Cybercrime: How to avoid it and what to do when it happens? A lecture at Birzeit University

The Deanship of Student Affairs at Birzeit University, in cooperation with the Public Prosecution, organized a lecture on handling social media, entitled “Safely Dealing with Social Media,” on March 14, 2018.

Chair of the Department of Law Dr. Mustafa Abdul Baqi presided over the lecture, which was presented by Prosecution Deputy Samer Al-Masri and Public Prosecutor Maali Mousa.

Abdul Baqi started the lecture with a brief overview of the Cybercrime Law, noting that it is important for students to “recognize the mechanisms and methods to safely approach social media.” Abdul Baqi also emphasized the advantages of cooperation between academic institutions and judicial justice agencies, which facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian state that rests on sound judicial principles.

Al-Masri presented an outline of the Public Prosecution’s role in protecting the Palestinian community and explored the positive impact of the Cybercrime Law. “Most of the articles outlined in the Cybercrime Law are aimed at stopping and punishing crimes that affect individuals, funds, intellectual property, copyright, or state institutions and its data by any electronic means or hacking,” he said. Al-Masri also reviewed methods to deal with and mitigate cybercrime risks.

Mousa gave a detailed presentation on the Cybercrime Prosecution and its areas of specialty. “The Cybercrime Prosecution comprises 26 specialized prosecutors and a highly-skilled staff trained on the latest electronic systems, which allows them to analyze technological information and collect evidence to build a digital case file.”

A lively discussion arose between law and public administration students and the attending lecturers on cybercrime, what to do when it occurs, and how to file a complaint with the Cybercrime Prosecution.