1

COMPUTER-RELATED OFFENCES
A presentation at the Octopus Interface 2004 - Conference on the Challenge of
Cybercrime, 15-17 September 2004, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.

Stein Schjolberg
Chief judge
Moss tingrett
Norway
E-mail: steins@mosstingrett.no
www.cybercrimelaw.net
www.globalcourts.com

I. THE BACKGROUND

The first initiative on computer crime in Europe was the Council of Europe

Conference on Criminological Aspects of Economic Crime in Strasbourg in

1976.1 Categories of computer crime were introduced, including fraud.

The first comprehensive initiative on computer crime in the United States was a

staff study by the U.S. Senate Government Operations Committee in February

1977. This staff study addressed several problems associated with computer

programs, and recommended that legislation should be considered that would

prohibit unauthorized use of computers. The Chairman of this committee was

Senator Abe Ribicoff.2

Senator Ribicoff introduced the Ribikoff Bill later in 1977. This Bill was the

first proposal for Federal computer crime legislation in the U.S. that would
1
12th Conference of Directors of Criminological Research Institutes: Criminological Aspects of Economic
Crime, Strasbourg, 15-18 November 1976, page 225-229.
2
Staff Study of Computer Security in Federal Programs; Committee on Governmental Operations, the 95th
Congress 1 Session, United States Senate, February 1977
 2

specifically prohibit misuse of computers. The Bill S. 1766 (95th Congress) was

cited the “Federal Computer Systems Protection Act of 1977”.3 Senator

Ribikoff stated in his presentation, still valid today:

“Our committee investigation revealed that the Government has been hampered in its ability

to prosecute computer crime. The reason is that our laws, primarily as embodied in title 18,

have not kept current with the rapidly growing and changing computer technology.

Consequently, while prosecutors could, and often did, win convictions in crime by computer

cases, they were forced to base their charges on laws that were written for purposes other than

computer crime. Prosecutors are forced to “shoe horn” their cases into already existing laws,

when it is more appropriate for them to have a statute relating directly to computer abuses.”4

The Bill was not adopted, but this pioneer proposal became the model

legislation in state computer crime legislation in the United States and created

awareness all around the world.

Interpol was the first international organization addressing computer crime and

penal legislation5 in 1979. In conjunction with the Interpol Conference in 19816,

a survey of Interpol member countries on computer crime and penal legislation

identified several problems in the application of existing penal legislation.

The OECD in Paris appointed in 1983 an expert committee to discuss computer-

related crime and the need for changes in the Penal Codes. This committee made

a proposal that could constitute as a common denominator between the different

3
Congressional Records, 95th Congress, Vol. 123, No. 111, June 27, 1977
4
Congressional Records, 95th Congress, Vol. 123, No. 111
5
The Third Interpol Symposium on International Fraud, Saint-Cloud, Paris, France, December 11-13, 1979.
6
The First Interpol Training Seminar for Investigators of Computer Crime, Saint-Cloud, Paris, France,
December 7-11, 1981. The keynote speaker at the conference was Donn B. Parker, SRI International, USA, and
the “founder” of the combat against computer crime.
 3

approaches taken by the member countries, including fraud and forgery as

follows:7

“ a) the input, alteration, erasure and/or suppression of computer data and/or computer
programs made wilfully with the intent to commit an illegal transfer of funds or of another
thing of value;
b) the input, alteration, erasure and/or suppression of computer data and/or computer
programs made wilfully with the intent to commit a forgery;

The Council of Europe appointed in 1985 another expert committee in order to

discuss the legal issues of computer–related crime. A summary of the guidelines

for national legislatures with liability for intentional acts only, was presented in

the Recommendation of 1989 and included computer fraud and forgery as

follows:8

a) Computer fraud.
The input, alteration, erasure or suppression of computer data or computer programs, or other
interference with the course of data processing, that influences the result of data processing
thereby causing economic or possessory loss of property of another person with the intent of
procuring an unlawful gain for himself or for another person (alternative draft: with the intent
to unlawfully deprive that person of his property).
b) Computer forgery.
The input, alteration, erasure or suppression of computer data or computer programs, or other
interference with the course of data processing, in a manner or under such conditions, as
prescribed by national law, that it would constitute the offence of forgery if it had been
committed with respect to a traditional object of such an offence.

