The Computer Fraud And Abuse Act (CFAA)

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The foundation of computer crimes lies with The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1986, 18 U.S.C. 1030. According to Easttom and Taylor (2011), the CFAA was a federal act which provided protection of computer systems that were part of a federal entity or financial-institution. Over time and through a series of congressional hearings, lawmakers have amended and tailored language in a manner to protect the government's interest in computer crimes while striking a balance with the ability of the states to mount their own initiative in a state's prosecution (Department of Justice, n.d.).

Congress has continued to amend the CFAA just as cyber crimes continue to take advantage of the evolution of the computer and cyber communications.

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