What is cyber crime ?
Cyber Crime in India is defined under IT Act. Living in a technology driven environment makes people susceptible to crimes that take place in the cyberspace which is known as cyber crimes. There are various ways to tackle cyber crimes in India and you can start with setting strong passwords, keeping social networking sites in private mode, and by not sharing every personal information online.
Cyber Crime in India has been rapidly evolving since the dawn of the technological era. Every day, in fact, you get to hear different tricks, scams and many other offences being committed on the cyberspace. There are many types of cyber crime in India that have already been listed under the Information Technology Act,2000, suggesting various types of crimes. Also in order to follow the guidelines of cyber crime act in India, in major cities, many cyber crime cells in India have been set up.
With the advancement of technology, recent cases of cyber crime in India has also increased. Today, many crimes like kidnapping, fraud, hacking, data theft are being committed with the help of internet. Criminals who perform such activities are often referred to as “hackers”. Many of the cyber crime cases in India are registered under the IT Act.
Digitalization is unbridled these days and the Internet has made life easier for everybody, with everything just a click away. From white collar crimes to attacks by terrorist organizations, the number of cyber crimes in India has also increased. It has made man dependent on the technology for every little basic need. Today each need is covered online like online shopping, ordering food, online gaming, making payments and etc.
Cyber crime is any crime that takes place online or primarily online. Cybercriminals often commit crimes by targeting computer networks or devices. Cybercrime can range from security breaches to identity theft.
Other cybercrimes include things like cyber-stalking, harassment, bullying, and child sexual exploitation.
Terrorists collaborate on the internet, moving terrorist activities and crimes into cyberspace.
How to protect yourself against cybercrime –
Anyone using the internet should exercise some basic precautions. Here are 11 tips you can use to help protect yourself against the range of cybercrimes out there.
1. Use a full-service internet security suite
For instance, Norton Security provides real-time protection against existing and emerging malware including ransomware and viruses, and helps protect your private and financial information when you go online.
2. Use strong passwords
Don’t repeat your passwords on different sites, and change your passwords regularly. Make them complex. That means using a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. A password management application can help you to keep your passwords locked down.
3. Keep your software updated
This is especially important with your operating systems and internet security software. Cybercriminals frequently use known exploits, or flaws, in your software to gain access to your system. Patching those exploits and flaws can make it less likely that you’ll become a cybercrime target.
4. Manage your social media settings
Keep your personal and private information locked down. Social engineering cybercriminals can often get your personal information with just a few data points, so the less you share publicly, the better. For instance, if you post your pet’s name or reveal your mother’s maiden name, you might expose the answers to two common security questions.
5. Strengthen your home network
It’s a good idea to start with a strong encryption password as well as a virtual private network. A VPN will encrypt all traffic leaving your devices until it arrives at its destination. If cybercriminals do manage to hack your communication line, they won’t intercept anything but encrypted data. It’s a good idea to use a VPN whenever you a public Wi-Fi network, whether it’s in a library, café, hotel, or airport.
6. Talk to your children about the internet
You can teach your kids about acceptable use of the internet without shutting down communication channels. Make sure they know that they can come to you if they’re experiencing any kind of online harassment, stalking, or bullying.
7. Keep up to date on major security breaches
If you do business with a merchant or have an account on a website that’s been impacted by a security breach, find out what information the hackers accessed and change your password immediately.
8. Take measures to help protect yourself against identity theft
Identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully obtains your personal data in a way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. How? You might be tricked into giving personal information over the internet, for instance, or a thief might steal your mail to access account information. That’s why it’s important to guard your personal data. A VPN — short for virtual private network — can also help to protect the data you send and receive online, especially when accessing the internet on public Wi-Fi.
9. Know that identity theft can happen anywhere
It’s smart to know how to protect your identity even when traveling. There are a lot of things you can do to help keep criminals from getting your private information on the road. These include keeping your travel plans off social media and being using a VPN when accessing the internet over your hotel’s Wi-Fi network.
10. Keep an eye on the kids
Just like you’ll want to talk to your kids about the internet, you’ll also want to help protect them against identity theft. Identity thieves often target children because their Social Security number and credit histories frequently represent a clean slate. You can help guard against identity theft by being careful when sharing your child’s personal information. It’s also smart to know what to look for that might suggest your child’s identity has been compromised.
11. Know what to do if you become a victim
If you believe that you’ve become a victim of a cybercrime, you need to alert the local police and, in some cases, the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission. This is important even if the crime seems minor. Your report may assist authorities in their investigations or may help to thwart criminals from taking advantage of other people in the future. If you think cybercriminals have stolen your identity. These are among the steps you should consider.
- Contact the companies and banks where you know fraud occurred.
- Place fraud alerts and get your credit reports.
- Report identity theft to the FTC.
Causes:-
- Common people do not have much awareness on methods of cyber crimes. This is biggest advantage for criminals.
- Nonexistence of any strict laws and loopholes of the existing laws encouraging cyber crimes.
- Cyber crimes happen because there will be high rate of return on investment and the risk of loss is low.
Financial gain was the biggest motive for cyber crimes.The facility of being anonymous is giving opportunity to cyber criminals.Cyber criminals don’t have fear of rival gangs.Lack of digital infrastructure and network to tackle the menace.According to Akamai Technologies, India is among the top targets for web application attacks.
Effects:-
- Leakage of important information of vital systems such as nuclear plants, railways andhospitals that can lead to dire consequences.
- Financial frauds and fake online lottery and job scams damage the economic condition.
- Stalking, cyber bullying and harassment through online increased drastically.
- Cyber crime may cause damage to the social and communal harmony by spreading provocative media files and messages without the fear of being caught thus encouraging youth to get involved in such activities.
- It may cause big losses to the business industry by creating fake companies, transactions and deals in sales etc.
What India is doing:-
- Indian Government is spreading awareness though advertisements in televisions about fraud phone calls and cyber crimes.
- India has ‘Information Technology Act, 2000’ in law.
- India has ‘Cyber Crime police stations‘, which deal with cyber crimes exclusively.
- “National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center” (NCIIPC) has been established as the nodal agency for the protection of critical information infrastructure.
Best practices :-
- Number of cyber security soldiers needs to be increased on a war-footing.
- Digital literacy rates should be increased, so that dependence on others for cashless transactions will be reduced. Thereby, less chances of financial fraud.
- Cyber vulnerabilities should be identified.
- Financial sector and cyber security industry should collaborate.
- People should not reveal too much personal information on the internet.
Conclusion :-
Whole world is fighting against cyber crimes. Some countries have advanced technology and human resources to deal with them. And some countries do not have that yet. India needs to increase its investment on cyber security and should spend on awareness programs on war-footing.
Eduindex News 