80 Recommendation
80 Recommendation
SOLUTIONS
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Law
Supervisor Submitted By
Prof. D.K. Srivastava Anamika Singh
FACULTY OF LAW
BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY
VARANASI- 221005
INDIA
Dealing with the basic problem related to cybercrime, the researcher has found
that it has substantive and procedural challenges. While dealing with the introduction
part of the first chapter, we have found that the new technology of communication takes
place in a virtual medium called cyberspace. Information technology has provided new
sophisticated tools to carry out traditional crimes and some new kinds of crimes have
also emerged. As the dependence of human beings on technology is considerably
necessary, the number of cybercrimes and their consequences are also increasing. Yet,
cybercrime has disastrous consequences to countries all over the world. However, no
meaningful platform has been created to check it by the countries of the world.
Cybercrime is a generic term that covers an entire range of crimes that involve
computers or computer networks either as a target or as an instrumentality or associate.
Any criminal activity that takes place in the so-called cyberspace comes under the
preview of the term cybercrime. As the entire human activities are increasingly being
performed through the internet, there is no human activity, which is untouched by the
impact of cybercrime, whether it may be financial and banking transactions, online
trade, Stock market, Metro Rail, and so on. Cyberspace has no territorial boundaries.
The internet enables information between two persons irrespective of their physical
locations, which is of tremendous potential use as well as it can be misused to perform
destructive activities. Before proceeding to further study the researcher has done a
literature review of various books on cybercrime such as Chandradeep Singh’s, “Cyber
Crimes with special reference to the information technology Act, 2008”,1 Divya
Rastogi’s, “Cyber Law and Cyber Crimes”2, Dr M. Dasgupta’s “Cyber Crime in India:
A Comparative Study”,3 Nandan Kamath’s edited work “Law relating to computer
Internet and E-commerce: A Guide to Cyber Laws and Information Technology Act,
1
Chandradeep Singh Samrao, Cyber Crimes with special reference to the Information Technology Act,
2008, (Random Publications, New Delhi, 2013).
2
Divya Rastogi, Cyber Law and Cyber Crimes, (Whytes & Co. New Delhi, 2017).
3
Dr M. Dasgupta, Cybercrime in India, (Eastern Law House, Kolkata, 2016).
Page | 298
Conclusion and Suggestions
The second chapter is divided into three parts, the first part covers history. In
this part we have found that along with the development of computer technology,
computers and cybercrimes also developed. The Internet was developed by the
American Research Project Agency, which itself was not immune to the outbreak of
computer crimes. A technique was developed through which the quick exchange of
4
Nandan Kamath, Law relating to computer Internet and E-commerce: A Guide to Cyber Laws and
Information Technology Act, 2000, (Universal Law Publication Co., New Delhi, 5th Edition, 2012).
5
Robert Moore, Cybercrime Investigating High Technology Crime, (LexisNexis, 2005).
6
S.K. Verma and Raman Mittal, Legal Dimensions of Cyberspace, (Indian Law Institute Publication,
2004).
7
Dr. S.V. Joga Rao, Cyber Crimes & Information Technology Law, (Wadhwa and Company, Nagpur,
1st Edition, 2007).
8
Steven Furnell, Cybercrime Vandalising the Information Society, (Addison Wesley, London, 2002).
9
Dr. Talat Fatima, Cybercrimes, (Eastern Book Company, Lucknow, 2016).
10
Vakul Sharma, Information Technology: Law and Practice, (Universal Law Publication Co., New
Delhi (LexisNexis, 5th Edition, 2017).
11
Vivek Sood, Nabhi’s Cyber Crimes Electronic Evidence and Investigations Legal Issues, (Nabi’s
Publication, New Delhi, 2010).
Page | 299
Conclusion and Suggestions
information was possible, called the Internet. The Internet is a network of hypertext
documents that can be easily accessed with the help of a World Wide Web browser. In
collaboration with the World Wide Web and the Internet, a virtual space was created
called Cyberspace, space through which information is exchanged, created with the
help of computers and networks. The development of computer-related crimes was
found in four stages in which computer abuse was found in the first phase,
criminalization of such acts in the second phase, hacking activities were found in
abundance in the third phase and efforts are being made to control it in the fourth phase.
