## Cyber crime defense in Montana Computer-related crimes — hacking, identity theft, online fraud, cyber-stalking — are prosecuted under both state computer-crime laws and federal statutes. Federal prosecution is common for cases involving large losses or interstate / international scope. ## Common cyber crimes **Computer fraud / hacking:** - Unauthorized access to computer systems - Damaging / destroying data - Distributing malware / ransomware - Cryptojacking **Identity-related:** - Identity theft - Phishing / pharming - Social-engineering attacks - Synthetic identity fraud **Financial cyber crimes:** - Online fraud / scams - Cryptocurrency theft - Investment / Ponzi schemes online - Romance scams - Business email compromise **Content-related:** - Online harassment / cyber-stalking - Revenge porn / non-consensual intimate images - Cyber-bullying (juvenile) - Threats / intimidation - Doxxing - Online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) - Online enticement of minors - Sextortion **Other:** - Telecommunications fraud - Computer trespass - Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks - Spam / CAN-SPAM violations - Wire fraud (federal) - Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) violations ## Key federal statutes **Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA, 18 U.S.C. § 1030):** - Unauthorized access to "protected computers" (essentially any internet-connected computer) - Multiple sub-offenses with varying penalties - Criminal AND civil liability - Recent narrowing post-Van Buren (2021) **Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343):** - Catch-all for fraud using wire, radio, TV, or internet - Up to 20 years (30 if affecting financial institution) **Identity Theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028 + § 1028A):** - Aggravated identity theft adds 2 mandatory years consecutive **CAN-SPAM Act (2003):** - Spam / commercial email regulations **Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):** - Privacy for children under 13 **Stored Communications Act (SCA, 18 U.S.C. § 2701):** - Unauthorized access to stored email / messages **Wiretap Act (18 U.S.C. § 2511):** - Real-time interception **Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA):** - Civil + criminal cybersquatting ## State computer-crime laws Every state has computer-crime statutes — typically modeled on federal law: - Unauthorized access - Damage to computers / data - Computer fraud - Cyber-stalking / harassment - Identity theft - Revenge porn (most states have specific statutes; few states still resist) ## Common defenses - **Authorized access** — Van Buren narrowed CFAA "exceeds authorized access" - **No criminal intent / accident** — civil mistake vs criminal - **First Amendment** — speech-based prosecutions - **Vagueness challenges** — unclear statute as applied - **Lack of nexus** — no connection to defendant - **Search / seizure issues** — 4th Amendment for digital searches - **Identification** — wrong person; spoofed identity - **Entrapment** (in sting operations) - **Public-domain information** - **Whistleblower / journalist protections** - **Lack of damage** for damage-based offenses ## Forensic / technical issues Cyber-crime cases turn on technical evidence: - **Computer forensics** — recovered files, browser history - **Network logs** — IP addresses, timestamps - **Server records** from providers - **Cellphone forensics** — apps, location, messages - **Cryptocurrency tracing** — blockchain analysis - **Cell-site location information (CSLI)** - **Email / cloud records** (subject to SCA / 4th Amendment) - **Voice / video deepfake analysis** Defense often turns on challenging the technical evidence — chain of custody, validity, alternative explanations. ## Search-warrant issues Critical 4th Amendment area: - **Carpenter v. United States (2018)** — warrant required for CSLI - **Riley v. California (2014)** — warrant required for cellphone search incident to arrest - **Particularity requirements** — warrants must be specific - **Plain-view doctrine** in digital searches (uncertain) - **Border searches** — limited 4th Amendment protections - **Foreign data subpoenas** (CLOUD Act) ## Penalties Wide range: - **Misdemeanors** — minor unauthorized access, simple harassment - **Federal felonies** — up to life for some offenses - **Restitution** — required in most fraud cases - **Forfeiture** — assets derived from cyber-crime - **Civil liability** — significant under CFAA, ECPA, identity-theft statutes - **Sex-offender registration** for CSAM / online enticement - **Federal sentencing guidelines** drive long sentences in fraud cases ## Federal vs state prosecution Federal jurisdiction often invoked: - Interstate / international scope - Large losses (over $1,000 for some CFAA offenses; varies) - Federal interest computers (banking, government) - Multiple victims - Sophisticated schemes - Joint task force investigations Federal sentences are typically much longer than state for similar conduct. ## What you should do Cyber-crime cases require defense counsel familiar with technology + criminal law. Montana criminal-defense attorneys with cyber-crime experience can identify forensic flaws, search-warrant defects, and federal vs state strategy. Many cases benefit from forensic technology consultants alongside attorneys. Don't talk to investigators without counsel — even casual statements can be used. --- *This guide is general information about Montana and federal cyber-crime law as of early 2026 and is not legal advice. Cyber-crime law is rapidly evolving. Talk to a licensed Montana criminal-defense attorney about your specific case.*