A computer hacker who stole confidential data from Standard Chartered and who defaced Singapore government websites has been sentenced to 56 months in jail.

A computer hacker who stole confidential data from Standard Charerted and who defaced Singapore government websites has been sentenced to 56 months in jail.

The sentence was imposed on James Raj Arokiasamy who had intended to instil fear and trepidation, Singapore State Court Deputy Presiding Judge Jennifer Marie reportedly said last Friday when sentencing the man. Prosecutors had sought a jail term of five or six years, Bloomberg reported.

Raj, 36, had pleaded guilty to 40 charges including hacking Fuji Xerox’s computer servers to steal client data of Standard Chartered, causing unauthorised modifications to the website of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s town council and using illicit drugs.

The case comes at a time when businesses, including banks, have been targeted by cybercriminals around the world, making this an urgent technology spending priority.