Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 5, 1993                   TAG: 9312030102
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: F-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BY L.A. LOREK FORT LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COMPUTER CRIMINALS MORE SOPHISTICATED

Viruses, computer hackers, stolen equipment, tampering with data, illegal data transfer and desktop forgery are just a few of the computer-related crimes that have emerged in the high-tech age, said Wendi Harvey, spokeswoman with the Council of Better Business Bureaus, based in Arlington, Va.

While computer theft has grown, so have non-property related crimes such as designing software "viruses" that crash systems and the illegal use of data bases by computer hackers, Harless said. Other common crimes involve employees or repair technicians tampering with data and theft by data transfer and desktop forgery.

Computer theft and fraud might seem like problems that apply only to businesses, but many of those businesses pass the costs on to consumers as higher prices for their goods and services. So many firms now have policies and security programs to protect their computer systems.

International Business Machines Corp.'s research and development laboratory in Boca Raton, Fla., has installed anti-virus computer software and it periodically checks them for viruses, said Alan Macher, IBM spokesman. A few years ago, IBM had a problem with computer equipment theft, Macher said.

In November of 1989, two employees at IBM in Boca Raton stole computer parts worth $1.8 million, one of the biggest thefts in the company's history. They were arrested when they tried to sell the stolen chips in Sarasota, Fla.

Boca Research Inc., a computer modem manufacturer in Boca Raton, has had problems with the computer virus Michelangelo. A computer virus lies dormant until something triggers it such as a date on the computer clock. Then the virus can wipe out all the computer's data. Michelangelo, a nationwide virus was activated on the artist's birth date, March 6, in 1992.

Gail Blackburn, Boca Research's company spokeswoman, said she lost all her data when the virus invaded her computer. Since then, the company has installed anti-virus software, said Larry Steffann, Boca Research's vice president of planning and development.

The company also does not permit employees to bring their own software to work, Steffann said. A lot of computer viruses are spread through personnel software that employees install on their business machines.

To help companies devise a security program for their computer systems, the Council of Better Business Bureaus published a nine-page brochure. It's one of its most popular brochures, said Harvey, council spokeswoman. The council printed 30,000 copies in August and more than two thirds have been distributed to businesses around the country, she said. To obtain a copy, send $1 postage and handling fee along with a self-addressed envelope to the Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc., Department 023, Washington, D.C. 20042-0023.