Computer Hacking: A Global Offense
Robert J. Sciglimpaglia · Pace international law review · 1991
An example of theft of computer time is when an employee uses a company computer to store personal data.See A. BEQUAI, HOW TO PREVENT COMPUTER CRIME 20 (1983).Software piracy is the illegal copying of computer programs for sale or personal use.This concerns the copyright aspects of computer crime.See Brown, International Trends in Computer Program Protection, 3 COMPUTER L. & PRAC.157 (1987).Computer hacking is characterized as a computer crime, as well as a white-collar crime.See generally L. SIEGAL, CRIMINOLOGY 369-71 (2d.ed.1986).Siegal defines whitecollar crime as "the illegal activities of people and institutions whose acknowledged purpose is profit and gain through legitimate business transactions."Id. at 367.This definition would encompass thefts of money by computerized transfers, computer time (i.e., Lexis and Westlaw), and computer data.See Note, Who is Calling Your Computer Next? Hacker!, 8 CRIM.JUST.J. 89, 92 (1985) (authored by Diana Smith).White-collar crime has also been defined as "any illegal act characterized by deceit and concealment and not dependent on the direct application of physical force." A. BE-QUAI, COMPUTER CRIME 1 (1976).[hereinafter COMPUTER CRIME].This definition would encompass the unauthorized access component of hacking because the hacker does not physically confront his victims; he gains illegal access via telephone lines.See also D.