Over the past months we have seen Australia becoming a target for hackers, as well as this we have seen many young hackers surfacing from the suburbs around Australia. Today the Australian federal police have now confirmed that 6 youths from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth have been issued warnings over suspicious online activities. Now this is how it should be done, we look over at America and united kingdom and they tend to arrest and charge anyone that has committed cyber offences, but here in Australia our police are attempting to educate them into the trouble that may arise from participating in such activities.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has issued six cautions to young people suspected to be engaging in cybercrime related activities in the past week. Throughout June, AFP officers attended residences in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth in relation to suspicious online activity. The individuals and their parents or guardians were each provided with a copy of the relevant Commonwealth legislation and educated as to the illegality or potential illegality of their activities. National Manager High Tech Crime Operations Neil Gaughan said this is a reminder of the AFP’s vigilance in the cyber environment. “These activities are just part of the ongoing commitment by law enforcement to deter cyber criminals,” Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said. “In this case, the AFP has engaged with these young people to educate them on the risks of becoming involved in this type of behaviour before they find themselves committing serious offences. Activities such as hacking, creating or propagating malicious viruses or participating in DDOS attacks are not harmless fun. They can result in serious long-term consequences, such as criminal convictions and perhaps jail time. The AFP has not arrested any of the young people spoken to. This activity was undertaken as a deterrence measure and to increase their understanding of these types of offences.” Under Commonwealth legislation, hacking and computer related offences carry penalties between two to 10 years imprisonment. The AFP is dedicated to preventing all Australians from becoming victims of cyber related crime by empowering them to use technology safely and responsibly. ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the AFP and Microsoft, and supported by ninemsn and Datacom, promoting the safe and responsible use of technology. The ThinkUKnow initiative aims to educate children, parents, carers and teachers about the risks faced online and how to create a safe online experience for young people. Further information about ThinkUknow can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au
Source: AFP Media center