Computer Crime A
computer crime is generally defined as one that involves the use of computers
and software for illegal purposes. This doesn’t mean that all the crimes are new
types of crime. On the contrary, many of these crimes, such as embezzlement of
funds, the alteration of records, theft, vandalism, sabotage, and terrorism, can
be committed without a computer. But with a computer, these offenses can be
carried out more quickly and with less chance that the person responsible for
the crime will be discovered. Computer crimes are on the rise
and have been for the last twelve years. Just how much these computer crimes
cost the American public is in dispute, but estimates range from $ 3 billion to
$ 5 billion annually. Even the FBI, which attempts-to keep track of the growth
or decline of all kinds of crimes, is unable to say precisely how large a loss
is involved; however, it estimates that the average take from a company hit by
computer crime is $ 600,000. A number of reasons are given for the increase in
computer crime: (A) more computers in use and, thus, more people who are
familiar with basic computer operation; (B) more computers tied together in
satellite and other data-transmission networks; and (C) the easy access of
microcomputers to huge mainframe data bases. The Criminal Movies and newspaper
stories might lead us to believe that most computer crimes are committed by
teenage "hackers"—brilliant and basically good children who let their
imagination and technical genius get them into trouble. But a realistic look at
the crimes reveals that the offender is likely to be an employee of the firm
against which the crime has been committed, i. e.. an "insider". Difficulty of Detection and Prevention Given the
kind of person who commits a computer crime and the environment in which the
crime occurs, it is often difficult to detect who the criminal is. First of all,
the crime may be so complex that months or years go by before anyone discovers
it. Second, once the crime has been revealed, it is not easy to
find a clear trail of evidence that leads back to the guilty party. After all,
looking for "weapons" or fingerprints does not occur as it might in the
investigation of more conventional crimes. Third, there are
usually no witnesses to the computer crime, even though it may be taking place
in a mom filled with people. Who is to say if the person at the next terminal,
calmly keying in data, is doing the company’s work or committing a criminal
act Fourth, not enough people in management and law enforcement
know enough about computer technology to prevent the crimes. Authorities have to
be familiar with the computer’s capabilities within a given situation to guard
against its misuses. In some large cities, such as LosAngeles, police
departments have set up specially trained computer crime units.
But even when an offender is caught, the investigators, attorneys (律师),
judges, or juries may find the alleged crime too complicated and perplexing to
handle. More attorneys are specializing in computer law and studying the
computer’s potential for misuse. After a computer crime has been
discovered, many companies do not report it or prosecute (起诉) the person
responsible. A company may not announce the crime out of fear that the pubic
will find out the weaknesses of its computer system and lose confidence in its
organization. Banks, credit card companies, and investment firms are especially
sensitive about revealing their vulnerabilities (脆弱性) because they rely heavily
on customer trust. To avoid public attention, cautious companies
will often settle cases of computer tampering out of court. And if cases do go
to trial and the offenders are convicted, they may be punished only by a fine or
light sentence because the judge or jury isn’t fully trained to understand the
nature and seriousness of the crime. Not all companies are timid
in apprehending computer criminals. For example, Connecticut General Life
Insurance Company decided it had to get tough on violators. So when the company
discovered that one of its computer technicians had embezzled $ 200,000 by
entering false benefit claims, it presented it findings to the state’s attorney
and aided in the prosecution of the technician. The technician was found guilty
and sentenced to prison, not just for the computer misuse, but also for grand
theft and insurance fraud. Connecticut General now has a policy of reporting all
incidents of theft or fraud, no matter how small. Computer crimes are on the rise because more cheap microcomputers are available.