The Need for Harmonised and Specialised Global Legislation to Address the Growing Spectre of Cybercrime

Modern advances in technology have made the world a global village, and the impact of this on almost all spheres of life and society is phenomenal. The rapid growth of information and virtual technology in most spheres of life and society as well as the interconnection of computers through super highways and international computer networks have made cybercrime more diverse, more dangerous, more global and more challenging to fight. The ubiquity of the internet and the connectivity of virtually every computer to the global community hold ramifications that have yet to be determined. Cybercrime does not require physical proximity between the victim and the perpetrator for the commission of the offence. Cybercrime is unbounded, in that the victim and the perpetrator can be in different cities, states, or even countries. Deterring and punishing cybercriminals require an international legal framework to investigate and prosecute cybercrime.