Skill: Cyber Law, Ethics & Human Factors
Artifact 1: CFAA Analysis – Van Buren v. United States (Cyber Law Discussion Board)
This artifact comes from my Cyber Law class where we studied how real court cases shape the rules and boundaries of cybersecurity work. For this assignment I had to analyze the Supreme Court’s decision in Van Buren v. United States a major case involving the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The goal was to understand the difference between “unauthorized access” and simply misusing access you already have. This paper shows my ability to read legal opinions, break down arguments, apply cybersecurity concepts=and understand how law and policy guide what security professionals are allowed to do.
Full Text of Artifact
Discussion Board 3 – CFAA Analysis (Cyber Law)
After reading Van Buren v. United States (2021), I agree with the Supreme Court’s majority. They decided that Sergeant Van Buren didn’t violate the CFAA because he had permission to use the database, but he did it for the wrong reason. The law is meant for hackers who break into systems they’re not supposed to not for people who already have access and make a bad choice with it.
That makes sense to me. Van Buren was wrong for running that license plate for personal gain but that’s something his department should handle and not a federal case. If the Court said he broke the CFAA, then almost anyone who breaks a company rule online could face federal charges .
The dissent felt he should still be guilty since he went against policy and used the system for personal reasons. I understand that but the majority’s take is more reasonable. It keeps the CFAA focused on real hacking and unauthorized access not every time someone misuses what they already have permission to use. I think the Court got it right. It keeps the law clear fair and focused on real cybercrimes not small mistakes or bad decisions.
Interdisciplinary Significance
This artifact demonstrates how cybersecurity, criminal law, ethics, and policy overlap. The case forced me to look at how legal definitions affect real cybersecurity work and how important it is for professionals to understand the laws that govern digital access. I had to combine legal reasoning from the Supreme Court, ethical thinking about responsibility and misuse of access, and cybersecurity knowledge about what counts as “hacking.” This assignment strengthened my understanding of how different disciplines work together to shape cybersecurity decisions in the real world.