As internet is becoming a part of everyday lives, some criminals are using it to satiate their vengeance needs and to gain monetary benefits. Online frauds, KYC related frauds, ransomware spread, identity thefts, crypto jacking and mining, social media stalking, job frauds, cyber terrorism, distribution and spread of X rated stuff are some crimes that are surging because of extensive usage of internet related services with no legal boundaries and barriers.
However, to keep a check on the wide spreading crime, United States has published some cyber laws that, when violated, can land a person in jail and they are follows-
1.) Denial of Service attacks- Also known as distributed denial of service attack, the violation of this cyber law can land a person in jail as it violates CFAA, 18 USC 1030(a)(5)(A) law and is eligible for a hefty penalty along with a sentence pronunciation of 10 years vigorous imprisonment.
2.) Phishing is a cyber crime as it breaches the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 18 United States Code(USC) 1030(a)(5)(A) law and the person who is found guilty can be sentenced to up to 20 years of imprisonment.
3.) Malware spreading that includes ransomware, spyware, worms, trojans and virus tools can also land a person in jail as it violates CFAA, 18 USC 1030(a)(5)(A) law and the person found guilty can be sentenced to up to 10 years of imprisonment.
4.) Under the new cyber law, illegal distribution of hardware, software, and other computer tools can be subjected to criminal sanctions and will be eligible for 5 years’ imprisonment under CFAA, 18 USC 1030(a)(5)(A) law.
5.) Identity theft- Using others’ identity and illegal impersonating a person by stealing their passwords, digital signatures and bio-metrics such as IRIS and thumb impressions can also land a person in jail for around 10 years under the CFAA, 18 USC 1030(a)(5)(A) law.
6.) Taking photos of private places, individuals, women and children without the owners’ consent is also punishable under the CFAA, 18 USC 1030(a)(5)(A) law.
7.) Cyber terrorism related acts, such as threatening a company or government with an email, phone call or a message, can also land you into deep trouble. Sometimes, it can land the guilty into 10 years’ imprisonment.
8.) Spreading obscene content, especially those related to children, is also a punishable offense and can land the guilty in a prison for 5 years and they will also be asked to pay a penalty of $2 million.
Apart from the above stated cyber law breaches, they are also other sections under which an internet user involved in a cyber crime can be punished.
So, in order to contain and curb cyber crime efficaciously, an awareness among online users on how to use internet responsibly and proper coordination between the national and international law enforcement agencies can make complete sense.
