Hackers to Face Tougher Sentences
Convicted hackers and virus writers soon will face significantly harsher penalties under new guidelines that dictate how the government punishes computer crimes.
Starting in November, federal judges will begin handing out the expanded penalties, which were developed by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Congress ordered the changes last year, saying that sentences for convicted computer criminals should reflect the seriousness of their crimes.
"The increases in penalties are a reflection of the fact that these offenses are not just fun and games, that there are real world consequences for potentially devastating computer hacking and virus cases," said John G. Malcolm, deputy assistant attorney general and head of the U.S. Justice Department's computer crimes section. "Thus far, the penalties have not been commensurate with the harm that these hacking cases have caused to real victims."
