Accessing the communications of an organization without authorization was made a criminal violation by which federal cybersecurity law?

The Stored Communications Act (SCA) is a critical piece of legislation that specifically addresses unauthorized access to electronic communications and stored data. Enacted as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in 1986, the SCA makes it a criminal offense to intentionally access without authorization a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided, or to intentionally access without authorization any data that is stored in that facility.

This act aims to protect the privacy of users' electronic communications while still allowing law enforcement to engage in legitimate monitoring and investigation within bounds of the law. By criminalizing unauthorized access, the SCA establishes a legal framework that safeguards against unlawful intrusion into private communications and stored data held by service providers, thus promoting better security and trust in electronic communications.

In contrast, the other options cover different areas of cybersecurity and privacy concerns. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act focuses primarily on copyright protection in the digital environment, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act addresses fraud and abuse in computer systems, including unauthorized access but with a broader focus encompassing fraud, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act covers wiretaps and interception of communications but does not specifically target unauthorized access to stored communications. Hence, the Stored Communications Act is the most relevant statute regarding the unauthorized access to organizational communications.