It was only in the 1960s when computers in their development phase and related
criminal activities started coming to notice. New types of crime computer sabotage etc.
began to occur. In 1970, these techniques became available to the general public. Since
then, crimes related to computer networking began to be seen. In the nineteen-eighties,
it began to get more expansion, with activities like viruses, worms, computer intrusion
and cyber-attacks. In the case of R v. Gold,12 it was found that the act of the accused
was unauthorised, yet there was not enough law to prosecute it, because of this, the first
cyber legislation was formed. Thus, the legislators started taking necessary steps to
prevent cybercrime.
The second part covers the nature and definition of cybercrime, while studying
this, we have found that cybercrime is a crime whose genus is a traditional crime, but
it uses a computer as a tool or target. For this, many names like computer crime, digital
crime, electronic crime, etc. are used. As the basic principle of crime is that crimes are
committed where there is a possibility of crime and that the possibility of committing
cybercrime is plentiful in the field of information technology. The development of
information technology has led to the creation of a borderless area, which the criminals
use to fulfil their objectives. In cybercrime, the criminal uses his specialised knowledge
in technology to commit the crime. It has been seen that more technology is used, the
more opportunities criminals get for committing a crime. The fundamental principle of
crime is that the offence is an act done in violation of criminal law. While studying this,
we found that there is no definite definition of cybercrime that is universally acceptable.
The victim of a crime can be any person, institution, or country. In the current situation,
12
[1988] 1 AC 1063 (HL).
Page | 300
Conclusion and Suggestions
cybercrimes can be the biggest threat to the national security of any country. Along
with this, it has also been seen that cybercrimes can be done without being present
online such as software piracy. Since, in these crimes, some traditional crimes are
committed by computer and there are some new types of crimes, therefore, there is only
a procedural difference in dealing with it.
Elements of crime are also found in cybercrime that are actus reus and mens
rea, but due to actus reus dynamic and wide-ranging, it is difficult to prove. The Act
covers many computer-related offences such as tampering with computer source
documents, computer-related crimes, obscene material related offences, etc.
Cybercrime has four stages of crimes, which are planning, execution, concealment and
conversion. Cybercrime is different from traditional crime in investigative matters as it
is a problem due to the lack of adequate cyber forensic development. Cybercrimes
include the exchange of illegal goods, economic crime and privacy violations.
Page | 301
Conclusion and Suggestions
against a person and an object. The crimes committed concerning the person include
hacking, stalking, propagation of obscene material, defamation, etc. Whereas, a crime
against the object includes virus flow, net vandalism, net trespass, unauthorised control
over the system, hacking, cracking, etc. Crimes against the institution include crimes
against the government and the organisation. Hacking, cracking, unauthorized access,
cyber terrorism and distribution of pirated software are the main crimes against
government and organization. Similarly, a crime against society includes pornography
and human trafficking. Further, classification based on computer application includes
computer as a tool, computer as a target, computer incidental to crime and computer as
an associate to crime. The computer is used as an associate where other means are also
used along with the computer. The classification of cybercrime on the basis of content-
based classification is racial hate and child pornography. Also, if classified based on
the offenders, it can be classified into the insider and outsider cyber criminals. Experts
have proposed two dimensional and three-dimensional classifications in this regard. In
two dimensional classifications, the computer is used either as a tool or as a target, to
commit crimes. Even if the computer is used as a tool, it can be further classified into a
technology-enabled or technology-enhanced category. Apart from this, in the 3-
dimensional classification of these crimes, computers are placed under the category of
a target, tool and incidental use of a computer. It was observed that where a computer
application is like a tool, there is not much technical knowledge required, but where the
computer is used as a target, technical knowledge is required. In this context, excellent
work has been done by Alkabi et al, in which type 1 and type 2 classification of
cybercrimes has been done. Type 1 crime involves the use of computers as targets such
as unauthorized access, malicious code, etc., and Type 2 crime using computers as tools
such as child pornography, etc. Another classification of this was also given by Talat
Fatima, which included computer crimes as pure cybercrime, such as hacking
unauthorized access, etc., and traditional crimes involving the use of computers such as
the destruction of electronic evidence, etc. In this chapter, we have studied various
cyber crimes and tried to understand their nature. We found in this chapter that there is
no definite definition of cybercrimes nor is there any definite and harmonized
classification available in this context, based on which a global legislation can be
Page | 302
Conclusion and Suggestions
formed to deal with it. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a definite definition and
definite classification of cybercrimes as it is a crime of transnational nature.
