Extortion
A computer hacker who threatens to steal information or trade secrets from a computer, release or sell information or trade secrets he has already stolen, or to shut down or otherwise cripple a computer system may be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.

Identity Theft
Victims of identity theft now have the ability to demand restitution for their losses of time and money as a consequence of attempting to restore their credit and fixing any other harm caused by identity theft.

Hacking and Malicious Code
According to eWeek, the Identify Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act (S. 2168) made it a crime to cause "damage to a large number of computers, prohibits the creation of botnets, and allows law enforcement officials to seize computer equipment and other property used to perpetrate computer crimes."

Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 47 of the U.S. Code states it is a crime to transmit a "program, information, code, or command, and intentionally cause damage without authorization."

The act, regardless of whether it was successful, must involve at least 10 computers and/or cause a minimum of $5,000 in damage. Any attack creating or having the potential to create a threat to public health, public safety, or national security is also covered under this chapter.

Penalties
An individual convicted of a crime under this law faces fines and up to 20 years in prison. If he attempted to cause or knowingly or recklessly causes death, he may face imprisonment for any term of years, including life.

Once an individual is sentenced, a judge can order forfeiture of any property that was "used or intended to be used to commit" the violation and any real or personal property believed to have been purchased with the proceeds from his criminal actions.

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