NCJ Number
51086
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 45 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 24,26,28-29
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE INFILTRATION INTO THE COMPUTER FIELD BY ORGANIZED CRIME ELEMENTS, FACILITATED BY COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND INADEQUATE SECURITY MEASURES SURROUNDING THEM, IS ADDRESSED.
Abstract
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYS MORE THAN 10,000 COMPUTERS, PRIVATE INDUSTRY USES MORE THAN 80,000 COMPUTERS, AND MORE THAN 100,000 MINICOMPUTERS ARE IN USE. ALL THESE COMPUTERS ARE MANAGED BY APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION OPERATORS, PROGRAMMERS, AND TECHNICIANS. COMPUTERS GENERALLY ARE USED FOR ONE OF TWO FUNCTIONS, GENERAL (DIGITAL) OR SPECIAL (ANALOG). EIGHT CATEGORIES OF CRIME IN THE COMPUTER FIELD ARE NOTED: DATA CRIMES, THEFT OF SERVICES, PROPERTY-RELATED CRIMES, INDUSTRIAL SABOTAGE, POLITICALLY RELATED SABOTAGE, VANDALISM BY EMPLOYEES, CRIMES AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL, AND FINANCIALLY RELATED CRIMES. THEFT OF DATA OR DATA CRIMES USUALLY ATTRACT THE INTEREST OF ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES. THESE CRIMES TAKE THE FORM OF STEALING OR COPYING VALUABLE COMPUTER PROGRAMS. A LARGE INTERNATIONAL MARKET EXISTS FOR COMPUTERIZED DATA, AND SPECIALIZED FENCES PLAY A ROLE IN THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING MARKET. COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN USED BY EMPLOYEES TO RUN THEIR OWN PERSONAL BUSINESSES, AND MEMBERS OF ORGANIZED CRIME HAVE USED COMPANY COMPUTERS TO KEEP TRACK OF ILLEGAL INVESTMENTS. A GREAT INCREASE IN THE THEFT OF SERVICES INVOLVING COMPUTERS IS ANTICIPATED. POLITICALLY MOTIVATED SABOTAGE IS ON THE INCREASE WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NUMEROUS POLITICAL EXTREMIST GROUPS. COMPUTER PERSONNEL CAN BE EMPLOYED EASILY BY CRIMINAL GROUPS TO ATTACK OR MANIPULATE A PRIVATE OR GOVERNMENT COMPUTER. BETTER SECURITY IS RECOMMENDED THROUGH THE ISOLATION OF THE COMPUTER FACILITY FROM OTHER DIVISIONS WITHIN A FIRM OR GOVERNMENT AGENCY, THE IMMEDIATE REPORTING OF ERRORS IN A SYSTEM OR DATA TO RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS, AND THE PERIODIC REVIEW AND REVISION OF SECURITY MEASURES. (DEP)