Computer crime is not innocent mischief and should be dealt with sternly.

Computer criminals and hackers will continue to ply their nefarious trades as long as they are met with “understanding” and a slap on the wrist for what some people might consider cleverness. Impose some serious penalties and make it known penalties will be severe, and things might improve for the electronic era.

A hacker broke into the University of Missouri-Kansas City computer security system recently and compromised the passwords of about 17,000 students, staff and faculty members. The school’s Internet system was temporarily shut down and when students returned from holiday break, they had to change their passwords. There is no justification for such intrusion.

Was this caused by some malcontent, misfit or nitwit trying to show how clever and inventive he or she can be? Was it a case of “setup” so that various material or information could be gained to be worked into more illegal behavior later?

Quite often, the perpetrator of such damaging activity is some youngster with nothing else to do beyond showing how nifty he or she can be with a keyboard. If nothing serious results, there is probation and warning but seldom any stern penalties, such as jail time.

The computer age has created virtually unlimited opportunities for people with perverted values to take advantage of trusting and well-intentioned people. Computer crimes far outstrip the capabilities of prevention and detection. Sadly, many such culprits get away with their capers, perhaps to strike later in a more serious vein.

Whatever is discovered in the UMKC case, if the guilty party can be located and publicly humiliated, all well and good. There ought also to be more than just probation and public service. A little time in a cell without a telephone or computer is even better.