Prospectus - Thesis Proposal Example

Prospectus For this prospectus, I have selected the third suggested research question, about the greatest crime threat today and the best methods to combat it. My initial thesis is that cyber-crime is the most dangerous type of crime in today's world, due to the saturation of technology, computers, and especially Internet networks in both home and business life. The best methods of combating this type of crime, especially given the complex nature of cyber-crime, will require more extensive research.

This topic seems interesting to me because of the cutting-edge nature of cyber-crime, and so the research that I do will be current and relevant to my life today and into the future. In order to research this topic, the first step will be to begin with the published literature on the topic, as well as any available statistics and figures on the rates of cyber-crime. However, due to the emerging nature of this type of crime, this data may not be easily available. Therefore, I may also attempt to contact organizations that fight cyber-crime, such as the FBI's Cyber Division and the DOJ's Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, in an attempt to obtain this information.

In addition, conversations with local law enforcement on the status, if any, of their cyber-crime efforts could prove useful. Writing an essay which combines this data into a set of recommendations on how best to combat cyber-crime will require a plan of attack that can only be synthesized once this information has been gathered, as it is difficult to know in advance whether I would be writing recommendations on how best to begin fighting cyber-crime, how to create new systems to fight it, or how to best make use of the infrastructure that may already be in place.

One of the reasons that cyber-crime is so nefarious is that nearly every home and office in America contains at least one internet-enabled computer or wireless device. Personal information, confidential business and marketing plans, and even government secrets are stored on such devices, and accessing such data for profit is just one form of cyber-crime (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). Cyber-crime is also so potentially dangerous for its economic effect. Much of the crime involving computers is related to theft of intellectual property and piracy; the sale and distribution of intellectual property is a significant portion of the US economy, so the theft of this type of product represents a sizable loss in the commercial sector (United States Department of Justice).

References The Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Computer Intrusions.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Web. 1 July 2011. . United States Department of Justice. “About CCIPS.” Computer Crime and Intellectural Property Section. Web. 1 July 2011. .