The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 23

14-BN Thursday, pri. 4, 1985 Tne Philadelphia Inquirer Authorities are extending long arm of the computer Have to go to Phila. for exciting gourmet fare? No more! In two years, all of New Jersey will be hooked into a network with the ability to cross-reference, interface and conduct high-speed electronic investigations. Ite a Spectacular New Dining Experience low computer-gained evidence and that it will be introduced legally as long as the proper chain of evidence is maintained and the law enforcement agencies have acted in good faith. Overall, though, the whole question remains to be seen." Beneficial Clark said the new state laws, especially those tightening the civil liabilities for computer abuse, should be beneficial to his division.

Now, he noted, most corporations try to keep serious breaches of computer security under wraps and are willing to take a private loss rather than deal with the public backlash from stockholders and customers. The new civil-liability law, he added, should bring more cases into the public eye and help the Criminal Justice Division ascertain the degree Associated resa ASBURY PARK, N.J. People have icen defrauding s'ale and federal agencies for just as long as they've been getting caught at it. But now, tlianks to computers, the chance of getting caught is much greater. The reason is simple, according to Wayne Fisher, chief of research and evaluation for the state Division of Criminal Justice.

"The computer now bears evidence that used to be on the ledger books and other records," he said. And now, criminal probes that once took months of tedious investigation especially of fraud against government agencies are j.ng easier. For instance, in 1983, 125 people were convicted of defrauding the state by illegally obtaining unemployment benefits. Last year, that number more than tripled, to 474, and the amount of money paid back to the state through restitution jumped from $1.5 million two years ago to more than $5.1 million in 1984. Computers are hardly new to the Criminal Justice Division, a branch of the state attorney general's office.

Fisher started with the office five years ago and has witnessed countless innovations in the use of computers both in the division and in law enforcement agencies across the state. The Grand Opening of the Dazzling Seasons Restaurant at the Trevose Hilton Step into a new Witness a sophisticated decor of black lacquered furnishings, elegant paintings and etched glass embellished by classical music. Indulge your gourmet Enjoy an extensive continental menu, with an endless array of delectably prepared international entrees and chef's specialties. Renew your Relax in the utter luxury of our lavishly appointed, multi-level lounge. Enjoy great Electrifying sounds for dancing or listening 7 days a week featuring a spectacular light and video show Mon.

thru Sat. nights from 8 pm, and Happy Hours Mon. thru Fri. 5 7 pm. RESERVATIONS REQUESTED INDULGE YOUR GOOD pn Means of crime Computers are used not just to fight crime.

They also can be used to commit crimes. In response, new laws went into effect in New Jersey on March 14 to fight computer crime. One of them imposes penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of $100,000 for using a computer for illegal purposes. The second law strengthens the civil-liability penalties against those found culpable in private lawsuits of unauthorized tapping into private and corporate computer systems. As the laws pertaining to computer crime become tougher, the Criminal Justice Division is also expanding its expertise in that area to the local level.

This year, the prosecutor's offices in six New Jersey counties and municipalities will be outfitted with personal computers in the statewide "PromiseGavel" program aimed at detecting fraud at local levels. In two years, the entire state will be hooked into the network with the ability to cross-reference, interface and conduct high-speed electronic investigations. Installation of the PromiseGavel system in Monmouth and Ocean Counties is expected to begin later this year. Three ways Robert J. Clark, assistant director for special projects in the Criminal RESTAURANT AT THE TREVOSE HILTON (Northeast Philadelphia) U.S.

1, 2400 Old Lincoln Highway Trevose, Pennsylvania 19047 (215) 638-8300 and seriousness of the problem. Computer fraud, theft and trickery at the hands of "hackers" is unnecessary and could be totally prevented if companies would take the proper security measures, Clark said. Most large corporations have instituted 1 stringent security policies, he said. but smaller businesses are vulnerable. To keep a system secure, he recom mended using sophisticated entry codes encompassing both letters and numbers that are changed on a monthly basis.

On the case In the meantime, in both crime prevention and detection, the division is proceeding in its effort to incorporate the computer in its operation policies. That job falls primarily to Steven Long, who heads the PromiseGavel program, and his cohort, Wayne Fisher. Since no regular programs have conformed to the needs of the division, Long said it has been up to computer experts at criminal justice to develop their own programs. "Everything we do here is a customization based on the information that is given us," Long pointed out. It is his hope, a hope borne out by results such as the unemployment and Medicaid fraud cases, that the computer will continue to become an integral part of law enforcement in New Jersey.

And Long believes that it will, if for no other reason than "the computer allows us to see a criminal trend immediately after the fact. In the past, all the evidence would be gone or would require months and months of tracking through paper work. "Today, you can put a computer on it and get a pattern analysis much faster. This is a tool we've never had before." work dates back more than 25 years, when as a high school teacher he challenged students to package an egg so that it could be securely dropped from a high place. While Micklus works on problems for the 1986 competition in Flagstaff, he knows that thousands of youngsters are developing novel approaches to this year's set.

