Cybercrime is a crime that involves computers, computer networks, other electronic devices, or the internet. The term "cybercrime" includes crimes such as unauthorized computer access, illegal computer interception, illegal network intrusions, denial of service attacks, and more apparent crimes committed with computers.
Cyber crimes are crimes that can be committed through the use of computer networks and devices, such as the computer or network itself. Often, the criminals target the actual computer or the network as a way to commit these crimes (such as phishing and pharming scams, corporate espionage, embezzlement, cyber terrorism, and child pornography trafficking).
To commit a crime under the California computer crimes law (Penal Code 502 PC), one must act with a specific purpose. For example, an individual who accesses personal information in a file on a computer without authorization and shares that information with another person may be liable for violating the law. However, if the particular person accessed the information and, by mistake or accident, sent it to another person, they will not be guilty.
A criminal offense in which a computer is used to commit a crime. For example, using a computer to break into a computer network.
