DOJ Press Release, S. 974?

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

   It is not obvious that this refers to S. 974 but seems
   to be the press release John Noble cites on Cyberia-L.
   Did anyone see news reports on this?

   
   URL: gopher://justice2.usdoj.gov/00/press/previous/
   June95/370.txt


   For Immediate Release                                     
   AG
   Thursday, June 29, 1995
   (202) 616-2777
   TDD (202) 514-1888


                Administration, Congress Introduce
                  New Computer Crime Legislation

   Washington, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno today
   announced that the Clinton Administration, along with
   Senators John Kyl, Patrick Leahy, and Charles Grassley has
   introduced legislation dramatically increasing federal
   protections of data confidentiality.  Current law protects
   the confidentiality of financial information.  Today's
   legislation would protect all government data against
   access without permission, as well as criminalizing access
   by government employees who exceed their authority to gain
   access to government data.

   "As technology advances, computer crime has grown," said
   Reno. "We have to ensure that the law keeps up with
   changing times."

   With the phenomenal growth of legitimate computer use has
   come a similar growth in computer crime and the problem of
   "hackers" who break into computer networks without
   authority to steal information or damage computer systems. 
   In addition to penetrating telephone networks to disrupt
   phone service and wiretap calls, many hackers attack
   government and private computers to steal valuable
   information.

   According to the Computer Emergency Response Team at
   Carnegie Mellon University, during the past four years, the
   number of reported intrusions on the Internet has increased
   498 percent, and the number of computer sites affected has
   increased 702 percent.

   "Computer crime is fast becoming everyone's problem," said
   Reno. "I'm encouraged that this bill is off to a bipartisan
   start, and I hope Congress will move quickly to enact it."

   The new Act provides three new tools to address this
   problem:

   +  More computers would be protected by federal law.  Under
      the new law, a "protected computer" would be defined as
      any government computer, financial institution computer,
      or any other computer used in interstate or foreign
      commerce or communications.  Under current law,
      computers are not adequately protected from foreign
      hackers, and no federal jurisdiction can be obtained
      when the hacker's and the victim's computers are located
      in the same state.

   +  Under the new law, all government data would be
      protected, and the federal government could prosecute
      individuals who access government data for their own
      use.  Additionally, private data would be protected when
      hackers steal information from computers located across
      state or national borders. Currently, only financial
      data and classified information are strictly protected
      from improper access.

   +  The integrity and availability of data would be better
      protected under the new law because it ensures that all
      hackers are punished adequately.  Current law provides
      penalties for intentional damage, but hackers who
      recklessly or accidently damage information or systems
      face little or no penalties.

                                ###

   95-370

[End press release]