In third part of second chapter, I have studied some major cybercrimes, which
are very much prevalent, since no part of human life, is left untouched by the impact of
information technology, cybercrime also having adverse effects on society. Therefore,
an attempt has been made to understand their nature by taking some major crimes; these
are cyber hacking, cyber fraud, cyber terrorism and cyber obscenity.
While studying cyber hacking, we found that cyber hacking has been the
prominent crime of the information age. There have been many securities-related cases
in India relating to cyber hacking, in which hackers have hacked sensitive websites such
as DRDO and BARC. Hacking means unauthorised access to any data or program.
Hackers perform hacking by detecting vulnerabilities in computer systems or services,
or by using sophisticated automated equipment. Hackers can be of four types: malicious
hackers, crackers, phreakers, and hackers. The European Convention provides for the
substantive law in this context, which includes illegal access, illegal interception, data
interference and system intervention. Part 3 of the Convention makes provisions
regarding international cooperation and mutual legal assistance treaty.
The United Kingdom has passed the Computer Abuse Act, 1984 in this context,
which was the result of legal hurdles encountered in the R v. Gold case. According to
the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the UK survey have found that the growth
and development are being adversely affected due to increasing activities like hacking,
due to which it has been said to increase its scope of the Act.
The United States of America has passed the Spyware Control and Privacy
Protection Act, 2000 for prohibiting deceiving activities, DoS attacks, etc. There have
been many cases related to the hacking of sensitive Government information in the
USA, UK, and India. Although, no decided case is available in India in this regard, but
there have been incidents where attempts have been made to hack much secret
Page | 303
Conclusion and Suggestions
Cyber fraud involves hiding or misinforming information with the help of the
Internet. There are many types of online sales of stolen goods, non-delivery of goods,
payment related, advertising fraud, fee fraud, misrepresentation, phishing, spoofing,
lottery fraud, email related. The UK Audit Commission report has identified six types
of cyber fraud, including input, output, programs and data fraud. The first case in this
context came from R. v. Gold13, after which a related legislative framework was created
to prevent these types of crimes. In the USA, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 1984
was passed and federal statute title 18 US Code section 1030 also deals with fraudulent
activities that are against confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. The purpose
13
[1988] 1 AC 1063 (HL).
Page | 304
Conclusion and Suggestions
of which is to prevent unauthorized access and prevent the exceeding of the limit of
authorised access.
In India, it is treated under IPC, 1860 and IT Act, 2000. However, in this
reference, no leading judgment of the court is available. While such activities are the
highest among cybercrimes. There can be many types of modus operandi. Therefore, it
is submitted that since these crimes are related to banking and financial institutions,
therefore, continuous monitoring and surveillance of these installations and vigilance
of the victim can be effective in preventing these crimes. It is necessary to take
necessary vigilance with the government as well as the people to prevent this. The
business enterprise needs to provide training to its employees related to the prevention
and control of cybercrimes, as well as special programs for every section of society in
this subject.
The obscenity in the R v Curl14 case has been considered a UK common law
offence. In R. v. Hicklin15 held that such a material that affects the minds by such
immoral and contaminating material is obscene. Therefore, those involved in its
publication are also partners of crime. In the UK, the Public Order Act, 1992 is passed
to control cyber obscenity. Along with this, the Protection of Children Act, 1994 and
Criminal Justice Act, 1988 has also been revised. The First Amendment protects speech
and expression in the USA and reasonable restrictions can be imposed based on law,
social order, security and social progress. On this basis, obscenity can be curbed. As in
14
[1727] 2 S 788 KB.
