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Illinois Compiled Statutes

Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES
(720 ILCS 5/) Criminal Code of 2012.

720 ILCS 5/Art. 17, Subdiv. 30

 
    (720 ILCS 5/Art. 17, Subdiv. 30 heading)
SUBDIVISION 30. COMPUTER FRAUD
(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11.)

720 ILCS 5/17-50

    (720 ILCS 5/17-50) (was 720 ILCS 5/16D-5 and 5/16D-6)
    Sec. 17-50. Computer fraud.
    (a) A person commits computer fraud when he or she knowingly:
        (1) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or
    
any part thereof, or a program or data, with the intent of devising or executing any scheme or artifice to defraud, or as part of a deception;
        (2) Obtains use of, damages, or destroys a computer
    
or any part thereof, or alters, deletes, or removes any program or data contained therein, in connection with any scheme or artifice to defraud, or as part of a deception; or
        (3) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or
    
any part thereof, or a program or data, and obtains money or control over any such money, property, or services of another in connection with any scheme or artifice to defraud, or as part of a deception.
    (b) Sentence.
        (1) A violation of subdivision (a)(1) of this Section
    
is a Class 4 felony.
        (2) A violation of subdivision (a)(2) of this Section
    
is a Class 3 felony.
        (3) A violation of subdivision (a)(3) of this Section:
            (i) is a Class 4 felony if the value of the
        
money, property, or services is $1,000 or less; or
            (ii) is a Class 3 felony if the value of the
        
money, property, or services is more than $1,000 but less than $50,000; or
            (iii) is a Class 2 felony if the value of the
        
money, property, or services is $50,000 or more.
    (c) Forfeiture of property. Any person who commits computer fraud as set forth in subsection (a) is subject to the property forfeiture provisions set forth in Article 124B of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
(Source: P.A. 96-712, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11.)

720 ILCS 5/17-51

    (720 ILCS 5/17-51) (was 720 ILCS 5/16D-3)
    Sec. 17-51. Computer tampering.
    (a) A person commits computer tampering when he or she knowingly and without the authorization of a computer's owner or in excess of the authority granted to him or her:
        (1) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or
    
any part thereof, a computer network, or a program or data;
        (2) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or
    
any part thereof, a computer network, or a program or data, and obtains data or services;
        (3) Accesses or causes to be accessed a computer or
    
any part thereof, a computer network, or a program or data, and damages or destroys the computer or alters, deletes, or removes a computer program or data;
        (4) Inserts or attempts to insert a program into a
    
computer or computer program knowing or having reason to know that such program contains information or commands that will or may:
            (A) damage or destroy that computer, or any other
        
computer subsequently accessing or being accessed by that computer;
            (B) alter, delete, or remove a computer program
        
or data from that computer, or any other computer program or data in a computer subsequently accessing or being accessed by that computer; or
            (C) cause loss to the users of that computer or
        
the users of a computer which accesses or which is accessed by such program; or
        (5) Falsifies or forges electronic mail transmission
    
information or other routing information in any manner in connection with the transmission of unsolicited bulk electronic mail through or into the computer network of an electronic mail service provider or its subscribers.
    (a-5) Distributing software to falsify routing information. It is unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, give, or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give, or distribute software which:
        (1) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose
    
of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information;
        (2) has only a limited commercially significant
    
purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or
        (3) is marketed by that person or another acting in
    
concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.
    (a-10) For purposes of subsection (a), accessing a computer network is deemed to be with the authorization of a computer's owner if:
        (1) the owner authorizes patrons, customers, or
    
guests to access the computer network and the person accessing the computer network is an authorized patron, customer, or guest and complies with all terms or conditions for use of the computer network that are imposed by the owner;
        (2) the owner authorizes the public to access the
    
computer network and the person accessing the computer network complies with all terms or conditions for use of the computer network that are imposed by the owner; or
        (3) the person accesses the computer network in
    
compliance with the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (2015).
    (b) Sentence.
        (1) A person who commits computer tampering as set
    
forth in subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(5) or subsection (a-5) of this Section is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
        (2) A person who commits computer tampering as set
    
forth in subdivision (a)(2) of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and a Class 4 felony for the second or subsequent offense.
        (3) A person who commits computer tampering as set
    
forth in subdivision (a)(3) or (a)(4) of this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony and a Class 3 felony for the second or subsequent offense.
        (4) If an injury arises from the transmission of
    
unsolicited bulk electronic mail, the injured person, other than an electronic mail service provider, may also recover attorney's fees and costs, and may elect, in lieu of actual damages, to recover the lesser of $10 for each unsolicited bulk electronic mail message transmitted in violation of this Section, or $25,000 per day. The injured person shall not have a cause of action against the electronic mail service provider that merely transmits the unsolicited bulk electronic mail over its computer network.
        (5) If an injury arises from the transmission of
    
unsolicited bulk electronic mail, an injured electronic mail service provider may also recover attorney's fees and costs, and may elect, in lieu of actual damages, to recover the greater of $10 for each unsolicited electronic mail advertisement transmitted in violation of this Section, or $25,000 per day.
        (6) The provisions of this Section shall not be
    
construed to limit any person's right to pursue any additional civil remedy otherwise allowed by law.
    (c) Whoever suffers loss by reason of a violation of subdivision (a)(4) of this Section may, in a civil action against the violator, obtain appropriate relief. In a civil action under this Section, the court may award to the prevailing party reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation expenses.
(Source: P.A. 99-775, eff. 8-12-16.)

