Watch: Robert Abela Announces Legal Reform To Safeguard Ethical Hacking
Prime Minister Robert Abela announced plans to update the law to safeguard and regulate the practice of ‘white hat’ ethical hacking.
In an interview on ONE this morning, Abela warned that a gap exists in the country’s legislative framework surrounding ethical hacking and cybersecurity.
The Malta Digital Innovation Authority has drafted proposed regulations, which Cabinet will discuss on Tuesday and, if approved, issued for public consultation.
Abela said the regulations will address the parameters of what constitutes ethical hacking to ensure that it doesn’t become a “free-for-all”, as well as the parameters of compensation that white hat hackers can request and receive.
This reform has been spurred by the case of recent graduates Giorgio Grigolo, Michael Debono and Luke Bjorn Scerri, as well as their lecturer Mark Joseph Vella, who are facing charges after they discovered security vulnerabilities within the FreeHour application and notified the company in October 2022.
This case is being pursued by the police and not at the request of FreeHour.
Abela defended FreeHour’s actions, stating he can understand the initial shock they must have felt that their system might have been breached. He also defended the police, who he said must follow the law.
However, he said the government cannot allow the students and their lecturer to suffer because of an outdated law and said he is convinced the case can be resolved amicably with goodwill from all sides.
Should the law do more to safeguard ethical hacking?
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