(3) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), if the offence involves a public document or public
data, the penalty shall be a fine not exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not
exceeding twenty years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
24 Computer related financial offences
(1) Any person who unlawfully and intentionally acquires by any means, possesses, uses or
provides to another person the financial information of another for the purpose of committing any
offence shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level fourteen or
imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
(2) Any person who unlawfully and intentionally is in possession of the financial information
of another person in regard of which there is a reasonable suspicion that such financial information
was acquired, is possessed or provided to another for purposes of committing an offence or was
used or may be used to commit an offence under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and is liable
to a fine not exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years or to
both such fine and such imprisonment.
25 Violation of intellectual property rights
Any person who unlawfully and intentionally appropriates in any manner rights in property
which rights are vested in another person or where copyright exists in respect of any work without
the authority of the owner of the rights by means of a computer or electronic communications
system which the person knows is the subject of intellectual property protection shall be guilty of
an offence and, in addition to any penalty or relief provided under any relevant intellectual property
laws, liable to a fine not exceeding level ten or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years
or both such fine and such imprisonment.
26 Identity-related offence
Any person who unlawfully and intentionally by using a computer or information system
acquires, transfers, possesses or uses any means of identification of another person with the intent
to commit, or to assist in connection with the commission of an offence shall be guilty of an offence
and liable to a fine not exceeding level ten or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years
or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
27 Cyber-extortion
(1) Any person who unlawfully and intentionally through a computer or information system
exerts illegitimate pressure on another to obtain an advantage from the other person or compels or
abstains from the performance of any act shall be guilty of cyber-extortion and liable to a penalty
in terms of section 134 of the Criminal Law Code.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “illegitimate pressure” includes infecting a computer or
computer system with a virus or any other malware which prevents the user from accessing the
computer files and demanding a payment of money in return for the removal of the virus or other
malware to allow access to the files.
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