In this digital age of living, usage of technology to communicate, to research, to learn and discover, to keep record of items, et cetera is almost inevitable. With the frequent usage of technology today, there is an increasing risk of attacks, damages, and so on, which could potentially disrupt the programmes and platforms of these various forms of technology. Cyber security is essentially a technology that protects technological devices such as computers from the aforementioned attacks, unauthorised access, change and various damages. Cyber security becomes important when a device is stored with sensitive information, or when sensitive information is being shared from one device to another. Therefore, cyber security plays a vital role in governments, financial, corporate, military, and other – like organisations. Cyber security becomes necessary to protect the business operations of various organizations, as well as their personal information.
With the world becoming increasingly digital, there exists an increasing threat to the peace building and social cohesiveness which further spreads as a result of disinformation unfurled online. These are some of the inadvertent consequences of digitalisation. Although digitalisation has opened up various opportunities for socio-economic growth all over the world, especially in Asia, via increasing usage of mobile devices, rising growth of technologies and the magnified usage of the internet, and with it the interconnectedness, the risk unintentionally associated with it is multi – fold. Digitalisation has helped creating smart cities, however, has also involuntarily expanded security risks, and further created new risks, transcending the national borders. Digitalisation has therefore created a space for criminals and even terrorists, without intending to do so. Further, it allows criminals to connect their illegal operations, such as human trafficking, et cetera, via platforms available online due to digitalisation.
Furthermore, these threats cannot be controlled by one particular State alone. The threat against cyber terrorism and the spreading of fake news and such must be controlled at a wider level. This is due to the importance of building a collective digital environment that does not pose a threat to the various opportunities and platforms brought in by digitalisation, and therefore, to prevent losses of billions of dollars. Therefore, creating a cyber-security strategy becomes vital, especially in a world that is increasingly becoming digital. I believe that this also serves as a way to educate the general public on the risks associated with technologies and take protective and preventive measures with respect to their personal and / or sensitive information.
It is common for any existing system such as the biological system, the ecological system, et cetera to experience some predator – prey activity. The internet being the entire world’s digital nervous system in the present world viewed in light of globalisation and digitalisation, experiencing cyber threat is inevitable. Mr Robert Ghanea Hercock, in an article titled “Why Cyber Security is Hard”, writes about something called the ‘Game Theory’ to be studied as a model for Cyber security, in order to understand better what cyber security constitutes in its actuality. Game theory initially was founded to be used as a strategically tool in the Nuclear War which enabled the study of an individual choice to maintain optimal behaviour when the benefits and costs of it have been handed over to the choice of other individuals. Robert Ghanea Hercock by a way of the approach of Game Theory, studies the internet as a place of players with ill intentions, where there exist many more opportunities to attack, rather than defend oneself. He further studies it as a place where in order to defend; it becomes essential to further attack. Mr. Ghanea – Hercock further writes that Game Theory will prove essential, particularly in the future, in order to develop the cyber defence processes.
The cyber space, viewed in the light of a legal perspective, is essentially a space where the rights of an individual are to be maintained at par with the interest of the wider society. However, the internet and the cyber space in general, are constantly developing and evolving, at a rate much higher than that of the judicial proceedings. The sharing of pictures at a single click and what not is evidence to the instantaneous nature of the cyber space. Therefore, in order to balance the interests of individuals, while keeping in view the interest of the wider cyber domain, it becomes pertinent for content creators on cyber space to raise awareness and therefore address the issues revolving around cyber bullying, cyber threats and so on, instead of solely relying on the law with respect to punitive measures. However, having weaker laws pertaining to cyber threats also constitutes as untoward and indeed does not pose as a solution to build a safer digital sphere. Therefore, it becomes important as to create stronger and efficient laws with regard to cyber – crime, so as to keep intact the purpose and safety that cyber security has to offer.
With respect to cyber laws in India, the case of Sanjay Kumar v State of Haryana can be recalled. In this case, where the alleged petitioner had engaged in forging and fabrication information pertaining to certain bank entries via computer system software from one account to another, the petitioner was punished under sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code of 1860, as well as sections 65 and 66 of the Information & Technology Act, 2000. Section 65 of the Information and Technology Act that essentially protects the misuse of the cyber space and thus ensure a level of safety of the digital domain reads as follows: “Tampering with computer source documents. – Whoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroys or alters or intentionally or knowingly causes another to conceal, destroy, or alter any computer source code used for a computer, computer programme, computer system or computer network, when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the time being in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.”
In conclusion, even though the world today is increasingly becoming more digital by the day and the use of technology has been fast growing and ample, the threats that arrive with it can be curbed. Cyber security in the present world is inevitable due to the threats with respect to the cyber space being inevitable. Cyber security in this growing digital world primarily exists in order to maintain a balance between the rights of an individual and the interest of the society as a whole. Therefore, with more awareness of the harms co – existing with the cyber space and with implementation of stricter laws with respect to the cyber domain, cyber security possesses the potential to curb some security threat.
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