Computer Legislation Assignment

... Jason Agar-Hutton 20th October 2002 Computer Legislation Assignment Computer Misuse Act 1990 The Computer Misuse Act 1990 states that it is illegal to obtain unauthorised access to any computer or to modify its contents. Three criminal offences are defined in the act, namely: Unauthorised access to computer material, Unauthorised modification of computer material; and Unauthorised access with intent to commit, or facilitate commission, of further offences. Hacking A hacker is a computer enthusiast who tries to break into a secure computer system. The process of doing this is called 'hacking'. However, a big misunderstanding in the world is that most 'hackers' usually work for big companies, such as IBM, Microsoft and Apple, or even governmental organizations such as the Pentagon or the FBI to improve computer security. People who break into secure systems with intent of doing harm to its owners, users or any other third party group are known as 'crackers'. These individuals often partake in petty computer-related crimes, such as

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