IPA IP 2025 Question 16

A and C, passing the ID and password on and logging in with them — both are acts that Japan’s Act on the Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access forbids; creating malware falls under another law.

Besides unauthorized access itself, the Act prohibits the acts that lead up to it: obtaining another person’s identification code (user ID, password) for that purpose, providing it to others without a justifiable reason, storing one obtained unlawfully, and phishing for one.

• •A: giving another person’s ID and password to a third party without a justifiable reason is the prohibited act of facilitating unauthorized access.
• •B: creating malware is not covered by this Act; making a computer virus without a justifiable reason is a crime under the Penal Code (creating electromagnetic records of unauthorized commands).
• •C: logging in with them without permission to read mail on the server is unauthorized access itself.

Answer (b)

Why not others:

• •(a) — adds B, a Penal Code offence, not one under this Act
• •(c) — includes B and leaves out A, although handing the ID and password over is itself prohibited
• •(d) — gives only C; the Act also prohibits acts that facilitate unauthorized access, such as A

Key rule: The unauthorized access law covers logging in with someone else’s ID and password and the acts around it (obtaining, providing, storing, phishing for them); writing or spreading malware is a crime under the Penal Code.

Legal Affairs · AI-written, may contain errors