Computer Fraud and Abuse Act - Criminal Offenses Under The Act

Criminal Offenses Under The Act

1. Knowingly accessing a computer without authorization in order to obtain national security data
2. Intentionally accessing a computer without authorization to obtain:
   • Information contained in a financial record of a financial institution, or contained in a file of a consumer reporting agency on a consumer;
   • Information from any department or agency of the United States; or
   • Information from any protected computer.
3. Intentionally accessing without authorization a government computer and affecting the use of the government's operation of the computer.
4. Knowingly accessing a protected computer with the intent to defraud and there by obtaining anything of value.
5. Knowingly causing the transmission of a program, information, code, or command that causes damage or intentionally accessing a computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage that results in:
   • Loss to one or more persons during any one-year period aggregating at least $5,000 in value.
   • The modification or impairment, or potential modification or impairment, of the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, or care of one or more individuals.
   • Physical injury to any person.
   • A threat to public health or safety.
   • Damage affecting a government computer system
6. Knowingly and with the intent to defraud, trafficking in a password or similar information through which a computer may be accessed without authorization.
7. Making changes in any information on the computer systems of the USA with the intention of misleading or hiding certain information.

A detailed account of the various sections of 18 USC 1030 was written by Charles Doyle of the Congressional Research Service, and is available at the Federation of American Scientists website, below, under 'External Links'.