOTH chapters (each week you read two chapters); (2) critical thought (Don't
rehash the text or what the other person in your groups says. Instead raise the bar
on YOUR critical thinking skills; go beyond recalling data or information from the
chapters, and instead apply the knowledge, analyze it, synthesize it, or evaluate it.
Study up on Bloom's taxonomy of learning domains to learn more about critical
thinking. www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html); (3) critique your peers;
(4) respond to your peers when they raise comments/issues about your postings.
By evenly-spread postings across the week I mean you make your first thoughtful
posting NLT 6 PM Tuesdays and then spread your other thoughtful postings across
the week.
In other words, you CANNOT post on Tuesday and then come back on Friday and
post two more times. Nor can you make all of your postings on Tuesday or
Wednesday. Get the point? Post evenly across the week.
You will earn 8 points for each week's discussion if you make your first thoughtful
post NLT Tuesday, 6 PM AND post the minimum of three times across the week.
More than three thoughtful and evenly spread postings can earn 9 or 10 points.
You will earn 7 points for each week's discussion if your first post appears after 6
PM Tuesday but before 6 PM Wednesday AND you make three or more evenly
spread thoughtful postings across the rest of the week.
You will earn 5 points for each discussion posting if your first post appears after 6
PM Tuesday but before 6 PM Thursday AND you make three or more evenly spread
thoughtful postings across the rest of the week.
You will earn 0 points if you post after 6 PM Thursday regardless of the number or
quality of your posts.
Final Project:
You and the other two members in your group will complete a final project. All
three of you will receive the same grade so make sure all of you contribute
meaningfully. I don't want to hear excuses that so and so isn't contributing.
How do you do a project virtually with two other members? Easy. You talk by
phone. Maybe have a conference call. Use Skype. Telephone each other. Use
carrier pigeons. Send notes in a bottle - no, wait, the oil spill will mess that up. Get
the point? Just share phone numbers and other contact options with each other.
Get in touch with each other early. I suggest starting the project as soon as you get a
good understanding of Chapter 1.
This is what you will do. You read in Chapter 1 that there are four types of
computer/digital crime. I want your group to select one of those. Discuss the one
you select. Research one good example of that crime. Describe what happened give details on the who, what, where, when, and how of it all. Report details on the
offender(s) and victim(s). What laws were broken? How was the crime
investigated? By whom? Where? How was it prosecuted? Punished? Did anything
change to prevent the crime from occurring in the future? For example, was new
legislation written? Was the public educated via the media? A movie made abt it?
And finally, select a criminological theory from Chapter 3 that you think applies best
to explain this case. Explain your selection in detail. Feel free to bring in the
knowledge you gained from your criminology class as well. Make it fun for
yourselves.
I will create a Dropbox for the final project. Final projects are due in the Dropbox
anytime the last week of class. The Dropbox will open Monday, August 2 at 1 AM
and close Friday, August 6 at 11:30 PM.
Projects MUST be submitted in WORD or as a Rich Text File (rtf). NOT
WORDPERFECT. If any project is submitted in WordPerfect two things will happen.
First, an automatic 10 points will be deducted. Second, you will be sent an email
saying you submitted in WordPerfect and you will have 24 hours to resubmit in
either WORD or as a rtf file. If the resubmission is not received within 24 hours the
paper will not be accepted.
The project MUST be word processed using Times New Roman, 12 font, and double
spaced.
Create text headings for interest. Make sure to proof read. Major deductions for
grammatical and spelling errors. Add a bibliography page citing the sources you
used, especially the online sources. Cite online sources something like this:
Jim Bounds, "Kevin Mitnick: The Most Notorious Hacker,"
www.webster.edu/philosophy/~umbaugh/courses/frosh/dairy/mitnick.htm
(accessed July 22, 2010).
If I can't locate your sources expect major deductions.
Make sure your project is NOT a copy and paste job. I will submit all papers to
turnitin.com. Any paper I find that is excessively a cut and paste job will receive
major deductions.
I want you to have fun with your paper. Be original and creative.
EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT/PLAGIARISM POLICY:
Academic Misconduct speaks to the integrity of student learning and performance.
The Student Code of Conduct addresses non-academic behavior and provides a
mechanism for the University to deal with inappropriate or illegal behavior on the
part of students. Disruptive behavior in an eLearning environment, for example,
would actually fall under this regulation.
