The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is the federal law criminalizing unauthorized access to computer systems, including hacking, exceeding authorized access, and computer-related fraud. CFAA charges can apply to a wide range of conduct including accessing accounts without authorization, exceeding employer-granted access privileges, distributing malware, denial-of-service attacks, and stealing data. Penalties scale by the alleged harm, with felony charges carrying up to 10 years prison for serious cases and longer for repeat offenders. CFAA cases are prosecuted in U.S. District Court at the John O. Pastore Federal Building in Providence and carry mandatory restitution.
