ars many people and for good reasons. A fellow computer hacker that goes by the handle of Raven is someone who uses his computer to access credit data bases. In a talk that I had with him he tried to explain what he did and how he did it. He is a very intelligent person because he gained illegal access to a credit data base and obtained the credit history of local residents. He then allegedly uses the residents names and credit information to apply for 24 Mastercards and Visa cards. He used the cards to issue himself at least 40,000 in cash from a number of automatic teller machines. He was caught once but was only withdrawing $200 and in was a minor larceny and they couldn't prove that he was the one who did the other ones so he was put on probation. "I was 17 and I needed money and the people in the underground taught me many things. I would not go back and not do what I did but I would try not to get caught next time. I am the leader of HTH (High Tech Hoods) and we are currently devising other ways to make money. If it weren't for my computer my life would be nothing like it is today."(Interview w/Raven) "Finally, one of the thefts involving the computer is the theft of computer time. Most of us don't realize this as a crime, but the congress consider this as a crime."(Ball,V85) Everyday people are urged to use the computer but sometimes the use becomes excessive or improper or both. For example, at most colleges computer time is thought of as free-good students and faculty often computerizes mailing lists for their churches or fraternity organizations which might be written off as good public relations. But, use of the computers for private consulting projects without payment of the university is clearly improper. In business it is the similar. Management often looks the other way when employees play computer games or generate a Snoopy calendar. But, if this becomes excessive the employees is stealing work time. And computers can on...
