AIDYantages Aduertising System

Computer Crime

(Continued from page I 1) numerous measures that can be taken within the computer system itself to prevent unauthorized use.

The most common of these is the password. In this case, the terminal operator must enter a specific code before access to computer software can be gained.

In more sophisticated systems, special passwords may be required to perform any number of individual operations. Also, specific terminals may be delegated to a predetermined set of functions and are forbidden access to other programs. These procedures help insure that no individual can perform a function for which he or she is not authorized.

To maintain the effectiveness of such a preventive system, passwords should be changed periodically along with the access phone number. This helps negate any information gathered by unauthorized parties. Also, should an employee resign or be terminated, his or her access codes should be changed immediately. Any laxity in this area can cost a company thousands of dollars in only a few minutes.

Detective safeguards may also be implemented to preserve a system's integrity. For example, a computer can be programmed to flag any operation that does not conform to an established norm, such as a payroll check being written above a specific number of dollars.

Such preventive and detecting software is not inexpensive. It takes great knowledge and skill to write and implement customized software for business. In the case of mini- or micro-systems, these safeguards can often cost more than the computers themselves. But they are a necessary expense if opportunities for theft and fraud are to be eliminated. Motorola Inc. has received substantial press coverage of late by demonstrating to bankers how data lines can be tapped with only $1,m0 worth of commercially available cemputer gear. The implication is that any computer system using standard phone lines for transmission is open to attack, and their objective is to sell their new and highly sophisticated encryption devices. The idea behind encryption, or