Computer crime can broadly be defined as criminal activity involving an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access

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AS and A Level ICT

In this day and age, computer security means to provide confidentiality, integrity and prevention against misuse, accidents and malfunctions, with respect to both computer system and the type of information that it contains. The definitions that I have chosen are:

“Computer Misuse Act 1990 “An Act to make provision for securing computer material against unauthorized access or modification; and for connected purposes”. It states 3 offenses.” [LexisNexis, 2008]

Convention on Cybercrime: “The Convention is the first international treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks, dealing particularly with infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child pornography and violations of network security. It also contains a series of powers and procedures such as the search of computer networks and interception.” [Convention on Cybercrime 2008]


Computer crime can broadly be defined as criminal activity involving an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access “Under the Convention, damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data without right comprises the 'data interference' offense which can be limited to conduct resulting in serious harm.” [LexisNexis, 2008]

The three definitions used, for explaining the term computer misuse are quite different from each other. All the definitions covers the whole aspect of computer misuse for example the first definition used, of ‘Computer Misuse Act’ is quite a narrow definition which states three offenses, other definition of ‘Cyber Crime’ involves everything that is to be covered on the internet from child pornography to infringements of copyrights etc. The last definition used, is ‘Computer Crime’ it is again  a very broad definition and covers things like virus, hacking, alteration and deletion of data etc. The examples of these definitions are listed below:
In England and Wales, under Computer Misuse Act, it is an offense to send any message, which involves some kind of thread, if it conveys the wrong message, if it intends to trick or deceive people or even if it is an offensive material. For example In the UK, “Gold and Schifreen hacked for a hobby and had managed to obtain the password for the ‘Prestel System’ operated by BT, which provided subscribers with both email facilities and access to number of database service.” (D.Rowland & E. Macdonald, 2005) so even they did not mean to do that but they tricked BT operates and as a result they were caught and a prosecution was bought under Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

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As stated above Computer Misuse Act states three offenses, the “provision of section 1,2 and 3 of the Computer Misuse Act, as now amended by the Police and Justice Act 2006, provide the major United Kingdom activity in the regard of illegal access involving hacking, virus and the misuse of devices.” (Ian J., Lloyd 2008). This act as a whole was purely introduced to prevent such mishaps such as above and also to prevent hacking, copyright infringements, theft or fraud, “interfering with or obstructing the lawful use of a computer, impeding or preventing access to or impairing the usefulness or ...

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Computer crime can broadly be defined as criminal activity involving an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access
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