Computer+Misuse+Act+1990

This is a law in the UK that makes activities, illegal, such as, hacking into another persons computer, misusing software, or helping a person to gain access to protected files on someones computer.

The bill forbids:
 * 1) Unauthorised access to computer material, punishable by 6 months' imprisonment or a fine "not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale" (currently £5000);
 * 2) Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences, punishable by 6 months/maximum fine on summary conviction or 5 years/fine on indictment;
 * 3) Unauthorised modification of computer material, subject to the same sentences as section 2 offences.

The first section of the act states that a person cannot use someone else's identity to access a computer, run a programme or obtain any data, even without personal gain involved. You are not allowed to to change, copy, delete or move a program.

The second forbids you to gain access to a computer system in order to commit or facilitate a crime. You are not allowed to use someone else’s system to send material that might be offensive or to start worms or viruses. You also can’t give someone your identification so they can use your computer for this purpose. This second part means that you would be facilitating someone else’s intent or crime.

The third means you cannot delete, change or corrupt data. You are not allowed to put viruses on to someone else's computer.

Offences 2–3 are intended to deter the more serious criminals from using a computer to assist in the commission of a criminal offence or from impairing or hindering access to data stored in a computer. The basic offence is to attempt or achieve access to a computer or the data it stores, by inducing a computer to perform any function with intent to secure access. Hackers that program their computers to search through password permutations are therefore liable, even though all their attempts to log on are rejected by the target computer. The only precondition to liability is that the hacker should be aware that the access attempted is unauthorized. Thus, using another person's username or identifier (ID) and password without proper authority to access data or a program, or to alter, delete, copy or move a program or data, or simply to output a program or data to a screen or printer, or to impersonate that other person using e-mail, online chat, web or other services, constitute the offence.

The Computer Misuse Act was developed and passed into law in 1990.