The growth of the internet and proliferation of applications, products, and services has given rise to cyber threats which require far more stringent security measures than ever before. Some common types of cybercrimes are job fraud, phishing, baiting, vishing, smishing, credit and debit card fraud, child pornography, cyberbullying, etc. Cyber laws need constant upgrading and refinement to keep pace with the increasing technology. In India, various statutes and initiatives have been launched to ensure its cyber security such as Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), National Cybersecurity Framework (NCFS), financial assistance, Cyber Crime Prevention against Women & Children (CCPWC), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
TopIntroduction
The mission of this chapter is to give knowledge of and bring awareness for Cyber Laws. With the unprecedented growth of internet and its applications, products & services on this dynamic domain, citizens are now empowered and their lives transformed. However with the growth of internet, cyber threats have also emerged due to this cyber revolution which requires far stringent security measures than ever before. Past two decades have witnessed a giant leap in Cyber Revolution around the world and subsequently cyberattacks have increased exponentially. Furthermore before the outbreak of Covid pandemic, where there were only about 35% of the global workforce had been into remote working setup, since the pandemic event, the usage of internet and requirement of cloud for storing and transferring confidential information has increased manifold. Cyber attackers, hackers, and scammers have used this opportunity to their advantage. According to Aaysha (2020), data privacy and security has three parameters namely confidentiality, integrity and availability. Alnahari & Quasim, (2021) envisioned that every country now strives for Smart cities comprising IoT devices at vehicles; cameras at streets, residential apartments, offices; health care facilities and even the military regarding enhancing security. However, this technological arrangement is associated with significant security and privacy risks because they generate tons of government and private data, making them a lucrative target for exploitation by malicious attackers. Currently, most IoT device implementations utilize the Client-Server access model which poses a significant risk of user data utilization for nefarious purposes behind the central server. The recent development of technology leads to several security threats and breaches. Those security challenges are related to confidentiality, privacy, integrity and availability. To withstand these cyber-attacks, network resources are needed to be optimized (Al Shahrani, 2021). According to Khan, Husain, & Shoaib, (2020) one of the most popular and commonly used means of online communication, E-mail communication is also on target. The year 1978 was the year when the first computer-related crime took place in the form of alteration or deletion of data. To achieve accuracy, an intensive investigation environment, equipment and labs are needed to forensically examine a variety of digital devices (Khan, Shoaib, & Ahmad, 2020). According to Ahmad, F., & Khan, M. Z. (2019), “advancing technologies, especially computer technologies, have necessitated the creation of a comprehensive investigation and collection methodology for digital and online evidence.” Marcella, A. J. (Ed.). (2022) examines “how cyber forensics can be applied to identifying, collecting, and examining evidential data from emerging and hybrid technologies, while taking steps to proactively manage the influence and impact, as well as the policy and governance aspects of these technologies and their effect on business operations”. On the other hand, an advanced approach known as Data Mining Approach using Machine Learning Techniques, wherein data scientists and researchers have put considerable efforts to use the advanced technologies such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Internet of Things (IoT) in order cultivate the fruits of healthy environment (Mishra, et al, 2022). Quasim & Al Hawi, (2022) have advocated Penetration testing as an integral part of a comprehensive security program. “Pen tests are conducted by ethical hackers to mimic the strategies and actions of the attacker”. Tripathi, Haroon, Khan, & Husain, (2022) In today’s modern medical field, medical technology has been enhanced and digitized to help patients and medical professionals. Apart from diagnosis, this medical data can also be used to predict future disease in patients and advise accordingly.
This chapter includes the overview of the concepts of cybercrime, evolution of cyber threats, its impact on economy and society, international cyber laws for prevention, Indian cyber laws, recent advances and amendments, government initiatives to create awareness to curb cybercrime. This writing is ideal for government officials, policymakers, industry professionals, researchers, practitioners, instructors, students, academicians and scholars.