Federal Computer Crimes List

Federal Computer Crimes List

by Susan Basko, esq.

See also: Federal Computer Crimes, more info

Below is a partial list of U.S. Federal Computer Crimes and the sections in the Federal code that pertain to them.   The laws given are the actual sections under which the Federal prosecutors charge and prosecute computer crimes.  In addition, there are Internet Hate Crimes, which come under Civil Rights laws.  Hate crimes are acts based on a person's race or religion.  There are also federal laws against internet gambling, and sales of drugs or alcohol on the internet.

In addition to federal crimes, most states have computer crimes laws, especially laws against harassing or cyberstalking.   The laws that apply are the ones where the perpetrator is located, where the victim is located, or where a company is located if a website or service is involved.

The CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act) refers to a "protected computer."  In 2008, the CFAA was changed to include any computer connected to the internet as a "protected computer."

I will cover some of these laws in-depth in upcoming blog posts.  If you want to know about a certain one, please send an email.    YES - There are a lot of computer laws!

FEDERAL COMPUTER CRIMES and
 the sections under which they are prosecuted:

Denial of Service Attacks  (DDoS, Tango Down): 
18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A)

(transmission of program,
information, code, or command,
resulting in damage)

18 U.S.C. § 1362 (interfering with
government communication systems)

Obscenity:

47 U.S.C. § 223(a)(1)(A) (using

telecommunications device to

make, create, or solicit, and transmit

any obscene comment, request,

suggestion, proposal, image, or other

communication)

18 U.S.C. § 1465 (using interactive

computer service for purpose of sale

or distribution of obscene material)

Electronic Threats:

18 U.S.C. § 875 (transmitting

communications containing threats of

kidnap or bodily injury) (Hobbs Act)

18 U.S.C. § 1951 (interfering with

commerce by robbery, extortion, threats or violence) (Hobbs Act)

47 U.S.C. § 223 (a)(1) (C) (anonymously using

telecommunications device to threaten person who receives

communication)

Electronic Harassment:

47 U.S.C. § 223 (a)(1)

(C) (anonymously using

telecommunications device to harass person who receives communication)

47 U.S.C. § 223(a)(1)(E) (repeatedly

initiates communication with a

telecommunication device solely

to harass person who receives

communication)

 

Cyberstalking: (see also Electronic Harassment)

18 U.S.C. § 2261A (using any facility

of interstate or foreign commerce

to engage in a course of conduct that places person in reasonable

fear of death or serious bodily

injury to person, person's spouse or

immediate family)

Interception of Electronic Communications (hacking emails or voicemail):

18 U.S.C. § 2511 (intercepting

electronic communications)

18 U.S.C. § 2701 (accessing stored

communications)

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2) (accessing a

computer and obtaining information

Substitution or Redirection of a website:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A)

(i) (transmission of program,

information, code, or command,

resulting in damage)

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A)(ii)-(iii)

(accessing a computer without

authorization, resulting in damage)

Password Fraud:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(6) (trafficking in

computer passwords)

18 U.S.C. § 1029 (access device

fraud)

18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)

Child Pornography, Child Luring, etc:

18 U.S.C. §§ 2251, 2252, 2252A

(sexual exploitation of children)

18 U.S.C. § 2423 (transportation

of minors or travel with intent to

engage in illicit sexual conduct)

18 U.S.C. § 1466A (obscene visual

representations of the sexual abuse

of children)

Disclosure of Private Information:

18 U.S.C. § 2511(1)(c) (disclosing

intercepted communications)

Spam:

18 U.S.C. § 1037 (CAN-SPAM Act)  

Spoofing Email Address:

18 U.S.C. § 1037 (CAN-SPAM Act)

Credit Card Fraud:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2)(A) (accessing a

computer and obtaining information

from a financial institution, card

issuer or consumer reporting

agency)

18 U.S.C. § 1029 (access device

fraud)

15 U.S.C. § 1644 (credit card fraud

aggregating at least $1,000)

18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)

Use of Misleading Domain Name:

18 U.S.C. § 2252B (using misleading

domain name with intent to deceive

a person into viewing obscene

material or with intent to deceive a minor into viewing harmful material)

Extortion:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(7) (transmitting,

with intent to extort, communication

containing threat to cause damage)

18 U.S.C. § 875(b), (d) (transmitting,

with intent to extort, threat to

kidnap or harm a person, or threat

to injure a person's property or harm

a reputation) (Hobbs Act)

18 U.S.C. § 1951 (interfering with

commerce by robbery, extortion,

threats or violence)

Piracy and Intellectual Property Theft:  

17 U.S.C. §§ 1201-1205 (Digital

Millennium Copyright Act)

18 U.S.C. § 545 (smuggling goods into

the United States)

18 U.S.C. §§ 1831, 1832 (theft of

trade secrets)

18 U.S.C. § 2318 (trafficking in

counterfeit labels)

17 U.S.C. § 506 and 18 U.S.C. § 2319

(criminal copyright infringement)

18 U.S.C. § 2319A (trafficking

in recordings of live musical

performances)

18 U.S.C. § 2320 (trafficking in

counterfeit goods or services)

47 U.S.C. § 553 (unauthorized

reception of cable service)

18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)

Internet Fraud (e.g.,  auction fraud or phishing:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(4) (accessing

a computer to defraud and obtain

something of value)

18 U.S.C. § 1028 (fraud in connection

with identification documents and

authentication features)

18 U.S.C. § 1028A (aggravated

identity theft)

18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)

18 U.S.C. §§ 1956, 1957 (money

laundering)

18 U.S.C. § 1001 (making false

statements in any matter within the

jurisdiction of the government)

15 U.S.C. § 45 (unfair or deceptive

trade practices)

15 U.S.C. § 52 (false advertising)

15 U.S.C. § 6821 (fraudulent access

to financial information)

Espionage:

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(1) (accessing

a computer and obtaining national

security information)

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2) (accessing a

computer and obtaining information

from any department or agency of

the United States)

18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(3) (accessing a

nonpublic United States government

computer)

18 U.S.C. § 793 (gathering,

transmitting or losing defense

information)

18 U.S.C. § 798 (disclosing classified

information)