This Article is written by Vanshika Sahu (BALLB), 4th-year Law student, Satpura Law College Dr.Hari Singh Gaur University
Confused about cyber security? Learn more about IT law in India
In the era of the digital World, we come across many digital crimes and frauds. Even literate youths also became the victim of many online frauds and scams. But have you ever thought about the solutions to these digital age online crimes? We have often heard about many terms like cybercrime, cyber security, cyberbullying, cyber frauds, etc these all are popular terms, but do you know the real meaning of them?
What are Cybercrime and Cyber-fraud?
Cyberfraud:
A general phrase used to characterize crimes carried out by online hackers is “cyber fraud.” These offences are done with the purpose of obtaining sensitive information about a person or company unlawfully and using it for financial benefit.
These frauds typically revolve around fraudulent emails that initially appear to be correspondence from reliable sources. They might be communications from HR or leadership, emails asking for password renewals, emails with false invoices, and more.
To understand cyber fraud better by looking at an example. “The man in the middle would contact the user by posing as the bank if the user was conducting online banking. All information exchanged between the user and the bank, including sensitive information about bank accounts, would be sent to the middleman.”
Cyber fraud comes in a wide variety of forms, but they are all characterized by the use of technology to perpetrate a crime.
Listed below are just a few instances of online fraud:
- DDoS attacks
- Malware
- Phishing
- Ransomware
Cyber fraud occurs when deception is employed to acquire an unfair advantage over another individual, frequently one that is financial. Whereas any illegal activity using computers or networks is referred to as cybercrime.
Cybercrimes:
Crimes that mostly involve the usage of computers and networks or crimes that occur through the internet and are often known as computer-oriented crimes are usually known as Cybercrimes. Cybercrime is the term used to describe any illegal activity carried out online or on a computer (or other comparable devices, such as tablets, mobile phones, etc.). However, there are times when cybercrime tries to harm systems or networks for factors other than financial gain. These could be either personal or political.
Cybercrime may be committed by both individuals and groups of people. Some online criminals are well-organized, employ cutting-edge methods, and have extensive technological skills. Cybercrime includes any one of the following two elements:
- Illegal conduct of malware and viruses to target computers.
- Using computers to perform other crimes.
What kind of cybercrime are there?
Some forms of cybercrime are:
- Disrupting systems in a way that puts a network at risk.
- Copyright infringement.
- Illegal gambling
- Selling unlicensed or prohibited goods online.
- Child pornography solicitation, production, or possession.
- Internet and email fraud.
- Identity theft (where personal information is stolen and used).
- Theft of credit card or banking information.
- Data theft and selling involving businesses.
- Cyberextortion (demanding money to halt a threatening assault) (demanding money to prevent a threatened attack).
- assaults using ransomware (a type of cyber extortion).
- Cryptojacking (when hackers mine bitcoin using resources they do not own) (where hackers mine cryptocurrency using resources they do not own).
- Cyberespionage (when hackers obtain government or commercial data) (where hackers access government or company data).
Cybercrime and cyber security are closely intertwined. How Less cyber security will be in place as more cybercrimes occur. This may also be stated as: “User cyber security continues to deteriorate as the frequency of cyber security breaches rises.” As a result, as cyber assaults rise, so do many organizations’ and businesses’ fears, especially those handling sensitive data.
Cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity should be viewed as an essential component of a well-organized and well-maintained digital environment by everyone who uses the internet.
According to the IT Act of 2000, cybersecurity refers to the protection of data, tools, computers, computer resources, communication devices, and information stored there from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or revelation. Cybersecurity is also referred to as “Information Technology Security” or “Computer Security.”
Another way to think about cyber security is as a collection of rules and procedures that protect us from fraudsters, hackers, and other online criminals. It primarily focuses on individuals, systems, and technology that contribute to the decrease of vulnerability, online threats, deterrence, online fraud, and attacks.
Cyber Law (IT Law) in India:
The legislation governing information technology, including computers and the internet, is known as cyber law or IT law. It oversees the digital distribution of information, software, information security, and e-commerce. It is connected to legal informatics.
IT law encompasses elements of contract, intellectual property, privacy, and data protection laws rather than being a distinct field of law. A crucial component of IT law is intellectual property.
Benefits of cyberlaw:
- Utilizing the legal framework the Act provides, businesses can now conduct e-commerce.
- In the Act, digital signatures have been given legitimacy and authorization.
- It has made it possible for corporate organizations to issue Digital Signature Certificates and operate as Certifying Authorities.
- It paves the way for e-government by enabling the government to publish alerts online.
- It allows businesses or organizations to electronically submit any forms, applications, or other documents to any offices, authorities, bodies, or agencies that are owned or managed by the appropriate government using any e-forms that may be specified by that government.
- The crucial security considerations that are so essential to the success of electronic transactions are also covered by the IT Act.
- Security is offered by Cyber Law for both software and hardware.
Cybersecurity is required because, in today’s technological age, every part of life—including the professional, personal, financial, and educational realms—is moving toward digitalization. We frequently store and send a lot of data due to our dependence on computers (and other comparable computing devices) and networks.
Some of this data may be sensitive and private, and it must be maintained such that its integrity, privacy, and secrecy are not compromised. However, many people who adopt digital practices fall short of protecting their privacy. Many users neglect to consider the significance of cyber security, which leaves them more open than ever to malicious assaults, invasions of privacy, fraud, and other annoyances.
Have you ever been a victim of cybercrime? You may report any cybercrime you’ve ever encountered right now at https://cybercrime.gov.in/
You may report online crimes against women and children here both anonymously and in public. In addition, you can report additional offenses also.