Tougher penalties for hackers and other internet offenders came a step closer last week, as amendments to the UK’s Computer Misuse Act (CMA) passed their first reading in Parliament.

Under the Police And Justice Bill, the maximum sentence for unauthorised access to IT systems or data would be increased to 10 years, up from the current five years. Home secretary Charles Clarke detailed the plans in the Commons last week. The changes would also make denial-of-service attacks illegal, closing a current loophole in UK law.

Clarke also outlined the possibility of petitioning for extradition so more offenders could face trial in the UK. “One of the growing new threats that can only be tackled through extensive international cooperation is the continued threat posed by hacking and denial-of-service attacks,” he argued.

Jon Fell, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, said that the proposals reflected the realisation that computer crime is a serious problem. “There has been a shift away from hacking by bedroom anoraks to people actually trying to extort money,” he added.

Symantec’s latest Internet Security Threat Report highlighted the growing threat of crimeware – software written to manipulate IT systems for illegal profit.

The Police And Justice Bill, put forward by Labour MP Tom Harris, is likely to be accepted in full into UK law by autumn this year.