CYBER LAW

Cyber law, which is sometimes referred to as digital or Internet law, is the law that enforces the regulation of Internet practices. Cyber law can be criminal or civil and can cover a wide range of different types of law, from fraud to harassment to patents to defamation to employment law. Although the concept of cyber law is relatively new, the fact that our world is becoming increasingly digital and reliant on the Internet means the importance of cyber law is only growing.

Because almost everyone uses the Internet in some capacity, anyone has the ability to be the victim of cyber crimes. Usually, cyber crime is broken up into a few different types. These include crimes against property, people, or government. Crimes against a property usually mean an attack on a computer or server or a form of copyright infringement. Cyber crimes against people include credit card fraud, cyberstalking or harassment, identity theft, distribution of illegal content, and more. Cyber attacks on the government, such as hacking, cyber terrorism, access or leakage of confidential information, and cyber warfare, are grave and considered acts of war.

Intellectual property is a large part of cyber law. Because the Internet is endless and people share information and content constantly, this is often an issue when it comes to cyber regulations and intellectual property. Some examples include trademarks, contracts, patents, copyrights, privacy, data retention, and more.

Another way cyber law is vastly different from other kinds of law and crime is the jurisdiction difficulties. For example, a victim of a cyber crime may be located in a different state than the perpetrator, which begs the question of who has jurisdiction over the case.

There are several acts of legislation that specifically address matters of cyber law and security. In fact, in 2014, the U.S. Congress passed five cybersecurity bills. They include the National Cybersecurity Protection Act, Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, Cyberseeking Workforce Assessment Act, the Border Patrol Agency Pay Reform Act, and the Federal Information System Modernization Act of 2014.

Often when people find themselves to be a victim of a cyber crime, they seek the help and counsel of a cyber law attorney. Cyber lawyers also assist companies and businesses in developing cybersecurity policies. These are extremely important because they often have to do with the privacy of employees and customers and affect many areas of the business, including when it comes to data breaches. Having an attorney who specializes in cyber law help craft policy or represent a victim of a cyber crime is vital, especially when examining potential impacts of breaches. This also brings in the area of commercial litigation, which Attorney Joe Knape is well-versed in and can therefore serve as a great resource.

In order to prevent breaches and cybersecurity threats, many companies and individuals implement preventative measures. These can include firewalls, antivirus software, security policies for employees to follow, authentication, and more. This is where having a thorough knowledge of cyber law and security is crucial for businesses that handle sensitive information about customers.

In the case of a cyber crime impacting a company, corporate litigation requires top-level attorney work. As a seasoned attorney with experience in commercial litigation, Joe Knape serves as a valuable resource for those who are facing these cases. Call Joe at 407-508-7774 for a free consultation and see how Joe can help guide you through the commercial litigation process.