Protected computer

Protected computers is a term used in Title 18, Section 1030 of the United States Code, (the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act) which prohibits a number of different kinds of conduct, generally involving unauthorized access to, or damage to the data stored on, "protected computers". The statute, as amended by the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, defines "protected computers" (formerly known as "federal interest computers") as:

The law prohibits unauthorized obtaining of "information from any protected computer if the conduct involved an interstate or foreign communication," and makes it a felony to intentionally transmit malware to a protected computer if more than $5000 in damage (such as to the integrity of data) were to result.

The US Justice Department explains:

• Computer crime
• Computer trespass
• Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
• FBI
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Interpol
• National Information Infrastructure Protection Act
• United States v. Swartz
• United States Secret Service

• Cornell Law posting of US Code 18 § 1030
• U. S. Department of Justice Computer Crime Policy & Programs