Computer Crime Prevention Measures

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Please see response attached, which is also presented below. I hope this helps and take care.

RESPONSE:

1. Description of some of the computer crime prevention measures the government agencies and private corporations are taking. Explain which ones you think are most effective and why?

Tim McCollum flatly stated in Nation's Business, "companies increasingly are falling prey to hackers, computer thieves, software viruses, and, in particular, unauthorized and often illegal activities by their own employees. In fact, chances are that sooner or later most companies will become victims of high-tech crime ...[and] when computer criminals strike, small-business victims can suffer relatively more than large corporations, whose bottom lines are more resistant to damage from any single theft of equipment or information." http://www.answers.com/topic/computer-crime

The government also has laws in place.

1. Computer crime legislation is one way to prevent computer crime.

For example, the Computer Misuse Act (1990) is the only legislation that explicitly and solely focuses on computer crime. The act created three offences: unauthorized access to computer material; unauthorized access to a computer system with intent to commit or facilitate further offences; and unauthorized modification of computer material. The Data Protection Act (1998) requires personal data held by organizations to be stored securely. Section 55 of the act includes the offence of unlawful gathering of personal data, including information stored on computers. In the 2006 'What Price Privacy?' report, the Information Commissioner called for sentences for this offence to include imprisonment. (2)

In a News Release, however, Senior Leahy (1997) reported that targeting cyber-crime with up-to-date criminal laws and tougher law enforcement is only part of the solution. While criminal penalties may deter some computer criminals, these laws usually come into play too late, after the crime has been committed and the injury inflicted. We should keep in mind the old adage that "the best defense is a good ...