09-25-2008, 02:22 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Okolona, Ky.
Posts: 5,760
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Some serious penalties for hackers...
Original article...
Congress Extends Cybercrime Laws
September 17, 2008 - The legislation would make it a felony to use spyware or keystroke loggers to damage ten or more computers and allow up to ten years imprisonment.
Quote:
Congress passed a bill this week to crack down on cybercrime after adding an amendment containing most of an anti-spyware bill. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill -- H.R. 5938 -- Monday. The amendment -- part of Senate bill S. 2168 -- expands the ability of the federal government to prosecute identity theft crimes and allows victims to obtain restitution for the time and money they spend trying to restore their credit. The legislation, which must be signed by President George W. Bush, allows a fine and up to five years imprisonment for spyware.
The amendment closes a loophole on existing identity theft laws that only allowed federal prosecution if the perpetrator used interstate or foreign communications to access a computer, except in cases involving federal government computers or financial institutions. If the President signs the bill into law, federal prosecutors would be able to pursue cases in which the computers of the perpetrator and victim are in the same jurisdiction.
The amendment criminalizes the use of malicious spyware and keystroke loggers to damage a computer, by eliminating a requirement that the loss exceed $5,000 and making it a misdemeanor to send spyware that causes any loss. Perpetrators would face fines and up to one year in prison. The legislation would make it a felony to use spyware or keystroke loggers to damage ten or more computers and allow up to ten years imprisonment.
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Keylogging and Spyware now felonies
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