The United Nations adopted a resolution9 on computer crime legislation at the

8th U.N. Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in

Havana, Cuba, in 1990. The United Nations Manual on the Prevention and

Control of Computer-related Crime was published in 1994. A new resolution

was adopted by the General Assembly in 2000 on combating the criminal

7
Computer-related criminality: Analysis of Legal Politics in the OECD Area (1986)
8
Computer-related crime: Recommendation No. R. (89) 9, see http://cm.coe.int/ta/rec/1989/89r9.htm
9
The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on December 14, 1990
 4

misuse of information technologies10. In this resolution it was noted the value of

certain measures to combat the criminal misuse of information technologies,

including:

“States should ensure that their laws and practice eliminate safe havens for those who

criminally misuse information technologies.”

The last part of this historic presentation is the Wurzburg conferences organized

by the University of Wurzburg in 1992.11 These conferences introduced 29

national reports, and recommendations for the development of computer crime

legislations.

Most countries in Europe adopted new penal laws according to the

recommendations of the 1980’s. Similar development occurred in the USA,

Canada and Mexico. In Asia Japan, Singapore, Korea and Malaysia were the

leading countries. In Australia, the Commonwealth added computer crime laws

to the Crimes Act in 1989.

II. THE CYBERSPACE AGE - INTERNATIONAL LEGAL

INSTRUMENTS

The G 8 countries established in 1997 the Subgroup of High-Tech Crime. At a

meeting in Washington D.C. in 199712, the G8 countries adopted Ten Principles

10
The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on December 4, 2000 (A/res/55/63)
11
See Ulrich Sieber (ed): Information Technology Crime – National Legislations and International Initiatives,
Carl Heymanns Verlag KG (1994).
12
The Washington Communique of December 10, 1997
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in the combat against computer crime. The goal was to ensure that no criminal

receives “safe havens” anywhere in the world.

At the last Meeting of G-8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Washington

D.C., on May 10-11, 2004,13 a joint communiqué was issued, including as

follows:

“Continuing to Strengthen Domestic Laws. To truly build global capacities to combat

terrorist and criminal uses of the Internet, all countries must continue to improve laws that

criminalize misuses of computer networks and that allow for faster cooperation on Internet-

related investigations. With the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime coming into

force on July 1, 2004, we should take steps to encourage the adoption of the legal standards it

contains on a broad basis”

Stanford University in California, organized in December 1999 a Conference on

International Cooperation to Combat Cyber Crime and Terrorism.

Based on the experience at the conference, Stanford University introduced in

2000 a Proposal for an International Convention on Cyber Crime and

Terrorism.14

In the European Union, the Commission of the European Communities

presented on April 19, 2002 a proposal for a Council Framework Decision on

attacks against information systems.15

The Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime was opened for signatures at

a Conference in Budapest, Hungary, on November 23, 2001.16The Convention is

13
See http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/events/g82004/index.html
14
See http://cisac.stanford.edu
15
See http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/telecoms/internet/crime/index_en.htm
 6

a historic milestone in the combat against cyber crime, and entered into force on

July 1, 2004.

The Ministers of Justice or Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas in

the Organization of American States (OAS) recommended in Peru in 1999 the

establishment of a group of governmental experts on cybercrime.

Consideration of recommendations was discussed at a meeting in Washington

D.C., June 23-24, 2003. The Fifth Meeting of Ministers of

Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas in

Washington D.C. on April 28-30, 2004,17 approved conclusions and

Recommendations to the General Assembly of the OAS, including as follows:

“That Member States evaluate the advisability of implementing the principles of

the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (2001), and consider the

possibility of acceding to that convention.”

At the meeting in Mexico in October 2002 APEC18 leaders collectively

committed to:

“Endeavour to enact a comprehensive set of laws relating to cybersecurity and cybercrime

that are consistent with the provisions of international legal instruments, including United

Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/63 (2000) and Convention on Cybercrime (2001),

by October 2003.”

At an APEC seminar in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 21-25, 2003, it was agreed,

16
See http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/projets/FinalCybercrime.htm
17
See http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/cyber.html
18
See http://www.apectelwg.org
 7

“International instruments, in particular the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention

(2001), provide valuable models for improving domestic laws.”

Based on the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, we may reach our

goal, as expressed by President Jacques Chirac of France at the G-8 Meeting in

2000: a rule of law at an international level, a universal legal framework equal to

the worldwide reach of the Internet.19

Outside Europe, the U.S. Department of Justice has been very active in the

establishment of regional solutions for OAS and APEC on cybercrime laws in

accordance with the convention.

III. LAW COMES TO CYBERSPACE

Cyberspace has developed since the 1990’s, and the impact on

societies has been so fast and enormous, that code of ethics, common sense of

justice and penal laws has not kept pace.

In order to establish ethical behaviours in Cyberspace, penal laws must be

enacted with as much clarity and specificity as possible, and not rely on vague

interpretations in the existing legislation. With cybercrime laws, perpetrators

will be convicted for their explicit acts and not by existing provisions stretched

in the interpretation, or by provisions enacted for other purposes covering only

incidental or peripheral conduct.

