Westport Computer Crimes Lawyer
If you are facing charges for any sort of cybercrime, speaking with a Westport computer crimes lawyer as soon as possible could be crucial to building a strong defense strategy. Whether you have been accused of a misdemeanor or a felony offense, a seasoned defense attorney could help you understand your legal options and work with you to fight the allegations against you.
How Is Computer Crimes Defined?
In Connecticut, computer crimes refer to a somewhat broad category of criminal offenses that involve the unlawful use, manipulation, or damaging of computer hardware and/or computer systems. According to Connecticut General Statutes §53a-251, a person commits a computer crime when they do any of the following without proper authorization:
- Access a computer system while knowing they are not authorized to do so
- Interrupt, degrade, or deny computer services
- Steal computer services, or access a computer system with the intent of stealing a computer service
- Obtain, tamper with, delete, distribute, or otherwise misuse secure information from inside a computer system
- Take, transfer, tamper with, damage, or destroy computer system hardware
Furthermore, C.G.S. §53a-262 separately defines the computer-related criminal offense of computer extortion by use of ransomware. As a Westport cybercrimes attorney could explain in further detail, anyone who introduces ransomware to any single computer, system, or network and then demands a financial payout to remove the ransomware may be charged with a Class E felony offense, a conviction for which could lead to a $3,500 fine and up to three years of imprisonment.
What is the Difference Between Misdemeanor And Felony Computer Crime Charges?
The severity of a computer crime charge depends on the total financial value of the losses and/or damage the alleged crime caused. State law classifies computer crimes that result in less than $1,000 of harm as misdemeanors and computer crimes that causes more than $1,000 of damage as felonies.
The specific denominations that correspond to different classes of computer crimes—all of which a seasoned computer crimes lawyer in Westport could help contest—are as follows:
- Computer crime in the fifth degree – Less than $500 of damage, as per G.S. §53a-256
- Computer crime in the fourth degree – Between $500 and $1,000 of damage, as per G.S. §53a-255
- Computer crime in the third degree – Between $1,000 and $5,000 of damage, as per G.S. §53a-254
- Computer crime in the second degree – Between $5,000 and $10,000 of damage, as per G.S. §53a-253
- Computer crime in the first degree – Over $10,000 of damage, as per G.S. §53a-252
To learn more about the penalties associated with the various computer crimes, call a Westport defense lawyer.
Consider Working with a Westport Computer Crimes Attorney
A variety of different computer-related behaviors could qualify as a criminal act, and you could face felony charges depending on the amount of harm you allegedly caused. Call today to learn how a Westport computer crimes lawyer could help your case. You can read our certified 5-star reviews on Avvo.com by clicking this link.