A recent survey shows that most people access computer resources without the benefit of clear standards of ethical and legal behavior in the MIS environment. This uninformed access leaves the organization – which is the legal custodian of computer data and software–susceptible to theft of resources and privacy and copyright violations as well as legal prosecution from law enforcement authorities. This article describes a survey of a cross section of MIS personnel and other system users in business, academia, and law enforcement and analyzes its results in the context of the current legal and ethical environment. It also suggests several remedies for reducing an organizations exposure to computer crime.