Books, Arts & Manners: Computer Crime

Someone told me about this jaunty computer bilk long ago. Data processor Smith, working in Payroll at Gog and Magog Corp., noted that each time employees were paid, oh, $243.013 the IBM or Xerox would round off to $243.01; 0.003 didn’t print out anywhere—it had no existence. So Smith instructed the computer to deposit every fragment of take-home in his personal bank account— 0.003 X 10,000 workers X 52 is a decent annual incentive bonus. That was 1972 or so: since, computer crime has become as prevalent and sophisticated as fresh, resistant gonorrhea viruses.

I have a free-market definition. No new industry or form of commerce can be considered profitable until some criminal claque has been drawn to it. What ain’t worth stealing, ain’t. A Smithsonian magazine article has it that between $300 million and $5 billion is gouged annually by electronic rustling.

Someone told me about this jaunty computer bilk long ago. Data processor Smith, working in Payroll at Gog and Magog Corp., noted that each time employees were paid, oh, $243.013 the IBM or Xerox would round off to $243.01; 0.003 didn’t print out anywhere—it had no existence. So Smith instructed the computer to deposit every fragment of take-home in his personal bank account— 0.003 X 10,000 workers X 52 is a decent annual incentive bonus. That was 1972 or so: since, computer crime has become as prevalent and sophisticated as fresh, resistant gonorrhea viruses.

I have a free-market definition. No new industry or form of commerce can be considered profitable until some criminal claque has been drawn to it. What ain’t worth stealing, ain’t. A Smithsonian magazine article has it that between $300 million and $5 billion is gouged annually by electronic rustling.

DK

About the Author

D. Keith Mano

D. Keith Mano was a TV screenwriter and author of ten books, including Take 5, recipient of the 1987 Literary Lion award, and columnist at National Review magazine for 17 years.