Computer Fraud And Abuse Act (1980)

Cybercrime is a growing problem due to the advancing technologies. These network crimes have arisen because of various reasons. The origins of cybercrime are believed to be found in a practical joke a kid played on his friends. The joker, Richard Skrenta, started the hacking trend by giving altered video games to his friends. These games would display humorous messages on the computer before allowing the game to be played. The joke is thought to be the earliest form of a computer virus to infect a computer in the public. He then allowed his joke to infect each computer that copied files using an infected disc, to a new disc creating a widespread problem (Netzley 17). The first law to be passed pertaining to computer crime is the Computer Fraud

Many people believe that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act passed in the 1980s is an unclear and old law that does not match the modern day computer world. People who believe cybercrime is a small problem say that the law’s broadness allows prosecutors to utilize the broadness of the law to harshly attack hackers who were using their hacking skills for the greater good. The hackers have caused little harm in these people's eyes and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act should be amended to be less strict. The supporters of this viewpoint maintain that cybercrime is a small problem and believe the law should be changed to impose penalties and to make make those penalties more reasonable to punishing the crimes committed (“Cybercrime”). Cybercrime is a considerable problem that could get out of hand. With that said, the mindset toward cybercrime is not good, because cybercrime continues to become a more intricate problem. This problem has the potential to upset many people and nations around the

This case shows the evolution of laws pertaining to cybercrime. There was a doctor who prescribed drugs over the Internet for a patient living in California. The controversy concerned whether or not he could do this without having a California license. In the end, the court decided that it was illegal to do this. The result of this court decision was that it created a national law outlining the legal limits of prescribing drugs over the Internet (Christian Ellis Hageseth v. The Superior Court of San Mateo). This restriction shows how we can prevent cybercrimes