13 ways you might be accidentally breaking the law, according to lawyers – The Independent

‘Various ways in which people may inadvertently break the laws of the UK while at home have been listed by lawyers.’

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The Independent, 10th May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court refuses request to force alleged hacker to divulge passwords – The Guardian

‘An alleged hacker fighting extradition to the US will not have to give the passwords for his encrypted computers to British law enforcement officers, following a landmark legal ruling.’

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The Guardian, 10th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is ‘Big Data’ A Threat To Human Rights? – RightsInfo

Posted April 27th, 2016 in computer crime, data protection, EC law, human rights, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘One of the great benefits of modern society is the amount of information available to us everyday. Much of that information is now stored electronically. However, collecting a lot of information together creates risks. Big data showcases the potential utility of amassing information in bulk, but we need to be wary of the possible threat to our right to privacy.’

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RightsInfo, 16th April 2016

Source: www.rightsinfo.org

GCHQ hacking does not breach human rights, security tribunal rules – The Guardian

‘Hacking of computers, networks and smartphones in the UK or abroad by GCHQ staff does not breach human rights, a security tribunal has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tribunal rules computer hacking by GCHQ is not illegal – BBC News

‘GCHQ is operating within the law when it hacks into computers and smart phones, a security tribunal has ruled.’

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BBC News, 12th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bootle man jailed for cyber attacks on more than 300 websites – BBC News

Posted November 13th, 2015 in computer crime, guilty pleas, internet, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Merseyside PoliceImage caption Ian Sullivan was jailed for 34 weeks at Liverpool Crown Court.
A man has been jailed for carrying out a string of cyber attacks against high-profile websites, resulting in more than 300 being taken offline.’

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BBC news, 12th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crime figures: ‘Five million’ fraud cases in past year – BBC News

Posted October 15th, 2015 in computer crime, crime, fraud, news, statistics by sally

‘There were more than five million incidents of fraud in England and Wales in the last year, estimates suggest.’

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BBC News, 15th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Victims of cyber crime should be ‘low priority’ if they fail to take security steps, says report – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 15th, 2015 in computer crime, fraud, news, police, reports, victims by sally

‘Official study backed by City of London Police suggests ‘hard decisions’ should be made if victims admit they did not follow security advice.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Webcam hacker spied on sex acts with BlackShades malware – BBC News

‘A Leeds-based hacker used a notorious piece of malware called BlackShades to spy on people via their webcams.’

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BBC News, 8th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hacking investigation took four years and cost £2.5m – but ended without any prosecutions – The Independent

Posted September 10th, 2015 in computer crime, costs, inquiries, news, prosecutions by tracey

‘A £2.5m Scotland Yard investigation into computer hacking has ended after four years without anybody facing court because the alleged offences happened too long ago, prosecutors have confirmed.’

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The Independent, 9th September 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

An affair to remember–cyber crime implications of the Ashley Madison hack – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 8th, 2015 in computer crime, crime, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘In the wake of the Ashley Madison hacking affair, Matthew Richardson, a barrister at Henderson Chambers, considers the criminal law implications and looks at how computer crime legislation is developing to deal with these types of issues.’
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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th September 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Suffolk extradition suspect Lauri Love’s ‘fair trial’ fears – BBC News

Posted August 10th, 2015 in computer crime, extradition, news by sally

‘A British man facing extradition over claims he hacked into US government computers has said he fears he will not get a fair trial.’

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BBC News, 9th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Relevance of Probate in the Digital Age – New Square Chambers

Posted July 27th, 2015 in computer crime, executors, internet, money laundering, news, probate by sally

‘Imagine an estate where there is no dispute amongst the beneficiaries, whether about the validity of the deceased’s will or its terms. Imagine that there is no inheritance tax to pay by reason of the death of the deceased. The bulk of the estate is held in a bank account that is accessible online and the executor named in the will is aware of the username and password applicable to this online account. He wishes to use them to transfer the money in the account to an account in his name and then to administer it precisely according to law.’

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New Square Chambers, 29th June 2015

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

Former employee found guilty over Morrisons data theft – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Andrew Skelton, a former employee of Morrisons supermarket has today (17 July) been found guilty of fraud, securing unauthorised access to computer material and disclosing personal data. He has been sentenced to eight years at Bradford Crown Court, in relation to stealing personal data belonging to nearly 100,000 Morrisons employees.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 17th July 2015

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

UK teenager sentenced over ‘biggest’ web attack – BBC News

Posted July 13th, 2015 in community service, computer crime, internet, news, sentencing, young offenders by tracey

‘A British teenager has been sentenced for his part in what was called the “biggest cyber attack in history”.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Intelligence agencies can hack computers without breaking UK laws – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK government changed the law to enable intelligence agencies to engage in computer hacking without being said to be in breach of the Computer Misuse Act, privacy campaigners have claimed. The government has said the powers were already in existence and that the reforms merely serve to clarify the legal position.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 18th May 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Exam cheat jailed for hacking into university computer system – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 24th, 2015 in computer crime, examinations, news, sentencing, universities by sally

‘Court hears University of Birmingham student Imran Uddin, 25, used a keyboard spying device to steal staff passwords and then upped five exam marks ‘

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Daily Telegraph, 24th April 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Life imprisonment possible for breach of new Computer Misuse Act rules from 3 May – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 25th, 2015 in computer crime, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘People who cause “serious damage” to computer systems in the UK could be sentenced to life imprisonment under a change to the law set to come into force in May.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th March 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

UK government issues first definition of computer hacking by spies – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2015 in codes of practice, computer crime, intelligence services, interception, news by sally

‘Code of practice sets out rules and safeguards surrounding use of computer hacking outside UK by security services.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Policing cuts put public safety at risk, warns Met chief – Daily Telegraph

‘The head of the Metropolitan Police has warned that large cuts to police budgets and other services will put public safety at risk.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk