Computer Misuse Act

UK law passed in 1990 that makes it illegal to hack into computers (see hacking). The Act introduced three new offences: unauthorized access to computer material (for example out of curiosity), unauthorized access with intent to facilitate the commission of a crime (for example fraud or blackmail), and unauthorized modification of computer material (for example to introduce a virus). The first prosecution under the Act was that of British hacker Paul Bedworth, who in 1993 was acquitted on the grounds that he was addicted to computing.