Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§923 Art. 123. Offenses Concerning Government Computers

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 47 — UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE › SUBCHAPTER X — PUNITIVE ARTICLES › § 923

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Anyone covered by this chapter must not misuse U.S. government computers. It is a crime to knowingly take classified or other protected information from a government computer without permission and give it to someone who is not allowed to have it, or to send code or commands that intentionally damage a government computer. People who break these rules can be punished by court-martial. computer: has the meaning used in 18 U.S.C. 1030. Government computer: a computer owned or run by or for the U.S. Government. damage: has the meaning used in 18 U.S.C. 1030.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §923

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—
Any person subject to this chapter who—
(1)knowingly accesses a Government computer, with an unauthorized purpose, and by doing so obtains classified information, with reason to believe such information could be used to the injury of the United States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation, and intentionally communicates, delivers, transmits, or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted such information to any person not entitled to receive it;
(2)intentionally accesses a Government computer, with an unauthorized purpose, and thereby obtains classified or other protected information from any Government computer; or
(3)knowingly causes the transmission of a program, information, code, or command, and as a result of such conduct, intentionally causes damage without authorization to a Government computer;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
(b)Definitions.—
In this section: (1)
(2)The term “Government computer” means a computer owned or operated by or on behalf of the United States Government.
(3)The term “damage” has the meaning given that term in section 1030 of title 18.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 923 was renumbered section 905 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing

Regulations

and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 923

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110