U.K. Outlaws Denial of Service Attacks

gnaremooz writes "A U.K. law has been passed that makes it an offense to launch denial-of-service attacks. The penalties for violating the new statues are stiff, with sentences increased from 5 to 10 years. The five year penalty was from the 1990 "Computer Misuse Act", which was enacted before the Internet became widespread. The idea of stiffer penalties for DoS attacks are probably something we can all get behind, but the language of the law is frustratingly vague." From the article: "Among the provisions of the Police and Justice Bill 2006, which gained Royal Assent on Wednesday, is a clause that makes it an offense to impair the operation of any computer system. Other clauses prohibit preventing or hindering access to a program or data held on a computer, or impairing the operation of any program or data held on a computer."

Comments

If Slashdotting is outlawed

[EnsilZah]

Only outlaws will be reading Slashdot?

Very vague.

[massivefoot]

a clause that makes it an offense to impair the operation of any computer system

That really is rather vague. My family are able to "impair the operation of any computer system" just by being left alone with it for 10 minutes.

Re:Slashdotted effect

[thebigbluecheez]

quick, everyone pull the article up and refresh till the cows come home!

Re:Another law

[SEMW]

>Are these people just incredibly arrogant or plain stupid?

Why does it have to be either-or?

Re:Another law

[tyler_larson]

FTA:

"Among the provisions of the Police and Justice Bill 2006, which gained Royal Assent on Wednesday, is a clause that makes it an offense to impair the operation of any computer system.

No more unplugging the microwave.