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Cybercrime is a more accurate definition than computer crime. It
evolved after the term “cyberspace” was made popular by the media. Although
it did not fully define cybercrime, the Council of Europe discussed this issue
and began developing a common language for dealing with such criminal
activities. Throughout the documents from the Council of Europe, the terms
“computer-related crime,” “cyber-space offenses,” and cybercrime are used
interchangeably. Representatives noted
The integration of telecommunication and information systems,
enabling the storage and transmission, regardless of distance, of all
kinds of communication, opens a whole range of new possibilities.
These developments were boosted by the emergence of information
super-highways and networks, including the Internet, through which
virtually anybody will be able to have access to any electronic
information service irrespective of where in the world he is located. By
connecting to communication and information services users create a
kind of common space, called ‘cyber space’. 541
The Council went on to define “cyber-space offenses” as those offenses
committed against the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of computer
systems and telecommunications networks. Examples include illegal money
transactions, offering illegal services, violation of copyright, and issues that
violate human dignity and the protection of minors.
The US government has no formal definition for cybercrime or
computer crime. It does, however, have statutes that give examples (instead of
definitions) of what is punishable under US federal code. The US statutes will
be discussed in more detail later. What follows is a listing of types of
cybercrimes as defined by US federal code.
(1) Data Manipulation for Reasons of Theft, Fraud, or Sabotage
Computer data by its nature is very volatile. The data on a computer
system is stored electronically on some type of digital media. As the saying
goes, it is all 1s and 0s. The manipulation of that data and the ability to know
what has been changed depends on a variety of factors. Like other crimes, the
criminal has to have motive, access, and capability to commit the crime of data
manipulation. A disgruntled employee for a software company could install
code into a commercial software package to make the program unmanageable
at some point in the future and accomplish “date” manipulation. A bank worker
Formatted: Bulle
541 William Gibson, Neuromancer, 1984
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