Question

Gunther wanted to find out the number of cases of tuberculosis in the northeast to include in the marketing brochure for his company's new pharmaceutical. He was previously an intern at the Center for Disease Control and knew some of the passwords for the system containing the information, though he never had been granted access himself. If Gunther uses the passwords to access the data and includes it in the brochure, has he committed a crime?

Answer 1

Using unauthorized passwords to access the CDC's database constitutes computer fraud or data theft, which is a violation of law, specifically the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Gunther uses unauthorized passwords to access the data from the Center for Disease Control, regardless of his previous internship there, he is possibly committing a crime. This act falls under unauthorized access and could be classified as computer fraud or data theft. Accessing a secure database without proper authorization violates various federal and state laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the United States. If he includes this data in a marketing brochure, Gunther could face serious legal penalties, and his company could be subject to considerable liabilities, including violations of privacy laws and misuse of confidential health data.

Answer 2

Yes, Gunther has indeed committed a crime.

Step-by-step explanation:

In many countries, there are a number of different business laws according to which it is an offence to access data without permission. Even if the password is known, we cannot take data from a source and publish it anywhere without the permission of the higher authorities. In many countries, using such a data can be considered a serious crime. The result of such a crime can result in heavy penalties for the culprit.