Computer Crimes
Computer crime is any illegal act which involves a computer system whether
the
computer is an object of a crime, an instrument used to commit a crime or
a
repository of evidence related to a crime. Telecommunication crime is
the
fraudulent use of any telephone, microwave, satellite or
other
telecommunications system. Many telecommunications systems themselves
are
computers and therefore in some instances, offences against a
telecommunication
system can also be considered a computer crime. Computers
and telecommunications
have become a critical part of the daily lives of
Canadians, and criminals have
also been able to take advantage of this
technology. The Royal Canadian Mounted
Police is responsible for the
investigation of all computer crime offences
within its jurisdiction. It also
investigates such crimes where the Government
of Canada is the victim,
regardless of primary jurisdiction. In addition, the
RCMP can investigate
offences involving organized crime or offences related to
the national
interests of
Canada.
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RCMP
Support Staff There are RCMP Commercial Crime Sections is every major city
in
Canada. Each one of these units has at least one investigator who
has
received specialized training in the investigation of computer crimes.
These
investigators are supported by the RCMP Computer Investigative Support
Unit (CISU)
located at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa. CISU can provide
technical guidance and
expertise to all Canadian police departments and
federal government agencies in
relation to computer and telecommunication
crime investigation. Types of Crime
In Canada today, the main types of
computer and telecommunication crime are
unauthorized access to computers
(hacking), mischief to data, theft of
telecommunications, and copyright
violations of software (illegal copying and
distribution of software). In
addition, computers are commonly found in many
other types of investigations
and these systems must be examined for evidence.
Types of crime where
computer evidence has been located include murder, fraud,
stock market
manipulation, pornography, proceeds of crime, and drug importation.
The
term computer "hackerˇ± refers to an individual who, via a modem or
some
other computer communications device, circumvents computer security
and
breaks into a computer system. "Hacking" could be roughly equated to
a
break and enter. A "hacker" can steal data, sabotage information, or
do
nothing but browse. The Scope of the Problem Owing to the technical nature
of
computer and telecommunication crime, law enforcement personnel must be
properly
trained to conduct such investigations. The Canadian Police College
offers three
different computer crime courses covering everything from search
and seizure of
computer systems to examination of computers for evidence.
These courses are
available to any police agency in Canada as well as to some
foreign
investigative agencies. Computer and telecommunication crime is a
global
problem. Offences can transcend national boundaries and very often do.
For this
reason, the RCMP maintains contact with computer crime investigators
around the
world including investigators in the United States and Great
Britain. Statistics
on computer crime and telecommunications crime are
difficult to accumulate
primarily due to reluctance on the part of victims to
report such crime and the
many different jurisdictions in Canada. However,
with growing economic losses to
victims, more crimes are being reported to
police. Recent losses in relation to
telecommunications crimes have been very
large. Some computer criminals operate
on an international scale and in an
organized fashion. These criminals can route
their activities through
countries where jurisdictional processes and legal
problems can make
investigation difficult.