NCJ Number
53597
Journal
Assets Protection Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1978) Pages: 16-19
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THREAT ANALYSIS IS VIEWED AS A TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATING THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM FRAUD AND AS A COMPUTER CRIME INVESTIGATION TOOL, AND THE EXTENT OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES ARE DEFINED AS ILLEGAL ACTS OR A SERIES OF ILLEGAL ACTS COMMITTED BY NONPHYSICAL MEANS AND BY CONCEALMENT OR GUILE TO OBTAIN MONEY OR PROPERTY, TO AVOID THE PAYMENT OR LOSS OF MONEY OR PROPERTY, OR TO OBTAIN BUSINESS OR PERSONAL ADVANTAGE. COMPUTER CRIME USUALLY IS CLASSIFIED AS A WHITE-COLLAR CRIME. COMMON TYPES OF COMPUTER CRIME ARE EMBEZZLEMENT, CONSPIRACY, ESPIONAGE, EXTORTION, FRAUD, LARCENY, SABOTAGE, THEFT, AND WIRETAPPING. FINANCIAL LOSSES FROM COMPUTER CRIMES ARE USUALLY GREATER THAN FROM NONCOMPUTER-RELATED WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES. THE AVERAGE BANK ROBBERY NETS $9,000, WHILE THE AVERAGE EMBEZZLEMENT NETS $19,000. THE AVERAGE COMPUTER CRIME NETS $450,000. COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE VULNERABLE TO THREATS FROM THE FOLLOWING GENERAL AREAS: PERSONNEL, CENTRAL PROCESSING UNITS, STORAGE DEVICES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND COMPUTER SYSTEM INPUTS AND OUTPUTS. A THREAT EVALUATION REFERENCE TABLE IS PRESENTED THAT CAN BE USED AS A TOOL TO EVALUATE THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM THREATS AND AS A COMPUTER CRIME INVESTIGATIVE AID. THE TABLE IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES (THREAT, CAUSE, POSSIBLE EFFECT, AND OTHER EFFECTS AND COMMENTS). THE USE OF THE TABLE TO EVALUATE COMPUTER SYSTEM THREATS AND TO INVESTIGATE COMPUTER-RELATED CRIME IS EXPLAINED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)