15
1868 LR 3 QB 360,371.
Page | 305
Conclusion and Suggestions
the case of Roth v US16, the court said that freedom of speech does not include
obscenity. The court held in Miller's case that material which is of prurient interest in
the current social level or depict offensively or sexually, and which has no artistic,
literary, scientific, or educational value will be obscene. The USA has passed the Child
Pornography Act, 1996 as well as the Child Online Protection Act, 1996 to deal with
child pornography.
In India, it is covered under IPC, 1860 and Section 67 of IT Act, 2000 and
depending on the victim POCSO Act may apply. The leading case related to cyber
obscenity was the Air Force School case in which accused minors were dealt under the
Juvenile Justice Act, 2011. The DPS MMS case is another leading case in which
obscene material was put on sale. The accused was a minor in this case too and dealt
with under Juvenile Justice Act. To deal with such a situation the central government
amended the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POSCO Act),
and brought child pornography by minors under the jurisdiction of POSCO Act. This is
a commendable attempt by the central government to put child pornography under
POCSO Act and adopting zero-tolerance policy towards offence against children. It is
submitted that internet service providers (ISPs) can be given more responsibilities to
prevent these crime.
16
[1957]354 US 476.
Page | 306
Conclusion and Suggestions
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act was also amended to include misuse of computer by
terrorists and terrorised use of computers.
Page | 307
Conclusion and Suggestions
Page | 308
Conclusion and Suggestions
The first part deals with jurisdictional issues in combating cybercrime. The
power of the court to make the lawful and binding judgment; includes judicial,
legislative and administrative competence. The relationship between sovereign nations
is governed by international law, as cybercrime is generally transnational; many nations
assume extraterritorial jurisdiction. However, in absence of an appropriate treaty, courts
may face practical difficulty in exercising jurisdiction.
Page | 309
Conclusion and Suggestions
supports that municipal law is part of international law, whereas, the dualistic theory
claims that international law and municipal laws are two distinct spheres. International
law is a dynamic law, thus, the traditional principles of international law have extended
to formulate a new spectrum of cybercrime jurisdiction. The cybercrime jurisdiction
considers the State’s power over online behaviour, the effect of such online activity, the
validity of local sovereign rules and the impact of physical location to decide which set
of rules will apply. Though the internet has challenged territorially defined law, as
cybercrime impact is widespread, there can be the location of victim, perpetrator and
web server are in different parts of the world. In such a situation, the national legal
response has a limited implication to curb cybercrime. Cases, where more countries are
involved in a matter in dispute, are called abstract criminal jurisdiction and it challenges
the conventional theory of jurisdiction. For instance, if offensive content is posted on a
website, the general rule of jurisdiction provides that crime took place at the location
of the host computer. Whereas, since the publication is the continuing act, and continues
from the moment of uploading and onwards; one argument supports that it happened at
the location of the host computer and another argument supports that it happened in
every place where the material can be viewed. However, there is no clarity regarding
jurisdiction. Generally, all websites come with terms of service, privacy policy and
disclaimer subject to their domestic laws. In case of breach of service regarding terms
of service one may bind himself in a legal dilemma. Therefore, these positions need to
be more elaborate and clear regarding service agreements. The jurisdictional matters
are dealt with under Article 22 of the convention. Cybercrime, as per convention is an
extraditable offence, but extradition is a mutual legal process. India has a mutual legal
assistance treaty with only 34 countries. The extradition is a dual law, but it is a
discretionary power. Thus, it can be refused even if there are requisition and sufficient
cause for it. Therefore, there is a need to have separate laws on extradition of
cybercrime cases.
