5.1.2

Computer Misuse Act (1990)

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Computer Misuse Act (1990)

The Computer Misuse Act (1990) was introduced to protect against hacking and cybercrime. It consists of three offences:

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Unauthorised access

  • It is illegal to attempt to access a computer or its contents without authorisation.
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Unauthorised access with intent

  • It is illegal to attempt to access a network or device with the intent of committing further criminal activity.
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Unauthorised modification

  • It is illegal to intend to modify or destroy a computer system, software or data without authorisation.
  • For example, this makes creating, obtaining or deploying malware a criminal offence.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Procedurally

6.3Thinking Logically

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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