ABU DHABI: The UAE Public Prosecution has warned the public against accessing websites, electronic information systems, computer networks, or information technology means without authorisation whether such access is intended to obtain government data, or confidential information relating to a financial, commercial or economical facility.
In a video clip posted Friday on its social media platforms, the Public Prosecution outlined the punishment for committing such actions, which are considered a cybercrime under the UAE Law. According to Article 4 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2012 on combating cybercrimes, whoever accesses a website, electronic information system, computer network, or information technology means without authorisation, whether such access is intended to obtain government data, or confidential information relating to a financial, commercial or economical facility, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine not less than Dh250,000 and not in excess of Dh150,0000.
The punishment shall be imprisonment for a period of at least five years and a fine not less than Dh500,000 and not in excess of Dh2,000,000, if the data or information were deleted, omitted, deteriorated, destructed, disclosed, altered, copied, published or re-published.
The Public Prosecution highlighted the importance of the Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2012 on combating cybercrimes, emphasising its significant role in fighting new crimes that emerge along with rapid technological developments.
“Under this law, these crimes can be addressed in a constitutional and legal deterrent manner that minimises the negative impacts resulting from the misuse of modern technologies on the social and economic interests of the UAE and individuals,” it added.
