Cyber-crime the US experience

Abstract

While the US authorities will occasionally charge a student or computer consultant with hacking or infecting a public or private computer system with a virus, both police officials and private security professionals concur that few of these cases ever result in a prosecution. In fact, the chances of being prosecuted for hacking in the US are 1 in 10 000; the likelihood of going to prison even less. In the current US environment, the odds favour the hacker and not the authorities.

However, it would be a mistake to think that this state of affairs will continue unabated. Both the US Congress and the state legislatures are studying legislation that provides for tougher sanctions against hackers and other trespassers. But while such efforts continue, here are some insights into the current status of cyber-crime in America.