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Computers: The Changing Face of Criminality

NCJ Number
173511
Author(s)
A J Katz
Date Published
1995
Length
140 pages
Annotation
This national study examines the nature and extent of computer-related crime in American businesses.
Abstract
Corporate security directors selected from the membership of the American Society for Industrial Security were surveyed regarding trends in computer crime, types of information stolen or tampered with, methodologies of computer-related losses, perpetrators, and security measures used to prevent further victimization. Nearly all (98.6 percent) of the respondents reported that their companies had been victims of computer crime, 43.3 percent of them 25 or more times. The most common events were theft or attempted theft of confidential customer information, trade secrets, new product plans, or new product descriptions. Most thefts were committed by full-time employees, followed by part-time employees. Computer hackers did not show a statistically significant relationship with theft variables, but there was a strong trend inference that penetration by hackers was increasing. Tables, figure, references, bibliography, appendixes