Criminal Defense - Cyber Crimes

Top Attorney in Florida for Cyber Crime Defense

While the technological advancements of recent decades have improved modern society, they have also given prosecutors new charges to file. Both state and federal law prohibit individuals from engaging in certain cyber crimes. If you are facing a criminal investigation or charges, you do not have to go through the process alone. At Seltzer Mayberg, LLC, we have the experience to help you protect your legal rights.

What Are Florida’s Computer-Related Crimes?

Florida law covers two types of computer-related crimes: crimes against intellectual property and crimes against information systems or computer users. To be guilty of a crime against intellectual property, such as trade secrets or copyrights, an individual must damage, steal, destroy or illegally distribute someone else’s intellectual property. Here are examples:

• • Hacking a company’s database to take trade secrets
• • Downloading proprietary information without permission
• • Introducing a virus to stop production of a company’s product

Crimes against information systems or computer users typically involve ransomware or fishing. In essence, any activity that disrupts an information system or targets a computer user may potentially violate Florida law.

What Are Federal Cyber Crimes?

Unsurprisingly, federal law also prohibits certain computer-related crimes. Among other things, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act specifically makes illegal the following:

• • Hacking a government computer
• • Hacking government, financial or credit information
• • Damaging a government or bank computer or any other computer with a connection to interstate commerce
• • Using a computer to engage in espionage