Page | 310
Conclusion and Suggestions
negative jurisdictional conflict may occur. Positive conflict is a situation where more
than one country claims jurisdiction. Various theories have been proposed to deal with
cybercrimes, these are: (1) Theory of new sovereignty in which global society is being
created, which is independent of government organisation and it is a sort of self-
government; (2) Theory of jurisdictional relativity suggests that cyberspace should be
treated as a new zone, like Antarctica, Outer space and High Sea and new rules should
be created in this regard that is different from the rules of traditional jurisdiction. If a
citizen commits a crime in cyberspace, any country can take action in this regard as per
law; (3) Theory of website jurisdiction provides that there must be some connection
between website and jurisdiction; (4) The Principle of Minimum Contact suggests that
the courts may exercise jurisdiction over unlawful conduct of perpetrator if the criminal
is protected by the laws of other States, or if he proactively places his network activity
under the jurisdiction of other State courts. The jurisdictional challenges are the main
hurdle in investigating cybercrime. Jurisdiction is a concept that determines whether a
court has the power to adjudicate or not. In a cross-country dispute, the problem often
arises as to which country will have jurisdiction.
The second part of the present chapter deals with the topics related to the
investigation, I found that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data are of
crucial importance, as any alteration leads to the destruction of evidence. The
cybercrime investigation involves surveillance which covers interception monitoring
and decryption. Surveillance can be done by CCTV and by analysing audit logs; the
decryption process on the conversion of non-illegible form to illegible form; the
interception is a process of acquiring data by a person other than the sender; monitoring
means inspecting information. The procedure and safeguard regarding surveillance,
monitoring and interception are provided under concerned rules by the Central
Government. During the search, examination, collection and preservation of electronic
evidence special care is needed, so that it can be relied on by the court. The image copy
of electronic evidence is generally used in evidence, thus, there is a need to protect data
from tampering. For this purpose, there are techniques available such as Bit stream,
which is the image copy of whole data, despite this; there have been cases of
mishandling of evidence. The collection, appreciation, analysis and preservation poses
unique challenges, which is why it makes the investigation more complex. Along with
Page | 311
Conclusion and Suggestions
this, the distributed attack is very common which multiplies jurisdictional and technical
complexities intensifies the problem. Cybercrime can be transnational about the
location of the victim, criminal and evidence. The identification and extraction of
evidence require that the integrity of evidence be maintained. Different network
architecture requires different tools for the extraction of evidence. Digital forensic is
the process of appropriation of digital/electronic evidence. Thus, electronic evidence is
identified, extracted and analysed with the help of digital forensics. Cybercrime poses
technical challenges, resource challenges and legal challenges. The technical challenges
include different media formats such as encryption, steganography, etc. these features
add complexity to the problem. Resource challenge includes the volume of data and
time and time taken in analysing such data. Whereas, legal challenges include
jurisdiction and privacy-related matters. The most significant problem in legal
challenge is due to lack of reporting of crime, geographical anonymity, and dark web,
the inadequacy of law and procedure, legal framework difference and lack of technical
expertise. Along with this, with the increasing use of cloud computing, the problem
multiplies as in cloud computing system data is distributed on various nodes, which are
located on different servers located in different countries. The process of access and
identification is difficult because the role of ISPs is not clear.
The third and the last part of the chapter, we have studied the evidentiary
challenges in cybercrime. In this chapter, we found that evidence means anything
necessary to prove a particular fact when such evidence is in electronic form / digital
form, it is called electronic evidence. Each of the categories of electronic evidence, such
as software input and output devices, constitutes electronic evidence and it is also
Page | 312
Conclusion and Suggestions
known as digital evidence. Electronic evidence is the data that is created, manipulated,
stored and communicated by any device or computer or transmitted over a computer
system, such data is relevant in adjudication. It is delicate and can be altered, damaged
and destroyed by mishandling or improper examination, as it can be easily copied and
modified. Thus, careful collection, examination and preservation are needed. Therefore,
the reliability of digital evidence is the main problem in the admissibility of electronic
evidence. The data used in investigations that are stored or transmitted by a digital
device are called electronic evidence. For admissibility of electronic evidence, it must
be relevant, authentic and probative value must outweigh any prejudicial effect.
Page | 313
Conclusion and Suggestions
may also cause the loss of critical evidence and if the evidence is incomplete or
inaccurate it may also lead to inadmissible evidence. The law enforcement agencies that
fail to provide the authenticity of electronic evidence may obstruct justice.
