Ransomware may soon be regarded as a form of extortion in California once legislation S.B. 1137 is approved by governor Jerry Brown, reports StateScoop. The Bill was introduced by Senator Robert Hertzberg and if passed, could land culprits in jail for two- to four years.

The move has received widespread support from different quarters that want ransomware attacks to be treated as a felony. The state’s law enforcement unit and the tech sector all support the legislation. “This is essentially an electronic stickup, and we need to treat it with the same seriousness and severity we would treat any stickup,” said Hertzberg.

However, the Legal Services for Prisoners with Children fears this Bill "will simply create longer sentences for individuals convicted of violating these provisions, which does not better protect (an) individual's privacy."

Read details at StateScoop.