Measures To Toughen Cyber-crime Laws Supported

eGov monitor reports that the government has given its full support to Tom Harris MP’s measures to get tough on cyber-crime. The proposals contained within Tom Harris MP’s Private Member’s Bill to amend the 1990 Computer Misuse Act (CMA) have now been included in the government’s Police and Justice Bill.

Specifically, these measures will broaden the definition of the section 3 offence to clarify that all means of interference with a computer system are criminalised and ensuring that adequate provision is made to criminalise all forms of denial-of-service attacks. The Police and Justice Bill will also increase the penalty for CMA section 1 (hacking) offences from six months to five years and will increase the penalty for CMA section 3 offences from 5 years to 10 years. The Bill will also add a new offence relating to supplying articles (e.g. hacking tools) for committing CMA offences.