17
2020 SCC Online SC 571.
Page | 314
Conclusion and Suggestions
course of said activity. Authorship of electronic records can be proved with the help of
a certificate by a person in authority.
The law regarding the admissibility of electronic evidence is still not clear. This
can be seen in the pattern of judgement regarding the admissibility of electronic
evidence. In the Dharambir case,18 the court directed the investigator to store the
evidence in a temperature-controlled room and an aseptic environment in the
cybercrime section of CBI or any convenient place. Thus, there must be some dedicated
department for the preservation and maintenance of electronic evidence, so that it can
be kept safe and free from contamination. Again, in HK Sethna case19, the court found
the CD wasn’t sealed before its production, therefore, it was not admissible. Hence,
there is a need to have and follow clear guidelines regarding collection, preservation
and production of electronic evidence before the court. In the State v Navjot Sandhu20
the court held secondary evidence can be given in absence of a certificate in accordance
with Sections 63 and 65 of the IE Act, 1872. Through this judgment, the Court permitted
the electronic records, even without the certification under Section 65B, admissible as
secondary evidence as per the provisions of Sections 63 and 65 of the IE Act, 1872.
In Vodafone case,21 also the court relied on Navjot Sandhu case, which was a clear
case of mis-interpretation of the law. Therefore, it is submitted that the judiciary needs
to be more efficient in procedure regarding the admissibility of electronic evidence.
In Anvar v. Bashir case22, the court categorically held that electronic evidence can be
proved only in accordance with section 65 B of the IE Act. The court reversed the stand
taken by court in Shafhi Muhammad case and again relied on Anvar v. Bashir
judgement. In the recent case of Arjun Panditrao Khotkar v. Kailash Kushanrao
Gorantyal23 the court overruled the earlier judgement of Tomaso Bruno24 and Shafhi
Muhammad case25 on the ground of misinterpretation of the law (per incuriam). The
Supreme Court held that a certificate under Section 65 B (4) is a 'condition precedent'
18
148 (2008) DLT 289.
19
2011(2) ALLMR 577.
20
(2005) 11 SCC 600.
21
Judgment No. 303 of 2010 in Summary Suit No. 3264 of 2009. Decided On: 22.11.2011.
22
AIR 2015 SC 180, MANU/SC/0834/2 014.
23
2020 SCC Online SC 571.
24
(2015) 7 SCC 178.
25
(2018) 2 SCC 801.
Page | 315
Conclusion and Suggestions
to the admissibility of electronic records in the trial. Section 65-B (4) provides for the
certificate, which identifies the electronic record containing the statement and describes
the manner in which it was produced giving the particulars of the device involved in
the production of that record and deals with the conditions mentioned in Section 65-B
(2) and is signed by the person holding a responsible official position concerning the
operation of the relevant device shall be evidence of any matter stated in the certificate.
Thus, adequate procedures should be adopted for the collection and preservation
of evidence like the Regulation of Investigatory Power Act, 2000 in the UK. The main
objective of the Act is to balance between investigation and the protection of the right
to privacy. Similarly, in US there is Planning Tool for Resource Integration,
Synchronisation and Management (PRISM). It is a data tool and surveillance program
designed to collect and process data relating foreign intelligence. Such types of Act and
tools are not available in India, therefore, stress must be given on the balance between
Investigation and privacy protection in India also. Additionally, the liability of the third
person should be fixed who violates such laws. The task force for the cybercrime
investigation should be increased. Proper training programs should be imparted to every
concerned officer. The judiciary needs to be more accountable in the interpretation of
the admissibility of electronic evidence, as we have seen that the two judges’ bench
violates the judgement of three judges bench and goes ahead to misleading judgement,
which was later overruled on the ground of per incuriam.
