For a lot of us it is easy to think that our online existence is
not subject to the criminal law and that our existence online is
relatively anonymous. Well, think again. While the law can be
notorious for not keeping up with the modern world, there are
offences that cover various online activities such as
causing damage or 'impairment' to data, computer disks or
credit cards. In our experience, being charged with these types
of offences is relatively rare, however it can happen and when it
does it is taken seriously. Some of these offences carry penalties
such as imprisonment.
So you might be asking, what can I do to avoid accidentally
committing a crime while I am online? The answer is simple –
be careful in how you use your online presence and always behave in
the same way that you would if you were in the 'real'
world. For example, don't change a password on someone
else's account. Don't use a credit card online without
permission from the owner and especially
