Dh300,000 fine and jail for hacking website
UAE Cybecrimes Law stipulates strict penalties for unauthorised access of websites
The UAE Public Prosecution has warned people that gaining access to a website without authorisation, with the intention to change its designs, or delete, destroy or modify it, or occupy the website address is a crime punishable by jail time, a heavy financial penalty or both.
Taking to its social media accounts, the authority posted a message on August 26, raising awareness on Article 5 of the Federal Law No. 5 of 2012 on Combatting Cybercrimes, also known as the UAE Cybercrimes Law, which stipulates a penalty of imprisonment and a fine ranging from Dh100,000 to Dh300,000 for the crime.
Article 5
The article states: “Shall be punished by imprisonment and by a fine not less than Dh100,000 and not in excess of Dh300,000 or either of these two penalties whoever gains access to a website without authorisation intending to change its designs, or delete, destroy or modify it, or occupy its address.”
Other articles in the Cybercrimes Law also stipulate stricter penalties if an individual is convicted of gaining unauthorised access to a website to obtain government or confidential data (Article 4), or who access websites to forge such data (Article 6).
Accessing online systems without authorisation
Article 4 of the law states: “Shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine not less than Dh250,000 and not in excess of Dh1.5 million, whoever accesses a website, electronic information system, computer network, or information technology means without authorisation whether such access is intended to obtain government data, or confidential information relating to a financial, commercial or economical facility. The punishment shall be imprisonment for a period of at least five years and a fine not less than Dh500,000 and not in excess of Dh2 million, if these data or information were deleted, omitted, deteriorated, destructed, disclosed, altered, copied, published or republished.”
The UAE’s Cybercrimes Law provides strict penalties, including fines and jail terms, on individuals found guilty of committing cyber crimes. This also includes crimes like online defamation, cyber extortion and hate speech.
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