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Computer Crime: Angela Mosley October 26, 2004

This document discusses computer crimes and their prosecution. It defines computer crime as any illegal act involving computer technology or committed against a computer system. The most common computer crimes are fraud, forgery, data/program damage and unauthorized access. Computer criminals are difficult to catch due to multinational activity and complex attacks. Existing US laws used to prosecute computer crimes include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Economic Espionage Act, and others protecting privacy, communications and financial data. Prosecuting computer crimes remains challenging due to lack of understanding, evidence and political will.

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85 views

Computer Crime: Angela Mosley October 26, 2004

This document discusses computer crimes and their prosecution. It defines computer crime as any illegal act involving computer technology or committed against a computer system. The most common computer crimes are fraud, forgery, data/program damage and unauthorized access. Computer criminals are difficult to catch due to multinational activity and complex attacks. Existing US laws used to prosecute computer crimes include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Economic Espionage Act, and others protecting privacy, communications and financial data. Prosecuting computer crimes remains challenging due to lack of understanding, evidence and political will.

Uploaded by

jacky111
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computer Crime

Angela Mosley
October 26, 2004
What is Computer Crime?

• Any crime in which computer-


related technology is encountered.

• The commission of illegal acts


through the use of a computer or
against a computer system.
Types of Computer Crime

• Business attacks
• Financial attacks
• Terrorist attacks
• Grudge attacks
• Fun attacks
Most Common Computer
Crimes
• Fraud by computer manipulation

• Computer forgery

• Damage to or modifications of
computer data or programs
Most Common Computer
Crimes
• Unauthorized access to computer
systems and service

• Unauthorized reproduction of legally


protected computer programs
Computer Crimes Are Hard
to Prosecute
• Lack of understanding
• Lack of physical evidence
• Lack of recognition of assets
• Lack of political impact
• Complexity of case
• Juveniles
Computer Criminals Are
Hard to Catch

• Multinational activity
– No international laws for computer
crimes

• Complexity
– Networked attacks hard to trace
The Fight Against
Computer Crimes
The role in combating cyber crime is
essentially two-fold:
(1) preventing cyber attacks before they
occur or limiting their scope by
disseminating warnings and advisories
about threats so that potential victims
can protect themselves
(2) responding to attacks that do occur by
investigating and identifying the
perpetrator
Existing Laws Used for
Computer Crimes
U.S. Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act
• Unauthorized access to a computer
containing data protected for the national
defense or foreign relations concerns
• Unauthorized access to a computer
containing certain banking or financial
information
• Unauthorized access, use, modification,
destruction, or disclosure of a computer
or information in a computer operated on
behalf of the U.S. government
U.S. Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act
• Accessing without permission a
“protected computer,” which the courts
now interpret to include any computer
connected to the Internet
• Computer fraud
• Transmitting code that causes damage to
a computer system or network
• Trafficking in computer passwords
U.S. Economic Espionage
Act
• Outlaws use of a computer for
foreign espionage to benefit a
foreign country or business or theft
of trade secrets
U.S. Electronic Funds
Transfer Act
• Prohibits the use, transport,sale,
receipt, or supply of counterfeit,
stolen, altered,lost, or fraudulently
obtained debit in interstate or
foreign commerce
U.S. Freedom of
Information Act
• Provides public access to
information collected by the
executive branch of the federal
government
U.S. Privacy Act
• Protects the privacy of personal
data collected by the government
U.S. Electronic
Communications Privacy Act
• Protects against wiretapping
USA Patriot Act
• Knowingly causing the transmission of
code resulting in damage to a protected
computer is a felony
• Recklessly causing damage to a computer
system as a consequence of unauthorized
access is also a felony
• Causing damage (even unintentionally) as
a consequence of unauthorized access to
a protected computer is a misdemeanor
Conclusion
Obviously computer crime is on the rise, but so is
the awareness and ability to fight it.  Law
enforcement realizes that it is happening more
often than it is reported and are doing there
best to improve existing laws and create new
laws as appropriate.  The problem is not with
the awareness or the laws, but with actually
reporting that a crime has occurred.  Hopefully
people will begin to realize that unless they
report these crimes and get convictions, those
committing computer crimes will continue to do
so.
References
• Works cited
– Pfleeger, Charles and Pfleeger, Shari.
“Security in Computing.” Chapter 9 pp.583-
591
– http://filebox.vt.edu/users/stsmith8/Debate
2.html
– http://www.mobrien.com/computer_crime.sht
ml#crime
– http://www.inspectorsgeneral.org/IGPRES~1/
tsld009.htm

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