THE INCREASE OF CYBERCRIME AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A SPOTLIGHT ON THE MOROCCAN CONTEXT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v5i2.388Keywords:
cybercrimes, COVID-19, cybersecurity, digital literacy, legal deterrenceAbstract
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the entire world has been turned upside down. Daily practices such as work and education have shifted to the online and remote model at homes. This transition from in-person to online transactions has increased the prevalence of electronic crimes, commonly known as ‘cybercrimes’. These types of crimes are among the most significant types of crimes for the entire world and Morocco is no exception. Cyber-attackers have seized the opportunity of the pandemic to multiply their digital crimes and take advantage of individuals who were extremely frightened by the virus and bombarded with a significant amount of constant updates, including fake news, related to the Coronavirus outbreak. They have also exploited the increased use of people’s virtual communication particularly via social media platforms and the online vulnerabilities to target victims with low digital and media literacy. The current paper seeks to investigate the kinds of cybercrimes that have been committed online during the pandemic notably false promotion of products claiming to protect against COVID-19, online fraud operations, extortion, identity theft, threats, abuse, harassment, defamation, among others. Moreover, the researcher attempts to suggest proper ways to address these types of crimes and enhance cybersecurity that involve promoting digital literacy, implementing legal deterrence, and engaging multiple parties.
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