Cybercrime And Protection Under Criminal Law

The latest criminal statistics of the Austrian Interior Ministry show a strong growth of cybercrime: In the first half of 2019, the Austrian police recorded over 13,000 cybercrime offences, compared to around 8,700 in the same period last year. Combating cybercrime is therefore becoming more and more relevant, in particular for companies to protect their business secrets.

Protection under criminal law

The Austrian Criminal Code ("ACC") contains various provisions with a strong focus on providing protection against cybercrime:

• Section 118a ACC punishes illegal access to computer systems such as computer hacking and cyberattacks with the intention to use the received data to damage the victim.