Information crimes their types and penalties

Information crimes their types and penalties

Due to the tremendous development of digital technology and the increase in modern technologies today, information crimes have become a major threat to society and individuals, and the opportunities for criminals to carry out their harmful activities via the Internet have increased.

To enhance awareness of cybercrimes, warn of their seriousness, and confront the challenges associated with them, this requires the necessity of detailing cybercrimes in Saudi Arabia, the cybercrimes system, what are cybercrimes?

Information crimes

These are criminal activities that occur using digital technology to achieve illegal goals. Cybercrimes are committed using computers or any device connected to the Internet for illegal purposes, often for money or other personal or political purposes.

Cybercrimes occur at the hands of individual or group thieves, whether initiators or professionals, who use modern technologies to carry out these crimes. There are many types of them:

What are the types of cybercrimes?

What are the types of cybercrimes?

Crimes targeting individuals:

A group of individuals is targeted, such as if the perpetrator blackmails the individual to steal his money, forces him to carry out illegal acts, impersonates him, or tarnishes his reputation.

Crimes targeting state security:

Such as using spyware to threaten the safety and security of the state, or spreading false information to cause chaos in the country and carry out terrorist plans.

Crimes targeting institutions:

The criminal hacks into the systems of companies and institutions in order to steal money or information from the company and employees to serve their personal interests, causing huge losses to individuals and companies.

Money crimes:

Such as bank accounts being hacked, money being stolen and seized, or intellectual rights being stolen, such as the manufacture of non-original software, causing great harm to individuals and institutions.

Cybercrime number:

With the large number of reports and complaints submitted, the competent authorities have been keen to provide many means to report them and combat cybercrimes, including:

• Cybercrime hotline:

By calling 1909 to inquire or file a report about any of the cybercrimes stipulated in the system.

• Absher system of the Ministry of Interior:

Through the Absher electronic portal, a report can be submitted, reviewed and followed up around the clock.

• Visit the nearest police station:

The Saudi Anti-Crime Police can report cybercrimes and provide the necessary information.

You can seek the help of a lawyer from Abdul Majeed Al Rashid Law and Legal Consultations Office to provide legal advice when you encounter one of these problems.

What is the cybercrime system?

What is the cybercrime system?

It is a set of legislation established by the state to identify illegal activities related to technology and many serious information crimes such as fraud, espionage, and electronic hacking, and to determine appropriate penalties for them.

The cybercrime system aims to protect individuals, institutions, data, and information in the digital world.

Cybercrime Combating System

This system aims to achieve information security, protect the state’s economy and public interest, and safeguard public morals and ethics. Therefore, the state has imposed penalties for cybercrimes.

Punishment for information crimes

Punishment for information crimes

• The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand riyals, or one of the two penalties, when eavesdropping on computers without justification, threatening a person to force him to do or leave an act, even if it is legitimate, illegally accessing websites with the aim of destroying or changing them, defaming others, harming their reputation, or harming their lives, such as photographing them, etc.
• Anyone who seizes money or bonds for himself or others through fraud or impersonation shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years and a fine not exceeding two million riyals, or with one of the two penalties, for anyone who seizes money or bonds for himself or others through fraud or impersonation, unjustified entry into bank data with the aim of accessing information, money, etc.
• Anyone who produces, prepares, sends or stores anything that could harm order or violate public values and morals, creates or facilitates dealing with human trafficking websites, creates websites for trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances or materials related to pornographic networks and immoral activities shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding four years and a fine not exceeding three million riyals, or by one of the two penalties.
• Anyone who creates a website for terrorist organizations on the Internet or computer, or illegally enters the website with the aim of obtaining data that affects the internal or external security of the state and its national economy, shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding five million riyals.

You can view full details through the executive regulations of the Information Crimes System pdf.