If someone tries to attack or gain unauthorized access to a given system but fails eventually, could that person get arrested for the mere attempt?
I know laws differ from one state/country to another, but is there some sort of a generic answer?
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Attempting to do something that is a crime is almost always a crime. – DJClayworth Jan 15 '17 at 20:23
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See here: At least the U.K. has a Criminal Attempts Act! – feetwet♦ Jan 17 '17 at 19:54
In the US, hacking i.e. gaining unauthorized access violates 18 USC 1030(a). 18 USC 1030(b) then says
Whoever conspires to commit or attempts to commit an offense under subsection (a) of this section shall be punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
So conspiracy and attempts are treated the same as success.
