CHAPTER 9
COMPUTER MISUSE
Computer Misuse Act of 1990
piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that addresses
computer-related crimes and offenses.
It was introduced to deal with the increasing threat of
unauthorized access, hacking, and other malicious activities
involving computer systems.
Provisions of Computer Act of 1990
Unauthorized Access (Section 1)
Unauthorized Access with Intent to Commit or Facilitate
Commission of Further Offenses (Section 2)
Unauthorized Modification of Computer Material (Section 3)
Penalties (Section 3A): penalties for offenses, including fines and
imprisonment.
Jurisdiction (Section 3B):offenses committed outside the United
Kingdom if
Provisions of Computer Act of 1990
Power to Make Orders for Seizure and Forfeiture (Section 3C):
Impacts of Computer Misuse Act(CMA)
It offers a legal Framework for Cybercrime
CMA empowers law enforcement agencies to investigate and
prosecute individuals in computer-related crimes.
The existence of the Computer Misuse Act raises awareness
about the legal consequences of engaging in cyber crimes
Ensures the reliability of computer data
Safeguards personal information
Computer Fraud
Computer fraud refers to the intentional act of using technology
to deceive or manipulate computer systems, networks, or digital
information for personal gain
Examples of computer fraud
Data breaches
Cryptocurrency scams
Deepfakes
Phishing
Ransomware Attacks
Insider threats
Fake anti-virus software
Fair Use
"Fair use" allows the use of copyrighted material under certain
circumstances without obtaining permission from or paying fees
to the copyright owner.
Four factors of fair use
These are factors considered in determining whether a
particular use of copyrighted material qualifies as fair use. They
include:
The nature of copyrighted work
The purpose and character of the use
The amount and sustainability of the portion used
The effect of the use on the market of the original work
Ethical Aspects in fair use
Respecting creators
Acknowledging the original work and its creators
Computing challenges of fair use
Ease of copying and sharing online resources raises questions
about fair use in the context like uploading movie clips or
sharing code snippets
Developing systems that can automatically recognize and asses
fair use in digital content can be challenging
System Use Policies and
Monitoring
These are measures that help an organization
establish guidelines for the appropriate use of
computer systems and ensure compliance with
laws and ethical standards
System Use Policies
Security policies that outlines measures to safeguard
computer systems
Data handling policies ensures sensitive information os
treated responsibly
Bring your own device (BYOD) policy
Acceptable use of policies (AUP) which defines acceptable
behaviors related to computer systems, networks and
resources
Monitoring
Monitoring is regularly checking of computer systems for any
fishy behaviors
monitoring can be done through the following
Network monitoring
User activity monitoring
Logging and auditing
Deploying Intrusion detection systems in the network
Risks of Computer based
Systems
Data breaches
Privacy violations
System Errors and Failures
Misuse and abuse of systems for malicious
purpose
Liabilities of Computer Based
Systems
Civil and Criminal Penalties
Reputational damage to the organization if their data
has been leaked
Contractual damage
Individual Liability: Individuals responsible for security
and privacy violations might cause personal liabillity
Accountability, Responsibility
and Liability
Accountability: This is being answerable for ones actions.
Responsibility: It’s having an obligation to do something or answer for
its consequences. It emphasizes having a duty or obligation to act a
certain way.
In this case, individuals has responsibility to use technology ethically
following policies and laws
Liability: It’s being legally obligated to compensate someone for harm
caused by your actions or negligence.
Organizations can be liable for a data breach or financial loss
