On Thursday, a European Parliament committee approved a new draft directive (PDF) that would, among other things, require European Union member states to step up criminal penalties for hacking, botnets, and other digital malfeasance.
Under EU law, directives are a set of instructions for all 27 (soon to be 28, when Croatia joins on July 1, 2013) member states to “translate” the new rules into their own local law. The new draft directive is set to be voted on by all of Parliament in July 2013 and enter into force shortly thereafter if approved.
According to a press release from the civil liberties committee, the new language requires that maximum prison terms for “illegally accessing or interfering with information systems, illegally interfering with data, illegally intercepting communications or intentionally producing and selling tools used to commit these offences,” be set at least for two years.
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