Certain computer hacking crimes may be defined as terrorist acts in the SAR under laws being considered in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The Security Bureau - in a paper to be discussed at a joint Legco meeting on Friday - said that the Government would examine the need to legally define terrorism to reflect current requirements.
Terrorism could, for example be partly defined as 'the threat to use force or violence and action designed to interfere with or disrupt an electronic system'.
Legislators were told that other terrorist-related offences not covered by existing laws included hoax terrorist acts and actions seriously risking the health or safety of the public.
There is no anti-terrorism law with a general application in Hong Kong at present, but many offences typically committed by terrorists such as murder, kidnapping and weapons offences are covered under ordinary laws.
In a separate paper jointly compiled by the Security and Financial Services bureaus, officials propose to create the specific offence of 'terrorist financing' under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.