The Student Code of Conduct sets forth the rules, regulations and expected behavior
of students enrolled at the University of West Florida. Violations of any rules,
regulations, or behavioral expectations may result in a charge of violating the
Student Code of Conduct. It is the student’s responsibility to read the Student Code
of Conduct and conduct themselves accordingly. You may access the current Student
Code of Conduct at http://uwf.edu/judicialaffairs.
As students enrolled in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies you should be held to the
highest standards. If your future professional endeavors include employment within
the criminal justice field you should know that your reputation is very important
and could play a key role in your job search. Please refer to the Student Handbook
for the University's policy regarding academic conduct, specifically pages 23
through 31. These policies will be strictly adhered to and enforced should the need
arise.
Other important policies and sites:
* UWF Plagiarism Policy (Excellent examples of what constitutes plagiarism
available online from the Pace Library)
* You can view the latest edition of the Student Handbook on the website of the
Office of Judicial Affairs at http://uwf.edu/JudicialAffairs/
You can view the website of the Office of Judicial Affairs at
http://uwf.edu/JudicialAffairs/ for more on the student code of conduct and the
student handbook.
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) works with students and faculty to
help make UWF an accessible learning environment in accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The SDRC
offers a variety of services for students with documented disabilities, including
learning disabilities, deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, mobility limitations,
ADHD, psychiatric disorders, and medical disabilities. Contact Student Disability
Resource Center, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg 21/Room 130, Pensacola, FL
32514. Office: 850-474-2387 Fax: 850-857-6188 E-mail: [email protected]
RESERVE/NATIONAL GUARD POLICY:
Per UWF's policy, to fulfill a reservist or National Guard military obligation of no
more than two weeks concurrent with a normal academic semester at UWF,
students must receive written permission for such absences from the instructors
and departmental chairpersons for each course in which they are enrolled. The
approval is not automatic but is discretionary with the instructors and departmental
chairpersons.
CHANGES IN COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Since all classes do not progress at the same rate, I may wish to modify the
requirements for this course or their timing as circumstances dictate. If I do so, I
will give you adequate notice.
WEEK 1 - MONDAY JUNE 14 THROUGH SUNDAY JUNE 20
OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL CRIME AND DIGITAL TERRORISM
Reading: Chapters 1 and 2
Activity: Discuss with your small group: (1) Which type of computer/digital crime is
the most serious? Explain. Defend your position and critique your peers' positions.
(2) Which type of cyber-terrorism/information warfare is the most serious? Explain.
Defend your position and critique your peers' positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#1/Chapters 1 and 2. Quiz goes online at 1 am Saturday
June 19 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday June 20.
WEEK 2 - MONDAY JUNE 21 THROUGH SUNDAY JUNE 27
CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY TO EXPLAIN DIGITAL CRIMINALITY; ARE HACKERS
CRIMINALS?
Reading: Chapters 3 and 4
Activity: Discuss with your group: (1) Explain which criminological theory best
explains Kevin Mitnick's digital crime (p. 9), Lori Drew's digital crime (p. 11),
"Wonderland" (p. 12), and Wolverine Review (p. 13). Defend your position and
critique your peers' positions. (2) Explain why hackers do not consider themselves
to be criminals. How can someone break the law, but not feel deviant? Defend your
position and critique your peers' positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#2/Chapters 3 and 4. Quiz goes online at 1 am Saturday
June 26 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday June 27.
WEEK 3 - MONDAY JUNE 28 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 4
TYPES OF DIGITAL CRIME PART 1: WHITE-COLLAR, VIRUSES, AND CODES
Reading: Chapters 5 and 6
Activity: Discuss with your group: (1) Which white collar computer crime is the
most serious? Explain. Defend your position and critique your peers' positions. (2)
Which criminological theory from Chapter 3 best explains the criminality of the
virus writer, Dark Avenger? Defend your position and critique your peers'
positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#3/Chapters 5 and 6. Quiz goes online at 1 am Saturday
July 3 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday July 4.
WEEK 4 - MONDAY JULY 5 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 11
TYPES OF DIGITAL CRIME PART 2: EXPLOITATION, STALKING, OBSCENITY,
PEDOPHILIA, CHILD MOLESTATION, PROSTITUTION, AND HATE
Reading: Chapters 7 and 8
Activity: Chapter 7 surveys the nature of exploitation, stalking, obscenity, pedophilia
and child pornography, child molestation, prostitution, and the sex trade on the
Internet. Take a stand as to which of these digital crimes is the most serious when
committed on the Web, defend your position, and critique your peer's positions.
