The UK bill to outlaw hacking that is going through the Commons is causing some concern to companies that might become victims of hackers: the bill creates a basic offence of actual or attempted unauthorised access that can lead to three months inside; an aggravated offence covering unauthorised access with intent to commit a serious crime; and a new offence of modification of computer data, each of which could cause the perpetrator to be banged up for up to five years – but the concern, reports the Teleputing Hotline arises from an amendment that says that the police can apply to any magistrate rather than a High Court judge for a search and seize warrant, whereupon the police can seize any computer system and software they suspect has been used in connection with the alleged crime, whether successful or not, retaining the system for examination, which could be very embarrassing for the innocent business owner of the computer is suspected to have been used for hacking by a member of the staff.
