How to prevent computer misuse
The Computer Misuse Act (1990)
This was passed by Parliament and made three new offences:
- accessing computer material without permission, eg looking at someone else's files
- accessing computer material without permission with intent to commit further criminal offences, eg Gaining unauthorised access to a computer. into the bank's computer and wanting to increase the amount in your account
- altering computer Values, typically letters or numbers. without permission, eg writing a A small program written to cause harm to a computer. to destroy someone else's data, or actually changing the money in an account
Copyright law
This provides protection to the owners of the A set of rights that prevents people copying and distributing a piece of work without the copyright holder's permission. and covers the copying of written, musical, or film works using computers. A not-for-profit organisation, formed in 1984 by the software industry with the aim of eradicating software theft in the UK. is the industry body which is against software theft.
There have been cases where laws such as Copyright have been used to crack down on The act of sharing files over the internet. websites or individuals who store and illegally distribute copyrighted material, eg music. There is a massive problem with many people around the world obtaining copyrighted material illegally.
Close down chat rooms
Some Accessed on the internet, users can meet to chat in real-time, messages are typed out but voice chat rooms exist too. have been closed down due to abuses, especially where children are vulnerable. Some have An individual who vets messages posted on a message board. who help to prevent abuses. Advice about sensible use is important; especially to never give personal contact details or arrange meetings without extreme caution.
Reduce email spamming
This may be reduced by:
- never replying to anonymous Electronic mail. A method for sending messages and files to other people.
- setting filters on email accounts
- reporting spammers to Internet Service Provider - needed in order to access the internet. They also provide services such as web space and email., who are beginning to get together to blacklist email abusers
- governments passing laws to punish persistent spammers with heavy fines
Regular backups and security
Just making something illegal or setting up regulations does not stop it happening. Responsible computer users need to take reasonable steps to keep their data safe. This includes regular A copy of important files that is kept separately in case the original files are lost or damaged. and sufficient security with passwords.