Ms. Granick said some people believed that using a connection without permission constituted unauthorized access to computers, which is a crime, while others disagree.
The I.R.B. charged that these constituted unauthorized research, and suggested a pattern of "continuing noncompliance" with university and, possibly, federal policies.
Investigators will have to weigh whether such actions constitute unauthorized access, or, as Uber has already sought to argue in the class action lawsuit, an instance of it accessing data available to the public.
A key question for the FBI probe is whether Uber's software program constituted unauthorized access of a computer, according to the WSJ, citing people familiar with the investigation.
A letter circulating at Def Con and signed by some of the most prominent academics in computer security said the law was chilling research in the public interest by allowing prosecutors and victim companies to argue that violations of electronic "terms of service" constitute unauthorized intrusions.
The measures included improved training for handling classified information, the publication of a manual with clear instructions on what constitutes an unauthorized disclosure and the creation of an online security incident reporting system.
By willingly accessing the WIKILEAKS website for the purpose of viewing the posted classified material – these actions constitute the unauthorized processing, disclosure, viewing, and downloading of classified information onto an UNAUTHORIZED computer system not approved to store classified information.
Recently, school districts have challenged the right of nonlawyers to act on behalf of parents in administrative proceedings, saying such acts constitute the "unauthorized practice of law".
In its S.E.C. filing, Prommis alerted potential investors that it could face challenges from bar associations, prosecutors or homeowners that its relationship with its law firms constituted the "unauthorized practice of law" or involved "impermissible fee sharing" arrangements.
"Such work would be unauthorized".
