Plain language law

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Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against rights of property - Crimes involving computers

250: Damaging or interfering with computer system

You could also call this:

“It's against the law to hurt or mess with computers in ways that can harm people or break things.”

If you intentionally or recklessly destroy, damage, or change any computer system, and you know or should know that it might put someone’s life in danger, you could go to prison for up to 10 years.

You could go to prison for up to 7 years if you intentionally or recklessly do any of these things to a computer system without permission, and you know you don’t have permission or you don’t care whether you have permission or not:

You damage, delete, change, or mess with any data or software in the computer system. Or, you make something happen that damages, deletes, changes, or messes with any data or software in the computer system. Or, you make the computer system stop working, or you stop authorised users from being able to use it.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM330425.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Business > Industry rules
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249: Accessing computer system for dishonest purpose, or

“Using a computer to trick or cheat others for personal gain or to cause harm is against the law.”

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251: Making, selling, or distributing or possessing software for committing crime, or

“It's against the law to create, sell, or have computer programs that help people break into computers or do illegal things.”

Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Crimes involving computers

250Damaging or interfering with computer system

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who intentionally or recklessly destroys, damages, or alters any computer system if he or she knows or ought to know that danger to life is likely to result.

  2. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who intentionally or recklessly, and without authorisation, knowing that he or she is not authorised, or being reckless as to whether or not he or she is authorised,—

  3. damages, deletes, modifies, or otherwise interferes with or impairs any data or software in any computer system; or
    1. causes any data or software in any computer system to be damaged, deleted, modified, or otherwise interfered with or impaired; or
      1. causes any computer system to—
        1. fail; or
          1. deny service to any authorised users.

          Notes
          • Section 250: replaced, on , by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).