Patriot Act & Homeland Security Act and Cyber Crime
Prior to beginning work on this discussion read the Fong and Delaney (2013) (Links to an external site.) article and the Mitchell and Pate online resource (https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/homeland-security-goals-challenges/).
The destruction of the World Trade Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and the crashing of Flight 93 in September 2001 changed the ways in which the United States sought to protect itself from enemies and criminals, both foreign and domestic. The two landmark criminal justice federal laws enacted after the attacks were the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act (HSA). This week our discussion examines both the Patriot Act and the HSA and their applications to cyber crime investigations. Students will explore provisions of both Acts and explain how they assist in cyber-crime deterrence and prosecution.
Your initial posts will be divided into two groups. Please see the instructions below to determine which topics you must include in your 400 word minimum initial post.
Last names beginning with the letters A through L
My last name starts with a J***
Address the following issues in your initial post:
Explain the major provisions of the Patriot Act which assist the U.S. government in deterring cyber crimes.
Point out at least one example of how the Patriot Act can be used as an effective tool in investigating cyber crimes.
Evaluate whether or not the Patriot Act violates traditional notions of privacy found in the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Critique whether or not the Patriot Act is the most effective way to deter and prosecute cyber crimes.
Suggest alternative methods and provide solutions for the federal government to more effectively combat cyber crime
Last names beginning with the letters M through Z
Address the following issues in your initial post:
Explain the purposes for the creation of the Homeland Security Act (HSA).
Point out at least one example of how the HSA can be used as an effective tool in investigating cyber crimes.
Critique whether or not the HSA is the most effective way to combat cyber crime at the federal level.
Suggest alternative methods and provide solutions for the federal government to more effectively combat cyber crime.
Combined, the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act created the foundation for federal cyber crime investigation and prosecution for decades to come. As with the institution of any sweeping, new federal legislation, critics abound. As future criminal justice professionals, your work will largely focus on implementing these two initiatives and seeking ways to continually improve their application to protect society. Evaluate whether or not the Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act would have been created had the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the downing of United Airlines flight 93 in Pennsylvania not occurred. Continue to monitor the discussion forum until 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) on Day 7 of the week and respond to anyone who replies to your initial post.
