Legal Regulation of Ethical Hacking in Palestine: A Comparative Study with International Frameworks

Abstract

Palestine is experiencing a sharp rise in cyberattacks that severely affect individuals, institutions, and the national digital infrastructure. Ethical hacking represents a crucial approach to identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities in software systems. However, a clear legal framework differentiating between ethical and malicious hacking constitutes a significant barrier to advancing this critical practice. This paper presents a comprehensive analytical study exploring the opportunities and challenges of regulating ethical hacking in Palestine. The analysis is conducted from two key perspectives: an empirical survey of Palestinian cybersecurity and legal experts to capture their insights on the urgent need for a coherent and normative regulatory framework and a critical comparison of current Palestinian legislation with advanced international and European legal standards. The study concludes that the lack of legal recognition and protection for ethical hacking in Palestine impedes efforts to strengthen national cybersecurity. Accordingly, it recommends the establishment of a practical and robust legal framework that supports and incentivizes ethical hackers, while ensuring the necessary legal safeguards to build trust within the Palestinian digital ecosystem.