19
President Jacques Chirac, at the G-8 Meeting in France 2000.
 8

Any regulation of unlawful conduct involving the use of Internet should be

analysed through a policy framework that ensures that online conduct is treated

in a manner consistent with the way offline conduct is treated, in a technology-

neutral manner that accounts for other important societal interests such as

privacy and protection of civil liberties.20

It will also ease the evidentiary burden for law enforcement and prosecutors, and

the courts will be able to participate in the process of establishing ethical

standards more significantly through their ruling and sentencing.

The nature of cybercrime and the legal issues are global. Through international

organizations, such as the Council of Europe, efforts has been taken to ensure

the harmonization of provision in the individual countries. Ensuring that the dual

criminality requirement is fulfilled may provide for an efficient global

prosecution of cybercrimes. Such approach is especially vital in the

investigation and prosecution of attacks against the infrastructure of computer

systems and networks.

Countries must be able to prosecute cybercrimes committed by national

individuals or any person domiciled in that country, whenever the acts are

committed abroad. And each country should also be able to prosecute a

foreigner present in the country, whenever it does not extradite the person after a

request for extradition for cybercrimes committed abroad.

In order to make a proposal for the ratification of the Council of Europe

Convention on Cybercrime, many member countries has established Cybercrime

Expert Committees.

After signing the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime in Budapest in

November 2001, the Norwegian Government appointed in 2002 a Cybercrime

Committee (Datakrimutvalget). It was decided that our commission was split in

two reports. The first report should consist of a proposal for the necessary

amendments in the penal code and the criminal procedural law only for the

ratification of the Convention. The second report should cover a broader

approach with an overview of all possible amendments in the penal and

procedural provisions needed in the information and communication technology

of computer systems and networks.

Our strategy was therefore using declarations according to art. 40, and

reservations according to art. 42, whenever it was possible. The report was

presented to the Minister of Justice on November 4th 2003.21

The answers in Norway and many countries that adopted provisions in the Penal

Code according to the Recommendations of the 1980’s are: Yes, we are covered,

with the exception of Article 6: Misuse of devises.

IV. SUBSTANTIVE CRIMINAL LAW-COMPUTER-RELATED

21
http://www.odin.dep.no/jd/norsk/publ/utredninger/NOU/012001-020027/index-dok000-b-n-a.html
 10

The term computer-related crime was historically used in describing all

categories of crimes involving computers, but it is used in the convention in a

narrow sense, covering only computer forgery and computer fraud.

Forgery and fraud are traditional criminal offences where computer systems

are used as tools in the cyberspace dimension of such activities.

1. Computer-related forgery
Article 7 – Computer-related forgery:

Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as
criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right, the
input, alteration, deletion, or suppression of computer data, resulting in inauthentic data with
the intent that it be considered or acted upon for legal purposes as if it were authentic,
regardless whether or not the data is directly readable and intelligible. A Party may require an
intent to defraud, or similar dishonest intent, before criminal liability attaches.

The provisions of forgery requires in most countries visual readability of

statements or declarations embodied in a document and therefore do not cover

computer data.

Computer data that is either of significance as evidence of any right, obligation

or exemption therefrom or appears to be designed to serve as evidence, must be

protected in the similar manner as paper-based documents. Manipulations of

such data may have the same serious consequences and should be a crime in the

same manner as traditional forgery of documents.

It is the security and reliability of computer data that may have consequences

on legal transactions and are legally relevant that must be protected.

Computer-related forgery involves unauthorized creating or altering stored data

so that they acquire a different evidentiary value in the course of legal

transactions, which relies on the authenticity of information contained in the

data, subject to a deception.22

In article 7 “input” of correct or incorrect data corresponds to the making of a

false document. “Alterations” (modifications, variations, partial changes), and

“deletions”(removal of data from a data medium), and “suppression”(holding

back, concealment of data) correspond in general to the falsification of a

genuine document.23

Some countries have statutes on forgery including visual readability with the aid

of technical means, which may cover computer-related forgery. Other countries

has included “electronically”, “or on which information is recorded or stored by

electronic or other means” in the definition of documents. But countries with

traditional statutes on forgery including: “any object that in writing or otherwise

contains a statement” may be a too vaguely worded rule.

Categories of Internet forgery may include: bogus Websites that falsely present

themselves as the sites of established companies for fraudulent purposes, or

assumption of false identity in e-mail messages for fraudulent purposes, or the

posting of false information on Internet bulletin boards to manipulate stock

market prices.

