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Tougher penalties urged to fight cyber terrorism

SHARJAH — The penalties for cyber terrorism and those who build terror-related web sites need to be toughened to have the necessary deterrent effect, accoding to Dr Major Khalid Al Hamadi from Sharjah Police Department.

by

Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Thu 15 Nov 2007, 9:15 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 4:37 AM

Presenting a study paper on cyber terrorism in the UAE during the Middle East IT security (MEITSEC) conference organised by Sharjah Police Department and Etisalat, Dr Major Al Hamadi said the UAE had introduced a specific law for fighting cyber terrorism, but this law needs to have tougher penalties to have the desired deterrent effect.

The Article No 2 of the Federal Law of 2006 stipulates only a five-year jail term for anyone found guilty of launching a terror-related web site or of publishing information favouring a terrorist organisation.

He also urged a revies of Article No. 5 of the Federal Law of 2006 which states that the penalty for those who commit any type of cyber crime or cause damage to Internet services would be a jail term coupled with fines, determined on the nature of the criminal act.

In another paper, Kevin Mansell, Managing Director of the UK-based Control-F (a digital forensics training and consultancy firm) said mobile phone forensics play a key role in solving police cases as criminals tend to use such telecommunications to organise their crimes.

“The UAE is a developing market in the sphere of IT forensics and even though it has less violent crimes than the UK, a demand is being created as they become more aware of the significance mobile phones play in crimes,” claimed Mansell. He attributed the rising number of IT thefts to the new devices that are constantly being developed and launched by mobile phone companies which, in turn, forces forensics to keep up with the latest technology trends.

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