NCJ Number
178205
Journal
Crime and Justice International Volume: 15 Issue: 29 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 9-32
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Some recent attempts to break into the Pentagon's computer networks have been traced to Russia, demonstrating both that this new transnational crime will proliferate and that Russia is like other countries in being subject to this type of crime.
Abstract
The illegal activities on the World Wide Web include breaking into computer networks, destruction or alteration of computer data, proliferation of virus programs, dissemination of illegal or unauthorized materials, and other actions. Russia's computer-based communication system is military in its origin; the country's overall computerization level is low. However, the knowledge of computers and programming is present due to the outstanding education system of the former Soviet Union. Some computer experts who have lost jobs due to the reductions in the Russian military-industrial complex are looking for opportunities for making money or becoming involved in computer-cracking endeavors. The main legal basis for criminal prosecution of cyber crime in Russia involves the three articles of Chapter 28 of the Russian Criminal Code (1996), which took effect in January 1997. jurisprudence is in only the initial stages of development. The Federal Security Service (FSB), which is the main successor to the KGB, has official responsibility for addressing cyber crimes. It usually works with departments of the Ministry of the Interior. One controversial proposal is to enable the FSB to monitor any Russian computer terminal that contacts the Internet. Russia's current underdevelopment in the area of computers is likely to change and underscores the need for international cooperation in laws and practice related to addressing cyber crime. Illustrations