Terrorism
Universities and colleges are being urged by the UK government to take seriously the problem of extremism on their campuses. Practical guidance has been issued which points out universities and colleges responsibilities within the law and clarifies the legal position. You can find further details of the guidance (which is particular to England only) on the Department for Education and Skills website at - http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2006_0170.
The Terrorism Act 2006 contains a comprehensive package of measures designed to ensure that the police, intelligence agencies and courts have the tools they require to tackle terrorism and bring perpetrators to justice. Although not specifically information technology related, new criminal offences have been created including:
- Acts Preparatory to Terrorism
- Encouragement to Terrorism
- Dissemination of Terrorist Publications
- Terrorist training offences
It is likely that many of these crimes may well be committed or facilitated by computer use and FE and HE institutions should play their part in ensuring that such crimes are not committed or facilitated on their computer systems. Reporting suspicious activity to the police is essential.