An amendment to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 will see cyber criminals committing “serious crime” faced with life imprisonment. The act is part of the Serious Crime Bill and outlines offences relating to cyber crimes such as hacking, spreading viruses and using malware to breach computer systems.
A life sentence will be available if the attack is deemed life threatening, this may include attacks on power supplies, fuel distribution and communications.The harsher sentences will be introduced to reflected the damages that can be caused as a result of cyber attacks.
Criminals who commit less severe cyber crimes such as causing social disruption, environmental or economic damage will receive up to 14 years imprisonment. The current maximum sentence is 10 years.
The bill will also make it an offence for people to obtain tools such as malware with the intention of committing a crime. A provision in the Bill will mean UK citizens can be prosecuted when they commit crimes while physically outside of the UK.
The Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime said: “Our reliance on computer systems and the degree to which they are interlinked is ever increasing and a major cyber attack on our critical infrastructure would have grave consequences.”
Following the EU Directive on Attacks Against Information Systems, there are a number of changes that are being introduced to bring the law in line with European law.
Additional changes to the Serious Crime Act will make it a criminal offence to create “paedophile manuals”. There is currently no law against providing information on grooming or sexualy abusing children.
The British government is spending £650 million on its Cyber Security Programme and believes the changes will deter more people from committing cyber crimes. Tougher sentences for cyber crime has been welcomed by many people within the government and the security industry.
Other changes to the Serious Crime Bill will allow police to seize property from convicted gang members, harsher sentences introduced for organised crime leaders who don’t have ‘hands on’ involvement and increased sentences for crime-by-association.
The amendments will be included in the Serious Crime Bill in July 2014.