As fast as we are moving towards the digital world,the number of cyber crimes is also increasing at the same rate.
The pace at which technology has progressed,at the same pace man’s dependence on the internet has also increased.By sitting at one place, through the Internet,man’s access to every corner of the world has become easy.In today’s time,everything that a person can think of can be accessed through internet,such as social networking,online shopping,data storage,gaming,online study,online job etc.In today’s time,internet is used in almost every field.With the growth of the Internet and its associated benefits,the concept of cyber crimes has also evolved.Currently a large population of India uses social networking sites.There is a lack of awareness among people regarding the use of social networking sites in India.Also most of the social networking sites have servers abroad, which makes it difficult to reach the root cause of cyber crime in India. Cyber crime,its types,preventive measures and provisions made by the government must be discussed.Along with this,the role of social networking sites in cyber crime must also be evaluated.
What is cyber crime?Cyber crimes are committed in various forms.A few years ago,there was a lack of awareness about the crimes committed through the internet.In the matter of cyber crimes,India is also not far behind those countries,where the rate of incidents of cyber crimes is also increasing day by day.In cases of cyber crime,a cyber criminal can use a device to gain access to a user’s personal information,confidential business information,government information or to disable a device. Selling or buying the above information online is also a cyber crime.There is no doubt that this is a criminal activity, which is carried out by the use of computers and the Internet.Cyber crime,also known as ‘electronic crime’, is a crime in which a computer,network device or network is used as an object or tool to commit a crime.Where such crimes are committed through these (computers,network devices or networks)crimes are also committed against them by targeting them.Such crimes include a wide range of activities,including cyber extortion, identity theft,credit card fraud, hacking personal data from computers,phishing,illegal downloading,cyber stalking,virus spreading,among others.It is worth mentioning that software piracy is also a form of cyber crime,in which it is not necessary that cyber criminals commit crime through online portal only.According to cyber experts,the category of crime can be divided into two categories- Crimes in which computers are attacked.Examples of such crimes are hacking,virus attacks, etc.Crimes in which computer is used as a weapon/tool/.These types of crimes include cyber terrorism,IPR infringement,credit card fraud, pornography etc.Cyber crime comes under 3 major categories which include crimes against person, property and government.Cyber crimes against individuals- Such crimes,though online,affect the lives of real people.Some of these crimes include cyber harassment and cyber stalking,distribution of child pornography,various forms of spoofing,credit card fraud,human trafficking,identity theft and online defamation.In this category of cyber crime,malicious or illegal information against an individual or group is leaked online.Cyber crimes against specific property-Some online crimes are committed against property, such as computers or servers, or are committed against them.These crimes include hacking,virus transmission, cyber and typo squatting,copyright infringement,IPR infringement,etc. Example- Someone sends you a web-link,after clicking on which a web page opens where you are asked for all the information related to your bank account/confidential documents and it is said that this information is sought from the Reserve Bank of India or the Government. Going, you give all the information there and then using that information your documents and bank account are tampered with,then it will be called cyber attack against property.Cyber crime against government specific: This is considered the most serious cyber crime.Such crime committed against the government is also known as cyber terrorism. Government cyber crime includes hacking of government website or military website.Significantly,when a cyber crime is committed against a government,it is considered an attack on the sovereignty of that nation and an act of war.These perpetrators are usually terrorists or governments of other hostile countries.Strict cyber laws have been made by the government of every country to control this type of cyber crimes.The population using social networking sites on a large scale is unaware of the dangers of cybercrime.The servers of various social networking sites are concentrated in other countries, leading to fears that these countries may misuse people’s personal information. People share their personal information on various social networking sites,due to which hackers easily hack these social networking accounts and then misuse the information received.Hackers on social networking sites make people victims of online fraud.It has also been detected by the security agencies that funding of terrorists and anti-national elements is done through various online money transfer apps.Cyber criminals encourage children to commit crimes through various online games.
The ‘Information Technology Act, 2000’ was passed in India, whose provisions along with the provisions of the Indian Penal Code are sufficient to deal with cyber crimes collectively. Sections 43, 43A, 66, 66B, 66C, 66D, 66E, 66F, 67, 67A, 67B, 70, 72, 72A and 74 of the Information Technology Act 2000 deal with hacking and cyber crimes. The ‘National Cyber Security Policy, 2013’ was released by the government, under which the government constituted the ‘National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center (NCIIPC)’ for the protection of highly sensitive information,Under this,there is also a provision of imprisonment from 2 years to life and punishment or fine. With a view to develop human resources in the field of information security at various levels, the Government has launched the ‘Information Security Education and Awareness’ (ISEA) project. The ‘Computer Emergency Response Team’ (CERT) was set up by the government which is the national level model agency for computer security. A ‘Cyber Swachhta Kendra’ has also been set up in the country to deal with cyber crimes in a coordinated and effective manner. It is a part of the Digital India campaign of the Government of India under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). India is coordinating with countries like the US, UK and China to share information and adopt best practices in cyber security. For inter-agency coordination, the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Co-ordination Centre-I4C’ has been established.
In January 2020,the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) has been inaugurated by the Ministry of Home Affairs to deal with cybercrime. This scheme has been implemented all over India. To better deal with cybercrime and to implement I4C in a coordinated and effective manner, the plan has the following seven major components-National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, Platform for Joint Cyber Crime, Investigation Team, National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem, National Cyber Crime Training Center, Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit, National Cyber Research and Innovation Center.What is Budapest Convention? The need for international cooperation to promote cybercrime and data security is being emphasized by the Ministry of Home Affairs for signing the Budapest Convention on cybercrime. The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is a convention known as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. It is the first international treaty of its kind which sought to curb internet and computer crimes by streamlining national laws, improving investigative techniques and increasing cooperation among other countries of the world in this regard.
Article 32B of the Convention allows access to data and thus violates national sovereignty, hence India is yet to sign it.
India is the third largest user of internet, and cyber crimes have increased manifold in recent years. Several steps have been taken by the government to provide cyber security. As India moves towards adopting a cashless economy, it is essential to ensure cyber security. The success of the Digital India program will largely depend on cyber security, so India will have to act fast in this area. On the other hand, social media has given a new dimension to the right to freedom of expression, today every person can express his views through social media without any fear and can reach thousands of people, but careful use of social media can save us from the serious threats of online fraud and cyber-crime.
“Pyar Singh Thakur’