International Cybercrime Treaty

November 23, 2001:  The Convention on Cybercrime, a/k/a “The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime,” is signed by representatives from the United States along with 29 other countries, to address criminal activity on the internet.   In August 2006 the U.S ratified the Treaty and it went into effect on January 1, 2007.

The Treaty mandates that each signatory State create criminal laws for:  Hacking, the production and/or distribution of hacking materials, the possession and distribution of child pornography, and criminal prosecution for intellectual property violations. 

In addition to the creation and implementation of criminal laws, the Treaty also mandates that the States share electronic evidence among the signers to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute criminal activity on the internet.   It also requires the States to create laws granting law enforcement the authority to compel an internet service provider to monitor a suspect’s internet activities. 

Under U.S. Federal Law it is criminal act to:  Trespass in and/or cause damage to a Government Computer, Obtain National Security Information, Access a Computer to engage in Fraud, Traffic in Passwords, Disclose and/or use Intercepted Communications, engage in Identity Theft, Wire Fraud and to Interfere with Internet Communications.