NCJ Number
182926
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 109-112
Date Published
April 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes types of computer crime, preventive measures, and law enforcement training required to investigate such crimes.
Abstract
Three types of computer crime concern both private and public entities: when the computer system becomes the victim, such as in the classic "hacker" scenario; when the computer is the instrumentality of the crime, such as with counterfeit checks; and when the computer is the repository of the crime and contains evidence. In both preventing and investigating such crimes, it is important that the public agency responsible for investigating such crimes and the victim of such crimes develop a cooperative interaction. Unfortunately, the general perception that permeates all parties in computer-related crime is that the other side is not aware of their concerns and responsibilities. Private companies that have been victimized worry about the impact of public disclosure of a costly crime or the exposure of a security breach or vulnerability. Companies that have been victimized must believe that law enforcement agencies want to help rather than harm the company, and law enforcement agencies must respect a company's objective of protecting assets and data. Both groups clearly want the criminal activity to cease and to prevent associated harm to the company. This article includes a discussion of how the public-private partnership can assist in preventing overly intrusive investigations and in training both public and private security officers in the prevention and investigation of computer-related crimes.