Computer Crimes Laws Must Be Pass To Address The Essay Example For Students

Computer Crimes: Laws Must Be Pass To Address The Essay Increase In ComputerComputer Crimes: Laws Must Be Pass To Address The Increase In Computer CrimesTHESIS: Laws must be passed to address the increase in the number and types ofcomputer crimes. Over the last twenty years, a technological revolution has occurred as computersare now an essential element of todays society. Large computers are used totrack reservations for the airline industry, process billions of dollars forbanks, manufacture products for industry, and conduct major transactions forbusinesses because more and more people now have computers at home and at theoffice. People commit computer crimes because of societys declining ethical standardsmore than any economic need. According to experts, gender is the only bias. Theprofile of todays non-professional thieves crosses all races, age groups andeconomic strata. Computer criminals tend to be relatively honest and in aposition of trust: few would do anything to harm another human, and most do notconsider their crime to be truly dishonest. Most are males: women have tended tobe accomplices, though of late they are becoming more aggressive. ComputerCriminals tend to usually be between the ages of 14-30, they are usually bright,eager, highly motivated, adventuresome, and willing to accept technicalchallenges.(Shannon, 16:2)It is tempting to liken computer criminals to other criminals, ascribingcharacteristics somehow different fromnormal individuals, but that is not the case.(Sharp, 18:3) It is believedthat the computer criminal often marches to the same drum as the potentialvictim but follows and una nticipated path.(Blumenthal, 1:2) There is no actualprofile of a computer criminal because they range from young teens to elders,from black to white, from short to tall. Definitions of computer crime has changed over the years as the users andmisusers of computers have expanded into new areas. When computers were firstintroduced into businesses, computer crime was defined simply as a form ofwhite-collar crime committed inside a computer system.(2600:Summer 92,p.13)Some new terms have been added to the computer criminal vocabulary. TrojanHorse is a hidden code put into a computer program. Logic bombs are implanted sothat the perpetrator doesnt have to physically present himself or herself.(Phrack 12,p.43) Another form of a hidden code is salamis. It came from thebig salami loaves sold in delis years ago. Often people would take smallportions of bites that were taken out of them and then they were secretlyreturned to the shelves in the hopes that no one would notice themmissing.(Phrack 12,p.44)Congress has been reacting to the outbreak of computer crimes. The U.S. Houseof Judiciary Committee approved a bipartisan computer crime bill that wasexpanded to make it a federal crime to hack into credit and other data basesprotected by federal privacy statutes.(Markoff, B 13:1) This bill is generallycreating several categories of federal misdemeanor felonies for unauthorizedaccess to computers to obtain money, goods or services or classified information. This also applies to computers used by the federal government or used ininterstate of foreign commerce which would cover any system accessed byinterstate telecommunication systems. Computer crime often requires more sophistications than people realizeit.(Sullivan, 40:4) Many U.S. businesses have ended up in bankruptcy courtunaware that they have been victimized by disgruntled employees. Americanbusinesses wishes that the computer security nightmare would vanish like a fairytale. Information processing has grown into a gigantic industry. It accountedfor $33 billion in services in 1983, and in 1988 it was accounted to be $88billion. (Blumenthal, B 1:2)All this information is vulnerable to greedy employees, nosy-teenagers andgeneral carelessness, yet no one knows whether the sea of computer crimes isonly as big as the Gulf of Mexico or as huge as the North Atlantic.(Blumenthal,B 1:2) Vulnerability is likely to increase in the future. And by theturn of the century, nearly all of the software to run computers will be boughtfrom vendors rather than developed in houses, standardized software will maketheft easier. (Carley, A 1:1)A two-year secret service investigation code-named Operation Sun-Devil, targetedcompanies all over the United States and led to numerous seizures. Critics ofOperation Sun-Devil claim that the Secret Service and the FBI, which have almosta similar operation, have conducted unreasonable search and seizures, theydisrupted the lives and livelihoods of many people, and generally conductedthemselves in an unconstitutional manner. My whole life changed because of thatoperation. They charged me and I had to take them to court. I have to thank 2600and Emmanuel Goldstein for publishing my story. I owe a lot to the fellowhackers and fellow hackers and the Electronic Frontier Foundation for coming upwith the blunt of the legal fees so we could fight for our rights. (Interviewwith Steve Jackson, fellow hacker, who was charged in operation Sun Devil) Thecase of Steve Jackson Games vs. Secret Service has yet to come to a verdict yetbut should very soon. The secret service seized all of Steve Jacksons computermaterials which he made a l iving on. They charged that he made games thatpublished information on how to commit computer crimes. He was being chargedwith running a underground hack system. I told them it was only a game and thatI was angry and that was the way that I tell a story. I never thought HackerSteve Jacksons game would cause such a problem. My biggest problem was thatthey seized the BBS (Bulletin Board System) and because of that I had to makedrastic cuts, so we laid of eight people out of 18. If the Secret Service hadjust come with a subpoena we could have showed or copied every file in thebuilding for them.(Steve Jackson Interview)Computer professionals are grappling not only with issues of free speech andcivil liberties, but also with how to educate the public and the media to thedifference between on-line computer experimenters. They also point out that,while the computer networks and the results are a new kind of crime, they areprotected by the same laws and freedom of any real world domain. Changes To The Bill Of Rights EssayCONCLUSIONComputer crimes are fast and growing because the evolution of technology is fast,but the evolution of law is slow. While a variety of states have passedlegislation relating to computer crime, the situation is a national problem thatrequires a national solution. Controls can be instituted within industries toprevent such crimes. Protection measures such as hardware identification, accesscontrols software and disconnecting critical bank applications should be devised. However, computers dont commit crimes; people do. The perpetrators bestadvantage is ignorance on the part of those protecting the system. Properinternal controls reduce the opportunity for fraud. BIBLIOGRAPHYAlexander, Charles, Crackdown on Computer Capers,Time, Feb. 8, 1982, V119. Ball, Leslie D., Computer Crime, Technology Review,April 1982, V85. Blumenthal,R. Going Undercover in the Computer Underworld. New York Times, Jan. 26, 1993, B, 1:2. Carley, W. As Computers Flip, People Lose Grip in Saga of Sabatoge at PrintingFirm. Wall Street Journal, Aug. 27, 1992, A, 1:1. Carley, W. In-House Hackers: Rigging Computers for Fraud or Malice Is Often anInside Job. Wall Street Journal, Aug 27, 1992, A, 7:5. Markoff, J. Hackers Indicted on Spy Charges. New York Times, Dec. 8, 1992, B,13:1. Finn, Nancy and Peter, Dont Rely on the Law to Stop Computer Crime, ComputerWorld, Dec. 19, 1984, V18. Phrack Magazine issues 1-46. Compiled by Knight Lightning and Phiber Optik. Shannon, L R. THe Happy Hacker. New York Times, Mar. 21, 1993, 7, 16:2. Sharp, B. The Hacker Crackdown. New York Times, Dec. 20, 1992, 7, 18:3. Sullivan, D. U.S. Charges Young Hackers. New York Times, Nov. 15, 1992, 1,40:4. 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Issues Summer 92-Spring 93. Compiled by Emmanuel G