Suaad Al-Shamarani Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The Shoura Council is studying amendments to the regulation for combating cyber crimes, according to sources. The proposed amendments include imprisonment for a maximum period of 10 years and fines with a ceiling of SR10 million for anyone who promotes terrorist thought or organizations, publishes or transmits material that threatens public safety or religious values, or harms State interests or reputation. The Shoura Council's Telecommunications and Information Technology Committee is studying the proposal, which was presented by Shoura Council members Dr. Fayiz Al-Shihri, Dr. Awad Al-Asmari, Dr. Jibreel Al-Areesh and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Harqan. The Cyber Crimes Law came into force in the Kingdom in 2007. A website called the “Internet Police” was set up to receive reports and complaints about cyber crimes. The Cyber Crimes Combat Regulation has stiffened penalties against all kinds of electronic wrongdoing. The law provides stiff fines and jail time for electronic blackmailing and stealing from bank accounts or financial bond funds, as well as terrorist activity including hosting or designing web sites for terrorist organizations. Cyber crime is on the rise across the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia, and protecting against cyber threats is an ongoing management challenge for organizations in the country. A recent annual survey by Gulf Business Machines (GBM) has found that approximately 45 percent of IT professionals in the GCC admit that their organizations had at least one IT security incident that they were aware of in the last 12 months.
