Only a quick look
Tariq works on a college help desk. He sees a teacher type a password. Later he thinks: "I will only look at the exam marks. I will not change anything."
No file is changed. No harm is done. Is it a crime? In the UK, yes, it can be.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can match an action to the offence in the Computer Misuse Act that it breaks.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Offence | an act that breaks the law |
| Unauthorised | done without permission |
| Access | getting into a system or its data |
| Malware | software made to harm a computer or steal data |
| Denial of service | flooding a site so nobody can use it |
| Personal data | information about a living person who can be named or found |
| Criminal record | a police note of a crime that can stay for years |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter: last lesson
Have a go
Starter: last lesson
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The Act asks about permission
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 is the UK law against attacking computers and data. It does not ask if you caused damage. It asks if you had permission, and what you meant to do.
So the same act can be a job or a crime. A tester with a signed contract is legal. The same person with no permission is not.
The types of crime in the Act
| Offence | In plain words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorised access (section 1) | Getting into a system or data with no permission | Using a teacher's password to read marks |
| Access to commit another crime (section 2) | Getting in so you can do something else illegal | Logging in to a bank account to steal |
| Unauthorised acts that harm a system (section 3) | Changing, deleting or blocking systems or data | Sending malware. Flooding a site so nobody can use it |
| Serious damage (section 3ZA) | Acts that seriously harm health, safety, the economy or the country | An attack that stops a hospital system |
| Making tools to commit offences (section 3A) | Making, supplying or getting tools for these crimes | Selling a program built to crack passwords |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Scenario: crime or not?
Have a go
Scenario: crime or not?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.