[ISN] Kuwait hacker haven

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Mar 08 2007 - 01:09:53 PST


http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/kuwait/Viewdet.asp?ID=9900

By Sameh Mohammed 
Special to the Arab Times
8th Mar 2007

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait has the highest percentage of Internet hacking in 
the world, says the Chairman of a seminar on Internet Hackers organized 
by Kuwait Information Technology Society. Within two days of 
Communications Minister Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak vowing to fight hackers, 
websites of several government departments were hacked, he adds. 
Information Technology activist Ahmed Al-Ibrahim said hackers can be 
grouped into three categories including those who steal personal 
information, others who break passwords and people who hack as a daily 
business, adding in Kuwait the last category has spread widely.

Sometimes these hackers send political messages to the public. 
Indicating Kuwait does not have any law against hackers, Attorney 
Mohammed Al-Dalaal said the private sector has been demanding the 
government to law down some rules against such crimes for a long time. 
Currently, the country has only one law and two ministerial decisions to 
deal with electronic crimes and even they are not directly related to 
hacking, he noted. He also said the United States has been exerting 
pressure on Kuwait to amend its Intellectual Property Rights Law, which 
has many loopholes.

Claiming the Ministry of Communications has instructed Internet Service 
Providers (ISP) to ensure the confidentiality and security of 
information, Al-Dalaal said this ministry has also instructed all ISPs 
in the country to block websites which have unethical information. 
Praising the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) for its 
efforts to get the Electronic Transactions Law approved, he said this 
law should be approved by the concerned authorities as early as 
possible. Former member of the e-Government Committee Jassem Al-Mutawa 
said private companies have been incurring heavy loses due to the havoc 
wreaked by hackers.


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