Sale or distribution of false identification documents through computer files or

computer templates are illegal. It is also illegal placing a template for making

false identifications on a Website or other online location available to others.

A fake identification template is a computer file; usually in Adobe PhotoShop

format, which can be modified, printed, and laminated, with the intent of

resembling a real license, e.g. driver’s license.

Another scam is the electronic price tag alteration, where online retailers are the

victims.

The offence must be committed intentionally and without right. But Article 7

allows countries also to require a specific intent to defraud or similar dishonest

intent, before criminal liability attaches.24

2. Computer-related fraud
Article 8 – Computer-related fraud

Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as
criminal offences under its domestic law, when committed intentionally and without right, the
causing of a loss of property to another by:
a. any input, alteration, deletion or suppression of computer data,
b. any interference with the functioning of a computer system,
with fraudulent or dishonest intent of procuring, without right, an economic benefit for
oneself or for another.

24
Explanatory Report to the Convention on Cybercrime, no. 85
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Computer fraud is conduct which involves the manipulation of a computer, by

whatever method, in order dishonestly to obtain money, property or some other

advantage of value or to cause loss.25 In most countries the traditional provisions

of fraud requires a deception of a human being. It is not possible to deceive a

computer within the meaning of deception in this required sense, and

consequently new provisions covering computer-related fraud have been

enacted.

The traditional elements of committing fraud are still valid on computer fraud in

Cyberspace. They are: (1) by the use of incorrect or incomplete information (2)

by altering data or programs, or otherwise unlawfully influences the result of

computer operations (3) that causes a loss of property or a risk of loss to anyone,

(4) with the intent of procuring an unlawful economic gain for himself

or for another person.

Article 8 includes any input, alteration, deletion, suppression of computer data,

or any interference with the functioning of a computer system. The aim of the

Article is to “criminalize any undue manipulation in the course of data

processing with the intention to effect an illegal transfer of property.”26 The act

must cause a loss of property, and in addition to the traditional property e.g.

money, it must be understood as anything of economic value.

Internet frauds have become a global issue due to the rapid development of

the Internet. In countries that have updated the fraud provisions based on the
25
The Law Commission, Report No. 186, Criminal Law-Computer Misuse, 1989, England
26
Explanatory Report to the Convention on Cybercrime, no 86
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recommendations of the 1980’s, existing laws may generally be adequate with

regard to the article 8. But perpetrators often design new forms of fraud to

exploit opportunities offered by the Internet.

Internet fraud includes several categories of schemes. It may be false or

misleading offerings involving all kinds of property, promises, unfounded

financial projections. It may be credit card fraud, mail fraud or bank fraud.

A typical fraud on the Internet is stock fraud or online securities fraud.

Companies and individuals are using the Internet to artificially inflate the market

value of stocks by creating demand for less traded low priced stocks.

Unsolicited e-mails, electronic newsletters, message boards and Web sites are

used as tools to commit such frauds.

Another typical fraud in Cyberspace is price tag frauds or fraud involving online

retail sales.

Electronic price tag alterations on Web sites is a growing concern in e-

commerce. After choosing a product and receiving pricing information on a

commercial Web page a perpetrator may be able to alter price information.

But the most common of all frauds in Cyberspace is online auction fraud.

In a report made by the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) estimates in

2001 that online auction frauds entails 64% of all Internet frauds that is reported

in the U.S., with an average loss per complaint amounting to USD 776.27

27
See Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), Internet Auction Fraud, May 2001, http://www.1.ifccfbi.gov
 15

According to this report the most popular items on Internet auctions are:

“beanies” (small stuffed animals), cameras/camcorders, desktop computers,

jewelry, laptop computers, and video consoles/games/tapes. But online auction

frauds are global scams and victims are from around the world. In the most

typical frauds perpetrators are often using numerous fictitious names and e-mail

addresses, receiving payment but never intended to deliver the purchased goods.

“Shell bidding” is a practice of false bidding by the seller and/or conspirators

designed to drive up the price of an item and force unknowing bidders to

increase their bids to acquire the item.28

Committing computer-related fraud requires the general intent element covering

art 8 a and b, and in addition the specific fraudulent or dishonest intent to gain

an economic or other benefit for himself or another.

V. CONCLUSION

The articles on computer-related offences poses few challenges in the

ratification process.

Countries that have updated the forgery and fraud provisions based on the

recommendations of the 1980’s may find the existing laws adequate with regard

to the articles 7 and 8.

But criminal laws on forgery that requires visual readability of statements or

declarations embodied in a document may not cover computer data. The

28
See Paula Selis, Anita Ramasastry and Charles S. Wright: Toward a fraud-free marketplace – best practices for
the online auction industry.
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definition of documents may also need to be updated.