Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY Act)
The Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass (SPY Act) was passed by the House of Representatives, but never voted on by the Senate. Several versions have existed since 2004, but the bill has not become law as of this writing.
The SPY Act would provide many specifics on what would be prohibited and punishable by law in the area of spyware. The basics would include prohibiting deceptive acts related to spyware, taking control of a computer without authorization, modifying Internet settings, collecting personal information through keystroke logging or without consent, forcing users to download software or misrepresenting what software would do, and disabling antivirus tools. The law also would decree that users must be told when personal information is being collected about them.
Critics of the act thought that it didn’t add any significant funds or tools for law enforcement beyond what they were already able to do to stop cybercriminals. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that many state laws, which the bill would override, were stricter on spyware than this bill was. They also believed that the bill would bar private citizens and organizations from working with the federal government against malicious hackers—leaving the federal government to do too much of the necessary anti-hacking work. Others were concerned that hardware and software vendors would be legally able to use spyware to monitor customers’ use of their products or services.
It is up to you which side of the fight you choose to play on—black or white hat but remember that computer crimes are not treated as lightly as they were in the past. Trying out a new tool or pressing Start on an old tool may get into a place you never intended—jail. So as your mother told you—be good, and may the Force be with you.