720 ILCS 5/17-52

    (720 ILCS 5/17-52) (was 720 ILCS 5/16D-4)
    Sec. 17-52. Aggravated computer tampering.
    (a) A person commits aggravated computer tampering when he or she commits computer tampering as set forth in paragraph (a)(3) of Section 17-51 and he or she knowingly:
        (1) causes disruption of or interference with vital
    
services or operations of State or local government or a public utility; or
        (2) creates a strong probability of death or great
    
bodily harm to one or more individuals.
    (b) Sentence.
        (1) A person who commits aggravated computer
    
tampering as set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this Section is guilty of a Class 3 felony.
        (2) A person who commits aggravated computer
    
tampering as set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this Section is guilty of a Class 2 felony.
(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11.)

720 ILCS 5/17-52.5

    (720 ILCS 5/17-52.5) (was 720 ILCS 5/16D-5.5)
    Sec. 17-52.5. Unlawful use of encryption.
    (a) For the purpose of this Section:
        "Computer" has the meaning ascribed to the term in
    
Section 17-0.5.
        "Encryption" means the use of any protective or
    
disruptive measure, including, without limitation, cryptography, enciphering, encoding, or a computer contaminant, to: (1) prevent, impede, delay, or disrupt access to any data, information, image, program, signal, or sound; (2) cause or make any data, information, image, program, signal, or sound unintelligible or unusable; or (3) prevent, impede, delay, or disrupt the normal operation or use of any component, device, equipment, system, or network.
        "Network" means a set of related, remotely connected
    
devices and facilities, including more than one system, with the capability to transmit data among any of the devices and facilities. The term includes, without limitation, a local, regional, or global computer network.
        "Program" means an ordered set of data representing
    
coded instructions or statements which can be executed by a computer and cause the computer to perform one or more tasks.
        "System" means a set of related equipment, whether or
    
not connected, which is used with or for a computer.
    (b) A person shall not knowingly use or attempt to use encryption, directly or indirectly, to:
        (1) commit, facilitate, further, or promote any
    
criminal offense;
        (2) aid, assist, or encourage another person to
    
commit any criminal offense;
        (3) conceal evidence of the commission of any
    
criminal offense; or
        (4) conceal or protect the identity of a person who
    
has committed any criminal offense.
    (c) Telecommunications carriers and information service providers are not liable under this Section, except for willful and wanton misconduct, for providing encryption services used by others in violation of this Section.
    (d) Sentence. A person who violates this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the encryption was used or attempted to be used to commit an offense for which a greater penalty is provided by law. If the encryption was used or attempted to be used to commit an offense for which a greater penalty is provided by law, the person shall be punished as prescribed by law for that offense.
    (e) A person who violates this Section commits a criminal offense that is separate and distinct from any other criminal offense and may be prosecuted and convicted under this Section whether or not the person or any other person is or has been prosecuted or convicted for any other criminal offense arising out of the same facts as the violation of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 101-87, eff. 1-1-20.)

720 ILCS 5/17-54

    (720 ILCS 5/17-54) (was 720 ILCS 5/16D-7)
    Sec. 17-54. Evidence of lack of authority. For the purposes of Sections 17-50 through 17-52, the trier of fact may infer that a person accessed a computer without the authorization of its owner or in excess of the authority granted if the person accesses or causes to be accessed a computer, which access requires a confidential or proprietary code which has not been issued to or authorized for use by that person. This Section does not apply to a person who acquires access in compliance with the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (2015).
(Source: P.A. 99-775, eff. 8-12-16.)

720 ILCS 5/17-55

    (720 ILCS 5/17-55)
    Sec. 17-55. Definitions. For the purposes of this subdivision 30:
    In addition to its meaning as defined in Section 15-1 of this Code, "property" means: (1) electronic impulses; (2) electronically produced data; (3) confidential, copyrighted, or proprietary information; (4) private identification codes or numbers which permit access to a computer by authorized computer users or generate billings to consumers for purchase of goods and services, including but not limited to credit card transactions and telecommunications services or permit electronic fund transfers; (5) software or programs in either machine or human readable form; or (6) any other tangible or intangible item relating to a computer or any part thereof.
    "Access" means to use, instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve or intercept data from, or otherwise utilize any services of, a computer, a network, or data.
    "Services" includes but is not limited to computer time, data manipulation, or storage functions.
    "Vital services or operations" means those services or operations required to provide, operate, maintain, and repair network cabling, transmission, distribution, or computer facilities necessary to ensure or protect the public health, safety, or welfare. Those services or operations include, but are not limited to, services provided by medical personnel or institutions, fire departments, emergency services agencies, national defense contractors, armed forces or militia personnel, private and public utility companies, or law enforcement agencies.
(Source: P.A. 101-87, eff. 1-1-20.)