COMPUTER ABUSE PERPETRATORS AND VULNERABILITIES OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

• NCJ Number: 40385
• Author(s): D B PARKER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): MCS76-09183
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: Stanford Research Institute
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE REPORT PRESENTS A TYPOLOGY OF CRIMINAL COMPUTER ABUSERS, POINTS OUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS THAT FACILITATE ABUSE, AND SUGGESTS PREVENTIVE MEASURES THAT MAY BE TAKEN.

Abstract

ANALYSIS OF COMPUTER ABUSE EXPERIENCE IS VALUABLE IN THREAT AND RISK STUDIES PERFORMED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE SAFEGUARDS IN COMPUTER USE. A PROFILE OF COMPUTER ABUSE PERPETRATORS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED ON THE BASIS OF INTERVIEWS WITH 17 OFFENDERS INVOLVED IN A TOTAL OF 15 CASES. COMMON CHARACTERISTICS, OCCUPATIONS, AND MODUS OPERANDI ARE DOCUMENTED AND ANALYZED. COMPUTER SYSTEMS' AND USER ORGANIZATIONS' VULNERABILITIES THAT FACILITATED PERPETRATORS' ACTIONS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED, BASED ON STUDY OF 375 REPORTED CASES OF ABUSE. EIGHT MAIN VULNERABLE FUNCTIONS AND NINE MAIN VULNERABLE FUNCTIONAL LOCATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED AND RANKED BY INCIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE. EACH VULNERABILITY IS DESCRIBED BY EXAMPLES IN THE FORMS OF BRIEF CASE DESCRIPTION. FINALLY, PRIORITIES FOR SAFEGUARDS ARE DEDUCED FROM THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY. TABLES AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING EXAMPLES FROM THE CASE FILES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)