Protecting Against Cybercrimes in India: Practical Approaches for the Real World
Defining Cybercrime:
In India, Cybercrimes are covered by the Indian Penal Code, of 1860 and the Information Technology Act of 2000. Cybercrimes encompass a wide range of illegal activities conducted through computers, networked devices, or online platforms. These crimes can have financial, personal, or political motivations and can include activities such as hacking, online fraud, and identity theft.
Introduction:
First of all,
It’s critical to safeguard yourself against cybercrimes in the connected world of today. This essay examines the state of cybercrimes in India and offers doable safety advice backed up by actual instances of how India is addressing the problem.
Cybercrimes, in general, come in a variety of forms and are related to cyberspace. Cybercrimes are crimes that many people are unaware even exist; this is especially true in India, where there is a dearth of knowledge regarding cyber-related problems. People are reluctant to disclose occurrences because they are concerned about their reputations. Additionally, many people use the internet and personal technology without even having a rudimentary awareness of it. These online crimes are starting to take the form of SILENT KILLERS in people’s lives.
The Test of Ignorance:
The general public’s ignorance of cybercrimes is one of the main obstacles to their fight in India. When they become victims of cybercrimes, a lot of people are ignorant, which might result in occurrences going undetected. People in India need to know the risks and how to protect themselves because technology is used so widely there.
The Quiet Danger:
The fact that cybercrimes sometimes go unreported gives them the nickname “Silent Threat.” Victims can experience severe mental and financial distress without identifying the cause of their problems. Cybercrimes can take a long time to develop and wreak harm.
These fall within the category of cyberspace and are among the 17 main forms of cybercrimes.
Individual
Individual or personal cybercrime is the initial category of cybercrime. These types of cybercrimes are directed towards a single person.
Individual cybercrime examples include sending bothersome spam emails to someone’s email account, hacking someone’s email account to steal their personal information, and utilizing someone’s webcam to spy on them.
Assets
Property cybercrime is the second category of cybercrime. These kinds of cybercrimes target a person’s personal belongings, such as their computer, smartphone, and other linked gadgets.
Examples include identity theft and the use of it for other crimes, ransomware, which is malicious software that takes control of a user’s files and holds them, hostage, demanding money in exchange for access to the files, and denial-of-service attacks that interfere with a user’s internet connection.
Government
Government cybercrime is the last and third category of cybercrime. These kinds of cybercrimes are directed towards governments, which might include national, state, or local governments.
Government cybercrime includes, but is not limited to, installing harmful software on a government network to steal data or cause disruptions; stealing federally prosecuted tax return data; and launching a denial-of-service assault against a government website, such as the IRS website.
Indian Real-World Strategies:
To enhance your comprehension of the danger landscape, let us examine several prevalent cybercrimes and practical instances of how India is addressing these matters
- Phishing Attacks:
The public is frequently advised about phishing attacks and how to spot them by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). They have some excellent materials on cyber hygiene on their website.
- Hacking and Unauthorized Access:
To guard against hacking, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stresses the significance of using strong passwords and updating software often. They advocate for two-factor authentication as well.
- Online Fraud Schemes:
Law enforcement organizations actively look into incidents of online fraud and have been effective in apprehending scammers. Examples of these organizations are the Cyber Crime Cells in several states.
- Cyberbullying and Online Harassment:
Several well-known incidents have brought attention to India’s problems with cyberbullying and harassment. Stricter laws and regulations are being called for as a result of these occurrences, which have raised awareness.
- Identity Theft:
To tackle identity theft, Indian banks and financial institutions have strengthened their Know Your Customer (KYC) policies. To improve security, they also provide recurring email and SMS alerts for transactions.
- Cyberstalking:
Under the Information Technology (Amendment) Act of 2008, the Indian government imposed more stringent regulations on cyberstalking. It is recommended that victims report incidents of cyberstalking to authorities.
- Malware and Ransomware assaults:
To guard against malware and ransomware assaults, Indian organizations have made investments in cybersecurity solutions. Both public and commercial organizations have expanded their investments in and efforts toward cybersecurity.
