For the Police, the Computer Misuse Act has very obvious implications – they are the people trying to catch the criminals doing it. However, cyber crime is a totally different game to physical crime – with a new set of rules for catching the criminals.

A good hacker has many ways of covering tracks, but as with real life, there are always ways for the Police to keep up and try and apprehend those committing the crimes. However, before the act, Police were more or less unaware of the danger of such people.

It was the Robert Schifreen and Stephen Gold case which really brought the issue to the publics' attention – and now it is one of the most talked about and controversial issues. While it falls to individual corporations to protect their own data (as outlined in the Data Protection Act), the Police can sometimes be called in to help with investigations.

Of course, the Police are also a huge target for hackers, having a database of a large percentage of the public, as well as highly sensitive confidential data. This is one of the downfalls of the modern 'information age' and the Internet – while it helps communication between people who want to communicate, prying eyes can see data which was designed for a totally different person.

But issues aside with their own data, the main way which the act affects the Police is in their role in catching the criminals doing it and bringing them to justice.

Any individual policeman can break the misuse act in the same way any person can. They are subject to the same punishments - an unlimited fine, and a maximum of 5 years in prison.