Definition
Plain language
The U.S. law that makes unauthorized computer access a crime.
As stated in the literature
The principal U.S. federal anti-hacking statute, relevant to AI agents that scrape, bypass authentication, or access systems without authorization.
Also called: CFAA
Why it matters: It defines the legal boundary autonomous agents must stay inside, making 'the agent did it on its own' an inadequate defense.
For example, an AI agent that bypasses a website's login to scrape data could expose its operator to CFAA liability.
Heard on the show
“The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act covers unauthorized access.”Episode 061 — When Helpful Agents Go Sideways: A 404 Error, Campus Security, and Why Alignment Misses This