Cybercrimes zoom three times this year

While cybercrimes continue to create huge financial losses globally, the number of incidents in the Sultanate too witnessed a surge this year. According to a top ranking official with Oman’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), there has not been any letup in the number of cybercrimes and threats in the country. “Cybercrimes have witnessed an increase of more than three times against what it was last year”, said Badr Ali al Salehi, Director-General of Oman National CERT. The number of cases has reached 1,700 till the end of September this year, he told Observer in an interview.

“It’s not surprising that reported security breach incidents and the associated financial impact continue to rise year-over-year”, he said. In the Sultanate, he said, “90 per cent of the victims of the cybercrime including blackmailing are women”.

Al Salehi said that there is an increase in the number of security incidents coming to the fore as result of the national security campaigns being held in the Sultanate. According to him, social stigma and embarrassment have hindered women from reporting such crimes and the actual number of victims is predicted to be much higher.

The Omani law defines blackmail as threatening and compelling a person to do any act or wrong doing against his/her will, with some form of punishment if he/she does not fulfill the request.

Article 18 of the cybercrime law stipulates jail term for a period not less than one month and not more than three years and a fine of not less than RO 1,000 and not more than 3,000 or one of these penalties.

The penalty shall be temporary imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than ten years and a fine of not less than 3,000 and not exceeding RO 10,000 if the threat is to commit a crime or breach of the attribution of moral turpitude.

When asked about using cyberspace for drug deals, Al Salehi said that Oman is the first country in the region to introduce death penalty for such a crime. “Omani law stipulates the extreme punishment of death sentence for drug peddling through cyberspace depending on the gravity of the crime”, he said.

SAMUEL KUTTY