Cybercrime Strategy of Mauritius 2017 7.0 KEY PRIORITIES Six priority areas have been identified for strengthening the national response to cybercrime and they are as follows: Information Sharing Public Private Partnership Capacity Building Effective Legal Framework International Collaboration Response to Cybercrime Creating Awareness 7.1 PRIORITY NO 1: DEVELOP A MORE EFFECTIVE LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO TACKLE AND PROSECUTE CYBERCRIME In order to best tackle cybercrime, it is imperative to have an effective legal framework in place. The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act was enacted in 2003. It criminalises a number of acts perpetrated through computer systems and provides for the procedures to be followed for the purpose of investigation. In addition, Mauritius has, on 15 November 2013, become the first African country to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. It came into force on 1 March 2014. In order to ensure that our legal framework remains strong and resilient to cybercrime, it is important for us to ensure that it is constantly reviewed and revised, to align it with technological developments, international norms and standards, as well as legal and regulatory changes. Following accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, Mauritius will ensure that its existing laws are further strengthened and amended, as and when required, to promote compliance with the Convention. Moreover, following the detection and investigation of cybercrimes, it is important that offences are effectively prosecuted. However, rapid advancements in the functionality of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and innate disparities between systems of law are challenges for first responders, investigating authorities, forensic interrogators, prosecuting agencies, and administrators of criminal justice. Consequently, many cybercrime offenders have evaded prosecution due to weaknesses in substantive criminal laws that do not address technological means of offending. 11 | P a g e