The current challenges include developing a "Smarty Pants" robot capable of doing homework and cleanup chores, an "ecology dozer" that can transplant trees with the power of a hydraulic jack and a visual presentation to accompany classical music. While the composition allows the youngsters wide latitude in creativity, the teams are limited to spending $40 in materials. Justice Division, said computers are being used in three primary ways: for targeting a specific problem, such as the unemployment fraud cases; as an investigative tool, in which information is fed to a computer in hopes a case-breaking trend might emerge, and as a detection device for computer crime itself. The division has made its greatest progress to date in targeting, according to Clark, who believes New Jersey is at the forefront of using computer expertise in conjunction with criminal justice. Although the use of computers to slow down unemployment fraud is impressive, the state is making its greatest progress in Medicaid fraud.

In fact, when New Jersey officials held a seminar on Medicaid fraud last year, it attracted representatives not only from states across the nation but from the federal government as well. To track down Medicaid abuses, the computer experts, investigators and prosecutors establish certain parameters within which Medicaid business is normally conducted. Firm indicted If transactions exceed those param- eters, the computer flags the excesses and brings the problem to the attention of investigators. It was in this manner that indictments were brought last year against a North Jersey ambulance service, which was charged with illegally billing $400,000 in bogus transportation costs. The case is awaiting trial.

As law enforcement agencies have come to rely increasingly on computers, the use of high-tech anti-crime techniques is seeping into the court system. Dean Deakins, the division's supervising state investigator, said test cases involving evidence obtained via computer should be brought before the courts in the near future. As computers and court become more commonplace, Deakins added, another new worry may confront prosecutors and police whether juries will be sophisticated enough to understand the sometimes technical means of detection used to solve cases. Clark, for one, doesn't foresee too many problems in the legal system. "We're optimistic that courts will al the capacity of the Glassboro State College dormitories, and there were "no hotel rooms to speak of" in the rural southern New Jersey town.

The administrative work of the private, nonprofit group was also moved from his basement to a small office in Glassboro. His wife, Carol, serves as OM's executive director and is one of four full-time paid workers. Carol Micklus said the theory behind the program is that creativity can be taught. She compared creativity to "playing a piano" anyone could be taught to do it but not everyone can achieve the same level of proficiency. At 50, Micklus retains a youthful enthusiasm for problem solving.

His appreciation for the "spectator sport" of watching youthful minds at Easter Druncn RESTAURANT Problem solvers bested in tiff over use of 'Olympics' in name TASTES Red Lobster Associated Press GLASSBORO, N.J. It took the Olympics of the Mind almost seven years to find a problem a child could not solve. C. Samuel Micklus, a Glassboro State College professor who co-founded the competition, has been developing games since 1978 to test the creative and technical talents of youngsters in kindergarten through 12th grade. Micklus said he has been routinely amazed by the participants' skill in solving complex problems with simple materials, creating everything from spring-powered vehicles to 18-eram balsa-wood structures that could support 978 pounds of iron weights.

Told to change name But the Olympics of the Mind fi nally ran into an irresolvable problem last year when the U.S. Olympic Committee formally requested that the organization halt unauthorized use of the name "Olympics." "I think it's unfair," said Micklus. "The Greeks used the word Olympics 1,000 years ago. I don't think it belongs to the U.S. Olympic Committee Olympic (mountains in Washington, or anybody else." Since federal law provides such exclusive use to the U.S.

Olympic Committee, the mind games have been renamed the OM World Finals this year. Micklus said more than 4,000 schools have become active members, with the finalists scheduled to compete June 5 to June 7 at the University of Maryland in College Park. The comnetition began in the basement of Micklus' house, where the physics professor designed the first contest: a maze in which students had to guide a blindfolded player with neither touch nor speech. Complications He likes to add a complicating element, and the first challenge required the blindfolded player to pop a series of balloons with a blow gun. Micklus said one group of youngsters played musical instruments to warn their player of boundary lines, to steer turns and to position the blow gun.

The games caught the attention of educators and journalists to a degree LOUNGE Alaskan King Crab Legs. vo.yo wim uiy ciiucc. They're selling like hot cakes: Alaskan King Crab Legs at Come in rieht now and get a half pound of steaming crab legs for just S3.95 when you order any entree, you'll find tender, succulent meat that's sweet and delicii A lavish extravagance awaits you at our first Easter Brunch. An array of delicious Brunch selections for the most discriminating taste and sumptuous enough for the heartiest of appetites. Crack open But bo Pk approximate weight before rooking the shelfand our special is only running for a limited time.

hurry in. And get them wnile tney re not. RedLobster, WYOMISSINC SPRINGFIELD PHILADELPHIA TRENTON, NJ. WHITEHALL CHERRY HILL, NJ. wp wtphon dirmofv fof Red Lobrtf: kesuuram nearrtt vou Children 1 1 3 Philaclcl)liia that surprised Micklus.

"I couldn't believe it, participations) kept doubling every year," he said. "It was initially going to be a one-time thing." Within three years, Micklus said, the number of participants, judges, parents and spectator overwhelmed Roosevelt At Grant Avenue (2 1 5) 67 1 -9600.