L14: CYBER LAW

What is Cyber Law?
Cyber law refers to any laws relating to protecting the Internet and other online communication technologies.

NEEDS FOR CYBER LAW
These concerns and issues clearly indicate why cyber laws are needed in online activities.

THE CYBER LAW ACTS IN MALAYSIA
The Malaysian Government has already passed several cyber laws to control and reduce the Internet abuse. These cyber laws include:
• Digital Signature Act 1997
• Computer Crimes Act 1997
• Telemedicine Act 1997
• Communications and Multimedia Act 1998

DIGITAL SIGNATURE ACT 1997
The Digital Signature Act 1997 secures electronic communications especially on the Internet. Digital Signature is an identity verification standard that uses encryption techniques to protect against e-mail forgery. The encrypted code consists of the user’s name and a hash of all the parts of the message.

COMPUTER CRIMES ACT 1997
The Computer Crimes Act 1997 gives protection against the misuses of computers and computer criminal activities such as unauthorised use of programmes, illegal transmission of data or messages over computers and hacking and cracking of computer systems and networks. By implementing the Computer Crimes Act 1997, users can protect their rights to privacy and build trust in the computer system. At the same time, the government can have control at a certain level over cyberspace to reduce cyber crime activities.

TELEMEDICINE ACT 1997
The Telemedicine Act 1997 ensures that only qualified medical practitioners can practice telemedicine and that their patient's rights and interests are protected.

These act provides the future development and delivery of healthcare in Malaysia.
COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA ACT 1998
The implementation of Communication and Telecommunication Act 1998 ensures that information is secure, the network is reliable and the service is affordable all over Malaysia.

This Act also ensures high level of user's confidence in the information and communication technology industry.