Changes proposed by the Obama Administration to a variety of laws used to prosecute cyber-crime have raised concerns among security professionals and vulnerability researchers, who worry that activities meant to improve security could lead to criminal charges.
In a document published on Jan. 13, the White House presented its legislative proposals to amend a variety of laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, to crack down on what the administration called “an unprecedented threat from rogue hackers as well as organized crime and even state actors.”
The proposed changes could make accessing public documents illegal, if the owner would not have approved; creates stricter punishments for anyone convicted of a cyber-crime; and allows the government to seize assets linked to cyber-crimes, security researchers said.
Cyber Security World 