DAMMAM: Ministries have called on its departments to endorse an electronic safety plan against hackers getting access to confidential government data and which will also regulate Internet use. They said that government is there to serve the public and that technology should not be manipulated so that it violates the Islamic Sharia, the state's policies or public morals. It will also be required of government departments and agencies to have a service provider that provides secure control and guarantees that certain sites cannot be unblocked. They also warned against officials using sites that broadcast unsafe video files and purposeless game sites that include violence and improper images. They called on their staff to become acquainted with the Information Crime Act to avoid possible damages; achieve information security; preserve rights regarding the legitimate use of computers and the Internet; and protect the public interest, morals and the national economy. The act states that the sanction for spying on information sent through a network, or hacking into a network or machines or websites, with the purpose of accessing private information to be used for blackmail, is a year in prison and a fine of SR500,000. As for cybercrimes that involve erasing information, disrupting services, stopping or disrupting a network, can result in imprisonment for four years and a fine of SR3 million.
