vx.netlux.org/texts/laws/laws.htm: Links to antivirus laws of several states and countries. www.landfield.com/faqs/computer-virus/alt-faq/part3/: FAQ about alt.comp.virus. The question of distribution is an interesting topic that only concerns computer viruses. If you make a virus available on the Internet, but clearly mark it as such so that the people downloading the file know what they are getting into, can the distributor be held liable? The consensus is that if the case is flagged, it is unlikely that the person will be sued, although they can be sued for damages. The distributor could also be charged with “incitement” for encouraging illegal behavior. The spread of viruses through newsgroups and mailing lists is easier to track because these media effectively impose viruses on people who don`t know what they`re getting. In addition, there are unsuspecting victims who unknowingly spread viruses. At this point, it is not illegal to unknowingly transmit a virus unless it can be proven that the virus spread due to “negligence.” Although Mitnick claims he hacked with “ethics” — that he never stole, harmed, or profited from his practices — not all hackers adhere to these principles. And as computers become more common, so do hacking incidents and other computer crimes.

Computer crime, also known as cybercrime, includes activities such as hacking, creating and spreading viruses, tampering, stealing, and denying access. The calculations essentially opened the doors to a new era of law breaking. Due to technological advances, crimes that could not have happened ten years ago are being committed today, and traditional crimes are being facilitated. Michael A. Vatis, director of the National Information Infrastructure Protection Center, said, “Like it or not, cybercrime is the most fundamental challenge facing law enforcement in the 21st century. By its very nature, the cyber environment is borderless, easily offering anonymity and obfuscation methods to bad actors, and providing new tools for criminal activity. “The uniqueness of computer crime has sparked debate among law enforcement experts. Some believe that cybercrime is just a conventional crime committed with high-tech equipment. However, others argue that cybercrime is an entirely new phenomenon that, to be combated effectively, requires new law enforcement techniques and legislation.

The history of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act illustrates the complexity of cybercrime legislation. The first person charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act was Robert T. Morris Jr., author of the first computer virus. Morris was accused of releasing a “worm” that Morris said inadvertently damaged numerous government and university computers. The legal language used in this case was directed at someone who: So what is being done to improve the situation? In April 2000, the Council of Europe, an organisation dedicated to strengthening human rights and promoting democracy and the rule of law in Europe, published its draft Convention on Cybercrime. This is the first multi-stakeholder attempt to address the problems arising from the spread of crime in computer networks. Former President Clinton also established an interagency task force on illicit conduct on the Internet. The group, chaired by the Attorney General, was created to provide initial analysis of the legal and policy issues surrounding Internet abuse. There seems to be a common theme between these national and international policy options; Both involve cooperation between many different people, agencies and governments. Cybercrime is a problem that transcends all borders and borders, as are the law enforcement tools that are used to combat it. As is obvious, the legal implications of computer viruses are not clearly defined.

Computer virus laws change from state to state and country to country. In many countries, writing viruses is not a crime in itself. In other cases, even exchanging virus code between antivirus researchers could potentially be considered a criminal offense. To complicate matters further, after the release of a virus, it is free to cross state and national borders, making the author or distributor of the virus responsible for his actions in a completely different legal system. A list of antivirus and cybercrime laws available in U.S. states and other countries can be found vx.netlux.org/texts/laws/laws.htm. The alt.comp.virus newsgroup provides the following list of reasons why the creation or distribution of viruses may be considered illegal: Unauthorized access – You may have gained unauthorized access to a computer that you have never seen before if you are responsible for spreading a virus that infects that computer.