computer crime

American  

noun

1. unauthorized use of a computer for personal gain, as in the illegal transfer of funds or to alter the data or property of others.

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Other Word Forms

• computer criminal noun

Etymology

Origin of computer crime

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Police arrested the pair on charges of violating the country's computer crime law last month after raiding their homes.

From Barron's

Computer crime experts have noted that the statute Bonta invoked primarily focused on hacking and illegal access to computer systems, not the type of behavior Teran was accused of.

From Los Angeles Times

It is responsible for representing the United States in federal court in all criminal prosecutions, including public corruption, fraud, money laundering, narcotics, computer crime, and racketeering, as well as in extraordinarily complex matters, some criminal and some civil, involving consumer protection, immigration, national security, tax, environmental issues, civil rights, and antitrust policy.

From Slate

She was also convicted under the Computer Crime Act, whose broad provisions covering online activities have been criticized as a threat to freedom of expression.

From Seattle Times

The warrant for the computer crime, signed when Hemingway was in New Jersey, stems from allegations he misused a police database 80 times.

From Seattle Times