
This reporting obligation does not, however, impose any obligation on ECSPs or FIs to actively monitor the data that they process for any unlawful activity. Failure to comply with the reporting obligation is an offence and ECSPs or FIs will, upon conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding R50,000. The form and manner of reporting is yet to be published in the Government Gazette. Section 54 of the Cybercrimes Act obliges ECSPs and FIs that are aware or become aware that their service or electronic communications network is involved in the commission of a cybercrime (in respect of a category or class of prescribed reportable cybercrimes) to, without undue delay and, where feasible, not later than 72 hours after having become aware of the offence, report it in the prescribed form and manner to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and preserve any information which may be of assistance to the SAPS in investigating the offence. Failure to do so is an offence, and exposes ECSPs and FIs, upon conviction, to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both a fine and such imprisonment. Of note is that both electronic communications service providers (ECSPs) and financial institutions (FIs) are required to fulfil reporting obligations and assist law enforcement authorities to investigate cybercrimes.īoth ECSPs and FIs in control of data, computer programs, computer data storage mediums or computer systems that are subject to a search by law enforcement authorities must, if required, provide technical or other reasonably necessary assistance to a police official or investigator in order to search for, access or seize an article. This definition also appears to be broad enough to address unlawful activity commonly used to facilitate financial crimes such as change of banking details fraud, which entails a cybercriminal intercepting emails between innocent parties and altering information, such as banking details, thereby facilitating the erroneous and fraudulent transfer of funds into an alternate bank account.

The above act(s) must be performed for the purpose of obtaining any advantage from another person, compelling another person to perform or to abstain from performing any act.
#Cyber extortion definition code


(a) by means of data or a computer program or Any person who unlawfully and with the intention to defraud makes a misrepresentation: Focussing on cyber fraud, this cybercrime is defined as:
