Beijing: Hackers in China could face up to seven years in jail according to a draft law, as the country moves to fight rampant computer data theft, state media said today.

Those who provide intruders with software or tools for stealing data or illegally manipulating computers would face similar penalties, the China Daily reported, citing the proposed amendment to the Criminal Law.

Legislators on the standing committee of the National People's Congress, or parliament, carried out the second reading of the draft yesterday, it said.

If passed, the clauses will be the first legal tools to crack down on increasing data theft from non-official computers in China, the report said.

The existing Criminal Law stipulates punishment only for intruding into networks of governments, national defence or advanced science sectors, or altering the functions of personal computer systems, it said.

The public security ministry first raised the request to make the amendment due to rampant stealing of account numbers and passwords, especially those of games and banks, and hacking of computers to remotely control them, it added.

For example, more than 20,000 online gaming accounts with a market value of around 200,000 yuan (USD 29,200) are stolen every day in the central province of Hunan alone, according to official figures.

"These actions are a big threat to online security, and we consider it necessary to define them as crimes," said Li Shishi, deputy director of parliament s law committee, according to the report.
Source : PTI