Reaching consensus on a definition of computer crime is difficult. One definition that is advocated is, "a crime conducted in which a computer was directly and significantly instrumental" This definition is not universally accepted. It, however, initiates further discussion to narrow the scope of the definition for "cybercrime" for example, we can propose the following alternative definitions of computer crime:

• Any illegal act where a special knowledge of computer technology is essential for its perpetration, investigation or prosecution.
• Any traditional crime that has acquired a new dimension or order of magnitude through the aid of a computer, and abuses that have come into being because of computers.
• Any financial dishonesty that takes place in a computer environment.
• Any threats to the computer itself, such as theft of hardware or software, sabotage and demands for ransom.

Here is yet another definition: "cyber crime (computer crime) is any illegal behavior, directed by means of electronic operations, that target the security of computer systems and the data processed by them," Note that in a wider sense, "computer-related crime" can be any illegal behavior committed by means of, or in relation to, a computer system or network; however, this is not cyber crime.

Statute and treaty law both refer to "cybercrime." The term "cybercrime" relates to a number of other terms that may sometimes be used interchangeably to describe crimes committed using computers. Computer related crime, Computercrime, Internet crime, Ecrime. High-tech crime, etc, are the other synonymous terms. Cybercrime specifically can be defined in a number of ways a few definitions are:

1. A crime committed using a computer and the Internet to steal a person's identity (identity theft) or sell contraband or stalk victims or disrupt operations with malevolent programs.
2. Crimes completed either on or with a computer.
3. Any illegal activity done through the Internet or on the computer.
4. All criminal activities done using the medium of computers, the Internet, cyberspace and the WWW.

According to one information security glossary cybercrime is any criminal activity which uses network access to commit a criminal act. Opportunities for the exploitation due to weaknesses in information security are multiplying because of the exponential growth of Internet connection. Cybercrime may be internal or external, with the former easier to perpetrate. The term "cybercrime" has evolved over the past few years since the adoption of internet connection on a global scale with hundreds of millions of users. Cybercrime refers to the act of performing a criminal act using cyberspace as the communications vehicle. Some people argue that a cybercrime is not a crime as it is a crime against software and not against a person or property. However, while the legal systems around the world scramble to introduce laws to combat cyber criminals,two types of attack are prevalent:

1. Techno-crime: A premeditated act against a system or systems, with the intent to copy, steed, prevent access, corrupt or otherwise deface or damage parts of or the complete computer system. The $24 \times 7$ connection to the Internet makes this type of cybercrime a real possibility to engineer from anywhere in the world, leaving few, if any, "finger prints."

2. Techno-vandalism: These acts of "brainless" defacement of websites and/or other activities, such as copying files and publicizing their contents publicly, are usually opportunistic in nature. Tight internal security, allied to strong technical safeguards, should prevent the vast majority of such incidents.

There is a very thin line between the two terms "computer crime "computer fraud"; both are punishable. Cybercrimes (harmful acts committed from or against a computer or network) differ from most terrestrial crimes in four ways: (a) how to commit them is easier to learn, (b) they require few resources relative to the potential damage caused, (c) they committed in a jurisdiction without being physically present in it and (d) they are often not clearly illegal.

The term cybercrime has some stigma attached and is notorious due to the word "terrorism" or "terrorist" attached with it, that is, cyberterrorism. Cyberterrorism is defined as "any person, group or organization who, with terrorist intent, utilizes or aids in accessing a computer or computer network or electronic system or electronic device by any available means, and thereby, knowingly engages in or attempts to engage in a terrorist act commits the offence of cyberterrorism". Cybercrime, especially through the Internet, has grown in number as the use of computer has become central to commerce, entertainment and government.

The term cyber has some interesting synonyms: fake, replicated, pretend, imitation, virtual, computer- generated. Cyber means combining forms relating to Information Technology, the Internet and Virtual Reality. This term owes its origin to the word "cybernetics" which deals with information and its use; furthermore, cybernetics is the science that overlaps the fields of neurophysiology, information theory, computing machinery and automation. However, beyond this, there does not seem to be any further connection to the term "cybernetics" as per other sources searched. It is closely related to control theory and systems theory.

People are curious to know how cybercrimes are planned and how they actually take place. Worldwide, including India, cyberterrorists usually use computer as a tool, target or both for their unlawful act to gain information which can result in heavy loss/damage to the owner of that intangible sensitive information.

Internet is one of the means by which the offenders can gain priced sensitive information of companies, firms, individuals, banks and can lead to intellectual property (IP) crimes (such as stealing new product, plans, its description, market program plans, list of customers, etc.), selling illegal articles, pornography/child pornography, etc. This is done using methods such as Phishing, Spoofing, Pharming, Internet Phishing, wire transfer, etc. and use it to their own advantage without the consent of the individual. "Phishing" refers to an attack using mail programs to deceive or coax Internet users into disclosing confidential information that can be then exploited for illegal purposes. Figure 1 shows the increase in Phishing hosts.