Intellectual Property Paper

I. Abstract

II. Introduction

III. Why computer security laws came about (background) and how they have helped (present)

• Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft or corruption. At the same time, the information must remain available to its intended users. “The terms computer system security, means the collective processes and mechanisms by which sensitive and valuable information and services are protected from publication, tampering or collapse by unauthorized activities or untrustworthy individuals and unplanned events respectively.”

• The early operating system, Multics, was notable because of its early emphasis on computer security. Multics was quite possible the first operating system to be designed as a secure system from the ground up. “In spite of this, Multics' security was broken, not once, but repeatedly. The strategy was known as 'penetrate and test' and has become widely known as a non-terminating process that fails to produce computer security. This led to further work on computer security that prefigured modern security engineering techniques producing closed form processes that terminate.”

A. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer security -Wiki with possible background and good info

B. In general, the federal government does not regulate the security of non-government computers. The government does require that certain information that is on public (non-government) computers to be protected against unauthorized access and disclosure, primarily out of privacy considerations.

1. To date limited to financial and health information Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

2. www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32357.pdf

summary of selected federal laws – present

3. Spotlight article: Domain 8, Laws, Investigations and Ethics...