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DoS attacks criminalised
Category: Data security
17 November, 2008
Changes to a technology law have resulted in denial of service (DoS) attacks becoming illegal, meaning individuals could face legal consequences if they send millions of page requests or messages, potentially rendering servers and websites inoperable, it has been reported.Under the Computer Misuse Act, the new offence details that people can be reprimanded for doing anything without authorisation, with recklessness or intent to impair the operation of a computer, Out Law reports.
Moreover, such hackers can face up to a ten-year prison sentence and a fine, replacing the more restricted offence of unauthorised modification, an attack which carried a five-year maximum prison sentence.
"If you distribute information about a security vulnerability and the bad guys use it to attack it then the information about that vulnerability might qualify," Cambridge University security researcher Dr Richard Clayton previously told the resource.
A recent report by the Inquirer noted that the BBC website had been a victim of a DoS attack, which affected the performance of its website and is believed to have originated in three different countries.
Enterprises may therefore be wise to remember the importance of data security and having comprehensive disaster recovery plans in place to deal with such an incident.