Implications for women involved in cybercrimes:
Women are subjected to more penalties than men.
- Women are afraid or ashamed to provide information, thus they are not disclosing the crimes since they are unsure of how to proceed or communicate the problem.
- In the meantime, women are growing more anxious about the circumstances both physically and mentally, and some of them are killing themselves because they are unaware of the dangers.
- Some of them are also discussing their circumstances with their communities and with websites they are aware of; however, even while sharing information causes issues for the ladies, by using the situation as leverage once more, they fall victim to cybercrimes.
- They are reluctant to share their problems, are withdrawing from many activities, and are limiting themselves by not using social media, smartphones, or the internet. Some of them are also reluctant to take pictures and post them to their WhatsApp. Several parents who find themselves in similar situations are also reluctant to let their kids use necessities.
- Women are increasingly plagued by cybercrime.
- It is imperative that every person has firsthand knowledge of cybercrimes and takes action to address the problems, rather than retreating or covering them up.
ACTIONS TO END CYBERCRIME:
- Calling the closest cyber cell or police station is the first step in stopping cybercrimes. Cybersecurity intervenes on their behalf.
- To file a complaint, it is imperative to utilize the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Various documents are necessitated for this process, including both soft and hard copies of abusive messages, emails, and web pages. Additionally, if you have identified any suspects, it is crucial to furnish their details and relevant information along with the complaint.
- StopNCII.org is a valuable website that facilitates the removal of morphed photos or videos distributed by cybercriminals. Through this platform, you can ensure the deletion of such content from the internet, along with the clearance of associated information. Moreover, the website employs mechanisms to track the IP address of the criminal involved.
Governmental endeavors aimed at augmenting cyber-security in India:
To address cybercrimes against women and children in India, the Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme was introduced. A cybercrime victim can use this platform to register a complaint against cyber fraudsters, and it also gives information on local and federal law enforcement and regulatory organizations. In addition, the CCPWC runs awareness campaigns at the school level as a preventative step against cybercrimes.
The Indian Penal Code (IPC, 1860) section 354 lists the following offences as being punishable by severe jail time and fines, among other legal rules and activities.
- Section 354: Demand for sexual favors or displaying objectionable pictures of a woman engaged in a private act without her consent will lead to imprisonment of up to 3 years with fines.
- Section 354C: An act of photographing or publishing a picture of a woman engaged in a private act without her consent will lead to imprisonment of 3 to 7 years.
- Section 354D: Reaching out to a lady online and sending pointless emails or messages in spite of her obvious lack of interest carries a five-year prison sentence and fines.
Additionally, there are measures for punishment under the following parts of the Information Technology Act, of 2000:
- Section 65: Deals with the hacking of computer systems.
- Section 66: Deals with the publishing of information that is obscene in electric form.
- Section 66C: Identity Cyber hacking is a punishable offence with imprisonment of 3 years and fines of Rs.1 lakh.
- Section 66E: Deal with the offence of capturing, publishing, or sending pictures of women in circumstances that violate privacy. This causes imprisonment of 3 years.
- Section 67A: This provision prohibits the publication and transmission of sexually explicit content and imposes a maximum sentence of five to seven years in prison.
Conclusion:
In India and other parts of the world, cybercrimes represent a serious concern in an increasingly digital society. Our best line of defence against these sneaky hazards is awareness and preventive actions.
People can drastically lower their chance of becoming victims by being aware of the different types of cybercrimes and taking easy but effective preventative measures. Examples from India’s real-world demonstrate the proactive steps being taken to tackle cybercrimes. We all have to keep our digital selves and ourselves safe from the dangers of the internet. Remain aware, alert, and secure when using the internet.
References:
2. https://cuetolawgroup.com/types-of-cybercrime/
3. https://www.clearias.com/cybercrime-against-women/
4. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/cyber-crime-against-women/amp/
Author(s) name: BOKKI HARIKA
Sri Padmavati Mahila viswavidyalam
