A bill designed to crack down on cybercrime has drawn the support of Georgia’s Attorney General.
“Georgia is only one of only three states in the nation where it is not illegal to access a computer so long as nothing is disrupted or stolen,” said Attorney General Chris Carr on Wednesday. “This doesn’t make any sense. Unlawfully accessing any computer in Georgia should be a crime, and we must fix this loophole.”
Senate Bill 315 was introduced on the 2018 General Assembly’s first day by state Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White). Supporters said the bill will strengthen Georgia’s ability to more effectively fight cybercrime.
“By adding greater protections and penalties against unauthorized computer access, we believe this bill will help us more effectively fight cybercrime in our state,” said Carr.
Senate Bill 315 would create the new crime of unauthorized computer access; make the crime punishable by a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature; and subject materials that aid in the crime to forfeiture.
Co-sponsors include state Sens. John Albers (R-Alpharetta); Bill Cowsert (R-Athens); Butch Miller (R-Gainesville); Renee Unterman (R-Buford) and Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga).
