Computers and Security, Vol. 7 1, No. 5

problem of widespread piracy has arisen, and the steps taken to remedy the situation arc considcrcd. Some of the technical solutions arc described and a number of software products listed. IBM System User, March 1992, pp. 38-40.

Crime Sans Frontiers or the End of Liberty, Peter Warren. The idea of compiling a massive European database for police, as the border regula- tions r&x, was agreed at the European hcads-of- state meeting at Maastricht. But the fragmented dcvclopmcnt of such a database could lead to dis- turbing threats to personal freedom. MPs and civil rights groups arc conccrncd that discussions relat- ing to the dcvclopmcnt of three proposed intclli- gcncc gathering systems, have been restricted to ministers and civil servants. The author gives a detailed outline of the systems: the Schengcn Group system; the EC Ad Hoc Working Group on Immigration system; and the Customs Mutual Assistance Group 1992 system. The legislative con- trol of such scnsitivc international databases is con- sidered, and the potential for such systems to crimiiiaiizc _,,..;,_ ,,c.,__,, ,.* ,,,..*,,;,, ;wn,\ g;cIILlIIIc ILll.lf;CCJ “I c”llly‘“llllJc III1I”_ cent citizens is questioned. Computer Weekly, May 7, 1992, pp. 40-42.

Security and Technology: A Better Mouse- trap, Dennis Miyoshi and Mary Green. Sandia National Laboratories has been involved in security technology for the last forty years to enable the US Dcpartmcnt of Energy (DOE) to protect US nuclear assets. The laboratory is now working to transfer this security technology base to the private sector. This article outlines several security con- cepts that can be used to improve US competitive- ncss, including: fax machine security; document control systems; and anti-fraud and bank security. AT&T Technicaljournal, NovlDec 1991,~~. 87-91.

Retinal Scanners Eye-Dent* Inmates, Ellis Booker. Cook County Jail on Chicago’s South Side has installed a $500000 retina scanning system to identify and process criminals through the courts. Matching bodies to paperwork was a major issue at the jail, which processes some 400 people in any 24

hour period. The new biometric system has already foiled 40 attempts to switch identities in the first half of 199 1. The eye scanners rcflcct a light beam from the retina and digitizc the unique patterns of blood vessels found there. This pattern is convcrtcd to an algorithm and is then stored in a database whcrc it can be matched against existing records. Computerworld, March 23, 1992, p. 28.

it’s C.Y.A. Time, _/u&z King. The author con- siders the changing attitude of the judicial system towards disasters arising from computer rclatcd problems. “Today with computers controlling almost everything, there’s a tendency for courts not to cxcusc the computer but to hold responsible those in control of it”, says Susan Nycum, an attorney in Palo Alto. As courts look to assign blame in cases where technology has run amok, firms may increasingly find themselves liable for errors caused by faulty software and systems. August Bequai, an attorney specializing in com- puter law, comments, “If you’re in the computer business, the question now isn’t how you’ll get sued but whcn”* Bc”..,; ,,,,4;,-+, +Il,,t -7,‘.t- 47, n-v+ c,,,, yuaL YIL-UICLJ LllLlL ““LI LIIL IlL*\L IL”” years, one of six corporate IS organizations will bc involved in a lawsuit. The author goes on to examine key liability points, the possible dctri- mental effect of joining professional associations, and the steps which organizations can take in order to safeguard against liability arising from computer misuse or failure Computerworld, March 30, 1992, pp. 85-86.

Finding a Crime to Fit the Punishment, Peter Sommer. The author is asked to attempt to define “computer misusers”, and responds that the question reflects a broad misapprehension that them is a coherent group of individuals with common charactcrist& who can be labellcd computer criminals. More often than not, “compu- tcr misusers” are quite ordinary people whose work with computers gives them access and opportunity to commit crimes. The answer to “Who are the computer criminals ?” depends upon the approach taken to prevention and detection, to determining the laws needed and the responses expected from

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