18 U.S.C. Sec. 1030(A)(5)(A) TRANSMISSION OF PROGRAM TO INTENTIONALLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO A COMPUTER is a federal law that prohibits the unauthorized transmission of any program, information, code, or command that is intended to cause damage to a computer, computer system, or computer network. This offense is commonly referred to as computer hacking or the transmission of malicious code. The transmission can be done by any means, including email, file sharing, or other online services. There are several types of malicious code that are prohibited under this law, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and logic bombs. In addition, any attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network is also prohibited. Violation of this law is a felony, and can result in fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years.