Hacking

Talk to the hacking defence solicitors at DPP Law as soon as you discover you may be facing penalties for computer hacking. We’ll work alongside you to collect evidence of your innocence and help you to argue that you did not intend to commit any offence or that the claims against you are false.

DPP Law computer and phone hacking solicitors will work closely with you to ensure you understand every step of the investigative process, and we’ll also provide you with expert advice to so that any enquiries into your actions can be successfully and positively laid to rest. Finally, should you be brought before a court, we’ll provide you with the best possible defence.

To be accused of hacking, you may be suspected of something as simple as looking at restricted information on another person’s phone or computer screen.

On the other end of the scale, investigators may believe you are guilty of utilising sophisticated malware to defraud a major company’s bank account or to leak confidential data.

In the latter case, it is highly likely that you will be investigated not only by UK law enforcement but also possibly by official bodies based in other countries.

This is due to the expansive nature of the internet, which means that cyber criminals may just as easily offend against individuals based abroad as they can their close neighbours.

You may face computer misuse act penalties if you are believed to have committed:

• Economic cyber crime
• The sending of malicious or offensive communications
• Fraud
• Intellectual property crime or piracy
• Cyber bullying or cyber stalking
• Fraudulent online sales
• Online blackmail
• Use of illegal malware
• Illegal spying or espionage
• Doing an unauthorised act with intent to impair the operation of a computer

Each one of the offences listed above may result in severe penalties should a guilty verdict be brought, so the assistance and advice of expert computer hacking solicitors under these circumstances is invaluable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of hacking?

Hacking comes in many forms, and with many purposes; from fraud and identity theft to “hactivism” to the use of malware or ransomware and even cyber terrorism.

Types of hacker include everyone from “Script Kiddies”, who utilise ready-made illegal programs to compromise security systems for fun, to “Black Hat” hackers who seek to access high security areas of the internet or a company’s server for their own gain, to sophisticated criminal gangs who take on major targets through espionage, fraud or blackmail in order to build an online crime empire.

Hackers may “manually” compromise a system or use automated tools in order to bypass security.

What is the punishment for hacking?

UK penalties for computer hacking observe three tiers of offence, each of which has a different possible maximum sentence:

• Level 1 is “unauthorised access to computer material”, which is punishable by up to two years in prison.
• Level 2 is “unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences”, which comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
• Level 3 is “unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer, etc”, which may result in a ten year prison sentence.

However, amendments to these offences have also been made – one of which, 3ZA (“unauthorised acts causing, or creating risk of, serious damage”), is punishable by up to life in prison.

What should I do if I’ve been accused of hacking?

It is vital that you get in touch with computer hacking solicitors as soon as you learn of any investigation into your affairs. It is also extremely important to collect all evidence of your activities throughout the period when the offence is alleged to have taken place.

Hacking defence solicitors will then assist you in looking through those records to find evidence of your innocence, and will also help you to decide how best to fight your case based on that proof. You can contact both specialist computer hacking solicitors and phone hacking solicitors depending on the nature of the allegations against you.

DPP Law’s hacking defence solicitors will help you to ensure that all of your online activities abide by complex international computer and internet usage laws.

We’ll also defend you throughout any investigation into the behaviour or your company or any individuals employed therein. Whether you require assistance from computer hacking solicitors or phone hacking solicitors, our specialists can assist you. Get in touch today.

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