COSC3360					12/2/1999

Major changes to 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

1. Name change:
   New name: The National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996

2. "Protected Computers" replaced "Federal Interest Computers"
    which now include:
	a. a computer exclusively for the use of a financial institution 
    	   or the United States Government, or in the case of a computer 
	   not exclusively for such use,  used by or for a financial 
	   institution or the United States Government and 
	   the conduct constituting the offense affects that use by or 
	   for the financial institution or the Government, or
	b. a computer which is used in interstate or foreign commerce 
	   or communications.

3. Provision of an additional offense: 1030(a)7

    Protection against the interstate or international transmission of 
    threats to cause damage to Protected Computer(s) with intent to 
    extort any money or anything of value from any
    body or any organization.

4. Narrowing the definition of the offense of illegally obtaining 
   national security information.
    1030(a)1
    It now requires: "willfully communicates, delivers, transmits, or caused to be communicated,
    delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be
    communicated, delivered, or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it
    or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or an employee of the
    United States entitled to receive it."

5. Extension of protection from unauthorized information access.  1030(a)2
    Now the protection is provided  not just for the financial institutions' information
    But also for that  from "Any United States Government department or agency and
    Also for that from any Protected computers if the conduct involved an interstate or
    Foreign  communications.

6. Narrowing the definition of Defrauding Protected computers.  1030(a)4
   Unauthorized use of a Protected computer must total at least 
   $5,000 for a year.