Cybercrime: Basic Criminological Characteristics and Legislation

Cybercrime belongs to newer forms of criminality, appearing to be the result of great technological advances in the field of telecommunications. The increasing use of the Internet, social networks and computer technology in everyday life represent enormous progress from the social development point of view. On the other hand, with the use of cyber technology, a large number of users are exposed to daily victimization, if the data transmitted via the internet are abused. Therefore, in this paper, the approach to this topic is basically criminological, because, apart from the observation of the most common forms and causes of computer crime, it is given the analysis of the legislation for counter-fighting cybercrime and various criminal activities on social networks both on international and national levels. A comparative review of the legislation on cybercrime in the countries of the former Yugoslavia points to the fact that in addition to the undeniable numerous similarities, cybercrime in the countries of the former Yugoslavia is not perceived, regulated and sanctioned in the same way, although all these countries signed and ratified the CoE Convention on Cybercrime no.185 (2001).