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What is Cyber Law?
Cyber law is about the rules for cyberspace, the internet, and computers. It significantly covers things like copyrights, contracts, privacy, and free speech online.
It also makes sure the internet is safe and punishes cybercrimes. Cyber Law even recognizes e-documents, which are like digital papers. Presently, e-documents and digital signatures are common which is particularly good for the environment because it saves paper.
The first cyber law was the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in 1986. Now, there are many laws worldwide, each with different rules and punishments.
Here are typical cyber crimes that cyber law addresses worldwide. By knowing these, you’ll see why it matters.
Types of Cybercrime
DDoS and botnet:
Hackers generally target big websites to steal data or get money from the owners. They overwhelm the site with too much traffic, and thus causing it to crash. Then, they either steal the data or demand money to fix it.
Thus, this attack is called a DDoS attack and uses a botnet system.
Identity theft
Identity theft particularly involves taking someone’s identity and pretending to be them online. This is a big concern in cyber law because signifcantly hackers use stolen private information for harmful purposes.
Cyberstalking:
Cyberstalking, within cyber law, means using someone’s online information to threaten, stalk, or demand money. The collected data is often sensitive and thus can lead to security problems, defamation, and more.
Social engineering
Social engineering in cyber law is about stealing by building trust. Criminals target people with less knowledge of banks, social media, and online operations. They pretend to be trustworthy or customer service and get access to bank or social media accounts. Then, they sell the stolen data. Sometimes, they hack accounts for extortion too.
PUPs
Cyber law experts often advise against installing unfamiliar software. Malicious software can be added, stealing files and installing spyware on your computer for bad reasons. This method, using adware or spyware, is called potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Experts suggest using authorized service centers to avoid these risks.
Phishing
Phishing is a crime where hackers trick people into clicking a fake-looking link. The link might promise gift cards or games. Sometimes, emails with these links claim your data is stolen, and clicking can supposedly fix it.
The ones mentioned are just a few of the many crimes recognized by global cyber law experts.
Now, let’s look at how cyber law is handled in the Indian jurisdiction.
Find more about cyber awareness by visiting our blog Cyber Awareness and Cyber Aid
Cyber Law in India: A Brief Understanding
India faces numerous cybercrimes annually, with over 44,000 reported cases. Karnataka leads among Indian states in terms of cybercrime rates. A 2022 report by Statista reveals that data breaches cost an average of USD 2 million in India, showing the financial impact of such incidents.
Indian cyber law is guided by two key legislations: the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act of 2000. These frameworks offer guidelines to tackle cybercrime and safeguard digital assets and rights.
Indian cyber laws address various crimes, focusing on hacking and its uses for different offenses. They also cover domains like intellectual property and privacy.
Key Cyber Law Areas in India:
- Fraud: Theft of identities, credit cards, and financial crimes are considered fraud. Punishments include fines and imprisonment.
- Copyright: Protects copyrighted works online, following the Copyright Act and other rules.
- Defamation: Limits speech rights thus spreading false information online is defamation.
- Harassment and Stalking: Shields against online harassment and stalking.
- Trade Secrets: Leaking confidential company information or using it for gain is an offense.
Understanding why cyber law is necessary and its objectives will be explored in the following section.
Objectives of Cyber Law
Cyber law aims to safeguard the online world, with objectives including:
- Protecting against online data threats.
- Ensuring justice for cybercrime victims.
- Preventing debit or credit card fraud for digital payments.
- Halting transactions with unusual activity.
- Safeguarding protected data and national security.
Benefits of cyber law encompass:
- Boosting e-commerce revenue and the economy.
- Resolving grievances through the court.
- Recognizing e-documents and addressing related issues.
- Elevating data protection standards.
- Regulating data usage by companies.
These are key aspects of cyber law in India. Remember, this isn’t legal advice. For cyber law assistance, consult a lawyer.
How to protect yourself on the Internet
- Limit social media accounts as each post can be a hacking risk.
- Secure strong passwords, change them often, and consider using a password manager.
- Enable two-factor authentication significantly for added security.
- Question app access permissions and thus deny sensitive ones.
- Beware of free Wi-Fi as hackers may exploit it.
- Be skeptical of too-good-to-be-true messages or calls and report them.
Cyber security solution Organization needs
xIoTz, cyber assurance platform offers evidently comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to organizations by providing a range of tools, technologies, and services designed to assess, manage, and mitigate cyber risks. Here’s how particularly xIoTz delivers cybersecurity solutions:
- SOC (Security Operations Center): Detects and responds to security threats in real-time, and thus safeguarding data and systems.
- NOC (Network Operations Center): Manages network performance and availability, and hence ensuring smooth operations.
- TOC (Threat Operations Center): Proactively hunts for advanced threats, and thus enhancing threat detection capabilities.
- NGVM (Next-Gen Vulnerability Management): Identifies vulnerabilities, and thus helping prioritize and address them, reducing risks.
- XOC (eXtended Operations Center): Combination of Security(SOC), Network(NOC), Threat(TOC) and Vulnerability Management(NGVM).
- CAP (Cyber Assurance Platform): xIoTz Cyber Assurance Platform is an unified eXtended Operation Center(XOC) for providing particularly data safety and business continuity .
- CCA (Continues Compromise Assessment): Significantly checks for cybersecurity breaches and unauthorized access in an organization’s systems or data.
Together, these components create a resilient cybersecurity framework, enabling organizations to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats comprehensively.
References
Cyber Laws in India and Information Technology Act – All You Need to Know
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