Bill > A06794

This bill amends the New York State Penal Law to establish a new crime called "larceny by cyber extortion," which occurs when a person intentionally uses malicious computer instructions to restrict, modify, damage, or threaten to disrupt another person's or entity's computer systems or data located in New York State, with the goal of obtaining property. Specifically, the bill defines cyber extortion as an act where an individual removes or remediates the impact of malicious software that prevents access to a computer system, whether by actually implementing such instructions, threatening to implement them, or falsely claiming they have been implemented. The malicious instructions must be designed to modify, damage, destroy, record, or transmit information within a computer system without the owner's permission or intent. This new provision is added as paragraph (h) to subdivision 2 of section 155.05 of the penal law, expanding the legal definitions of theft and fraudulent property acquisition to include sophisticated digital extortion tactics. The bill is intended to provide legal recourse against cybercriminals who attempt to extort property through digital threats and disruption of computer systems.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6794