The Computer Misuse Act 1990

The Computer Misuse Act 1990

1. Unauthorised access to computers

   • 5 years imprisonment
   • A week later the student and alters his grades
   • After asking a friend, he finds out how to delete files and wipes the main customer database

2. Unauthorised access to computers with further intent

   • 5 years imprisonment
   • Later the student decides to go in again, to alter his grades, but cannot find the correct file
   • Having received his redundancy notice he goes back in to try and cause some damage but fails to do so

3. Purpose

   • Protect any data kept on a computer

4. Unauthorised access to computer material and modification

5. Unauthorised access to data

   • 6 months imprisonment
   • A student hacks into a college database to impress his friends
   • An employee who is about to be made redundant finds the Managing Director's password; logs into the computer system using this and looks at some confidential file

6. Problems with gaining prosecution

   • Difficult to prove
   • Evidence difficult to collect
   • Films embarassed by hacking
   • Employees often sacked/demoted
   • Police lack expertise, time, and money
   • Often perceived as 'soft' crime (no one hurt or injured)

7. Summary of offenses

   • Hacking
   • Planting or transferring computer viruses
   • Deliberate destruction/alteration of programs and/or data
   • Using ICT systems for unauthorised work
   • Using ICT systems to commit fraud

8. Legal issues

   • Eight principles
     • P E R S O N A L
       • Purpose
       • EU (applies to all countries in EU)
       • Relevant
       • Secure
       • Own right (Organisation owns right to info, but you can still apply to see it
       • Not kept for longer than necessary
       • Accurate
       • Lawful