How Egypt combats cybercrimes, protects public, private information

CAIRO – 11 May 2022: The dependence on online communication tools increased globally, especially after the pandemic, with the latest figures of broadband internet users in Egypt show an increase by 14.96 percent by the end of November 2021.

Reaching 9.99 million, the number of internet users are increasing daily, which requires a clear understanding of the rules regulating this virtual medium to avoid violations that could send one to prison.

Egypt has adopted the anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes Law, known in the media as the law of “internet crimes”, to confront the crimes of hacking and attacking the Internet networks belonging to the state or public legal persons.  

The Law No. 157 of 2018 worked to achieve a balance between combating the illegal use of computers and information networks, data protection government information, systems and information networks of the state or a public legal person from intercepting, hacking, tampering with, damaging or disrupting them in any way, in addition to the criminal protection for the sanctity of private life guaranteed by the constitution for electronic correspondence, and not to disclose or eavesdrop on it except by a reasoned judicial order.

In the below lines, Egypt Today highlights the most prominent 6 violations that are punished by law:

1- Wi-Fi and receiver connection theft will be punished by no less than 3 months of imprisonment and a fine from 10,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds.

2- Harming family values will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than 6 months and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 pounds.

3- Forging social media or e-mail accounts will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than 3 months and a fine of 10,000 to 30,000 pounds.

 4- Hacking an email or a personal website will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than one month and a fine of 50 thousand to 100 thousand pounds.

5- Defacing a site after penetration will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than 3 months and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 pounds.

6- Hacking websites of state agencies will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than two years and a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 pounds.