Legal Definitions - sabotage

Sabotage refers to the deliberate act of damaging, destroying, or disrupting property, equipment, or operations with the intent to hinder, undermine, or cause harm. This can occur in various contexts, from acts against national defense to actions taken within an organization, often during disputes.

• Example 1: National Defense Disruption
  An individual, acting with hostile intent, infiltrates a secure government facility responsible for satellite communications and intentionally introduces a virus into the network that corrupts critical data and temporarily disables communication channels used by military personnel.

  Explanation: This is an act of sabotage because it involves the deliberate damage and disruption of utilities and materials (communication network, data) used for national defense, with the clear intent to hinder its operation and cause harm.

• Example 2: Labor Dispute Interference
  During a prolonged and acrimonious labor strike, a group of striking factory workers secretly enters the plant and intentionally contaminates a batch of raw materials, rendering them unusable and forcing the company to halt production for several days.

  Explanation: This exemplifies sabotage as it involves the willful and malicious destruction of an employer's property (raw materials) and interference with normal operations (production halt), specifically occurring within the context of a labor dispute.

• Example 3: Organizational Undermining
  A disgruntled employee, facing termination, deliberately deletes key customer databases and project files from the company's servers just before their departure, causing significant operational delays and financial losses for the business.

  Explanation: This constitutes sabotage because it is a willful and malicious act of destroying an employer's property (digital data) and interfering with their normal operations, intended to cause substantial harm to the organization.