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What is the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)? | UpGuard

The U.S. Federal Government passed the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C.§1030) (CFAA) in 1986 as an amendment to the https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/comprehensive-crime-control-act-1984-0, which included the first federal computer crime statute. Since enacting the CFAA, congress and the federal government have amended the act multiple times to extend its reach and impose criminal and civil liability on additional malicious computer activities.

When the federal government first enacted the CFAA, the act primarily criminalized the intentional use of a protected computer without authorized access.

As previously stated, the CFAA governs the activities of any computer connected to the internet and non-network computers that the federal government uses.

The Supreme Court ruled that the CFAA defines “exceeds authorized access” as accessing protected information and portions of the computer system that are off-limits.