Cybercrime Defined
John T. Bandler, Antonia Merzon · 2020
This chapter is for: Law enforcement and the public sector to learn about criminal statutes applicable to cybercrime. Federal and state laws often overlap, which means many cybercrimes could be investigated by both state and federal authorities, and prosecution could occur in state or federal court. In some instances, however, one body of law has a more applicable or powerful statute addressing the criminal conduct, or one agency has better resources to handle the case. Federal law began directly addressing cybercrime in 1986, with the enactment of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The CFAA has been updated several times since its inception, adding new provisions to correspond with changes in technology and criminal activity. Identity theft is both a treasure and a tool in the world of cybercrime. Identity thieves use stolen identifying information to commit numerous forms of cyber fraud, like exploiting stolen identities to steal from victims’ financial accounts.