In today's hi-tech society, computers are being used in almost

          every aspect of life.  From the largest multi-national

          corporation to the family household, computers have become a

          common ocurrence.  Their increased availability (resulting from

          competition, low prices) has allowed for the computer to become a

          tool for the modern criminal.  As early as 1968, computer crime

          was evident.  A Wall Street Journal article noted at the time

          that "business transactions that formerly were recorded on ledger

          pages are being translated into magnetic impulses in a computer's

          memory section.  It's a simple matter for a crook with technical

          know-how and a little imagination to program a computer to fleece

          a company and fool its auditors...corporate executives rarely

          question the reliability of financial results that emerge from






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          complex million-dollar machines"[1] This problem has since only

          increased and means have been sought to prevent and/or reduce

          computer crime.  These attempts have resulted in

          computer-security systems, computers in the legal system as well

          as developments within the computer's hardware and software.


            The law and its various agencies have sought to enlist

          computers in their fight against computer crime, but it has only

          been recently that any major developments have occurred.  Law

          enforcement agencies have suffered from computer illiteracy and

          thus have been unable to properly respond to crimes involving

          computers.  The same has been true of prosecutors.  Most

          prosecutors have more cases than they could ever prosecute and

          most of the time they pick the cases they're going to pursue.  A

          prosecutor with liitle computer knoledge will more likely than

          notpick a non-computer crime.  Contributing to this factor is

          that there really has been no legislation directed at computer

          crime.  Only recently has any major action been taken.  It was

          only this past summer that "the House approved legislation that

          would create the first federal crime law against unauthorized

          access to computers."[2]


            On the more positive side, one has to note the efforts of the

          ----------

          1. Alan Adelson, "Whir, Blink, Jackpot!  Crooked Operators Use
          Computers to Embezzle Money from Companies" Wall Street Journal,
                                                      ____ ______ _______
          April 5, 1968, p.  48

          2. "Unauthorized Access to Computer Banned under House Measure,"
          Wall Street Journal, July 25 1984, p.  2
          ____ ______ _______



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          Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Federa