Also explain the challenges law enforcement faces in prevention, enforcement, and
investigation of that digital crime. (2) Find a Web site for a hate group AND another
Web site for a left-wing terrorist group either discussed in this chapter or
elsewhere. Describe the sites. How does each site dehumanize, desensitize, and
demoralize the "enemy"? How does each site build camaraderie in cyberspace?
Then study the USA PATRIOT ACT. Should police have the right to monitor the Web
sites you researched? Should police have the right to monitor persons that visit
these sites - that includes you! Or, is the expanded role of police in intelligence
gathering a significant threat to the personal and civil liberties of all Americans and
will do little to thwart terrorism? Defend your position and critique your peers'
positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#4/Chapters 7 and 8. Quiz goes online at 1 am Saturday
July 10 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday July 11.
WEEK 5 - MONDAY JULY 12 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 18
REPORTING COMPUTER CRIME: IC3
Reading: Go to the Web site of the Internet Crime Center
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. Click Press Room. Click IC3 2009 Annual Report
on Internet Crime Released. Scroll down and click The report is posted in its
entirety on the IC3 website. Then click 2009 IC3 Annual Report. Read the report.
Activity: Based on your reading of the 2009 Internet Crime Report discuss with your
group these THREE questions/issues: (1) You learned in your intro CJ course that
all criminal justice data bases (e.g., the UCR and NCVS) have strengths and
weaknesses. After reading the 2009 Internet Crime Report what strengths and
limitations do you see in this dataset? (2) Look at Figure 4: 2009 Top 10 Most
Common Complaint Categories. (Definitions of these complaint categories is given
on p. 17 of the report.) Use a search engine and research the TOP most common
complaint category. What is it? What do some of the Web sites say about this TOP
most common complaint category? Did you receive this scam? What did you do? If
you received it, how did you know it was a scam? Did any of your family or friends
fall victim/complainant to any of the top ten complaint categories shown in Figure
4? What happened? (3) Now look at Map 1 Top 10 States by Count: Individual
Perpetrators and Map 3 Top 10 States by Count: Individual Complainants. In both
cases, what we find is Florida ranks second in the U.S. in terms of
perpetrators/offenders (Map 1) and victims/complainants (Map 3). What is your
theory to explain why Florida ranks so high in both categories? You CANNOT shoot
off the hip and say something uncritical like "Because Florida has a lot of retirees
who become victims and a lot of young people who are perpetrators." That kind of
uncritical response will get you zero points. Whatever theory you offer MUST be
supported by logical facts/data that you present. That means you have to research
your ideas and find facts/data before throwing them out there for others in your
group to read and critique. That is only fair. You MUST engage in critical thinking
now. That means you are intelligent enough to wade through data sources/Web
sites, and support your theory/ideas with facts/data.
Quiz: There is NO quiz this week.
WEEK 6 - MONDAY JULY 19 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 25
CYBERSLEUTHS, DIGITAL FORENSICS, AND ISSUES IN INVESTIGATION OF DIGITAL
CRIME
Reading: Chapters 11 and 12 and How to Investigate Cyber Crime
Activity: After reading Chapters 11 and 12 and the article "How to Investigate Cyber
Crime" think of yourself as a "cybersleuth". If you're called to take down a child
pornography ring what are you going to do and not do? Make specific references to
what you learned in Chapters 11 and 12 and the article "How to Investigate Cyber
Crime". Discuss this with your group. Defend your position and critique your peers'
positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#5/Chapters 11 and 12. Quiz goes online at 1 am
Saturday July 24 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday July 25.
WEEK 7 - MONDAY JULY 26 THROUGH SUNDAY AUGUST 1
Reading: Chapters 13 and 14
Activity: Chapter 14 in particular explores the trends, needs, and issues related to
cybercrime and terror in the future through the use of forecasts. Pay particular
attention to the limitations in the development and use of forecasting. Those
limitations notwithstanding, which of the forecasts described in Chapter 14 are
most likely to come to pass? Which of the forecasts are least likely to come true?
Explain your reasoning and critique your peers' positions.
Quiz: Complete online quiz#6/Chapters 13 and 14. Quiz goes online at 1 am
Saturday July 31 and ends at 11:30 pm Sunday August 1.
WEEK 8 - MONDAY AUGUST 2 THROUGH FRIDAY AUGUST 6
FINAL PROJECTS ARE DUE
Reading: No reading
Activity: Submit your final project to the Final Project Dropbox which opens
Monday, August 2 at 1 AM and closes Friday, August 6 at 11:30 PM. See the Syllabus
for details on the final project. Make sure you adhere to all of the requirements for
the final project.
Quiz: No quiz