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The widespread use of computers has led to new types of crime. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 attempts to discourage people from using computers for illegal purposes. There are three separate parts to the Act:

• It is illegal to access data stored on a computer unless you have permission to do so. Unauthorised access is often referred to as hacking.
• It is illegal to access data on a computer when that material will be used to commit further illegal activity, such as fraud or blackmail.
• It is illegal to make changes to any data stored on a computer when the user does not have permission to do so. If you access and change the contents of someone’s files without their permission, you are breaking the law. This includes installing a virus or other malware that damages or changes the way the computer works.

Punishment for breaking this law includes unlimited fines, several years in prison or both depending on the how severe the offence is.

However, one key part of the law is that intent must be proved. If a computer is not well protected, someone could accidentally access its data without meaning to. They might also accidentally change a document without realising it. For anyone to be found guilty, it has to be shown that they intentionally accessed and changed data.