It's easier for criminals than for crime catchers. Confronting the dark side of the Internet in Asia is crucial if the region is to realize its full on-line potential. Business and consumer services offered on the Internet could suffer if users become wary of plugging into suspect sites. Otherwise, the dark side of the Internet in Asia could well eclipse the bright side. It is a problem we can no longer afford to ignore.
Internet crime comes in two forms.
Hacking involves things like abusing passwords, breaking into networks to steal data and defacing Web sites. A more widespread form of cyber crime is the use of the Internet in traditional crime, whether it's selling drugs or laundering money. Both forms have seen an alarming rise in the past two years. In Hong Kong, the number of reported hacking cases surged to 238 last year from just 13 in 1998. In South Korea, the figure more than tripled to 572 from 158 in 1998.