In chapter five, we have done empirical analysis of cybercrime cases with the
available data of National Criminal Record Bureau and other surveys by various
organization at national and international level. As per NCRB - 2019 data,
approximately 15 percent of cases were found true, but they could not be prosecuted in
absence or loss of evidence. Further, the pendency of cases for investigation is 69
percent whereas the charge sheeting rate is only 39.1 percent. The pendency is 94.1
percent in courts for disposal of cases. The data suggest that there are huge pendency
and loss of evidence due to insufficient mechanism of collection and retrieval of
evidence.
Hence, we would like to submit that the first hypothesis is proved that in the
present scenario, the IT Act, 2000 is not sufficient to deal with the problem of
Page | 316
Conclusion and Suggestions
cybercrime. The second hypothesis also holds true that the law enforcement agencies
are not well equipped to deal with the menace of cybercrime. Thus, the law should be
responsive to the challenging nature of cybercrime and constant updating and security
are required in this area of law, to cover within its ambit newly emerging crimes and
resolve the emerging techno-legal problem relating to admissibility of electronic
evidence. Cybercrime has the potential to cause harm to the maximum number of
people without much risk and therefore, cybersecurity is a very important emerging
area all over the world.
6.2 Suggestions
There is need to have special security measures. The cybercriminals often take
advantage of vulnerability of computer system and network that is being attacked.
Therefore, a special security measure is essential to combat such cybercrime. The
domestic laws relating to information security had focused mainly to protect the
security, safety, and integrity of the country. It does not provide adequate measures for
protection of data. The data can be related to individual or corporate data. As suggested
by G8 countries in France, in May 2000, the cyber laws must be universalized to stretch
out sufficient security to people, or organisation, government and non-government
offices and ultimately the society at large.
Page | 317
Conclusion and Suggestions
Countries have established their own Incident Response and Computer Security
Teams to deal with cybercrime, within territorial limits. Such forum needs to be
developed at international level to share and exchange information.
Page | 318
Conclusion and Suggestions
act as a public office for agency for incident response. Its key purposes are examination,
collection, and dissemination of data about cyber incidents, evaluation and alert of
cyber security, take emergency measures and coordination of cyber incidents response
activities. There are at present six e-security technology being developed. The working
of CERT should be more cooperative with other security agencies at the national and
international level to deal with cyber-terrorism.
The data should be protected from any unauthorized and unlawful access,
manipulation and disclosure using encryption technology. Such encryption would
protect data, thereby preventing crime to some extent by protecting the integrity of data
from any sort of unauthorized access and manipulation. There is a need to develop
Page | 319
Conclusion and Suggestions
encryption services for protecting the integrity of data from any misuse. Another
technique named steganography is also being used, which protects against network
invasion. In this technique, the information gets obscure to avoid detection. It consists
of messages, which are not readily discernible to the observer; it is a sort of secret
message.
Another option is a firewall tool, which alerts the user against illegal intrusion.
It consists of a software program that is used to monitor the flow of information between
computers and networks. It can also limit the amount of data flowing between one’s
computer and network. There is massive computerization of government, semi-
government and organizations, hence, their respective bodies must appoint expert
officers for protection and maintenance of computer resources and they should be
responsible for the lapse on the system.
Page | 320
Conclusion and Suggestions
The regulatory mechanism to control search and seizure needs to be more upgraded in
terms of new tools and techniques. The investigating agencies should be empowered to
obtain information from ISP’s depending upon the requirement of the case along with
preserving the right to privacy of concerned parties.
The voice recognition and caller ID protection should be used more against
unauthorized access
Technology is a powerful tool, which has given rise to crime and also provides a
remedies against such misuses of technology. The computer system can be equipped
with some security devices, which protect it from unauthorised access, such as voice
recognition tools as password. Voice recognizers identify the pattern of voice for
activation. It is protected from unauthorised access and also alerts the owner in case of
any unauthorised attack.
There are three components of cybercrime related forensics viz, cyber forensic,
computer forensic and software forensic, but these ate interrelated and forms a
cybercrime detection mechanism. Cyber forensic is another name of network forensics,
it is electronic evidence that conveyed across computer systems. The purpose of cyber
forensic is to identify, collect and preserve electronic evidence. Computer forensic
covers collection of evidence from a computer systems, which got seized at the location
of crime, used to remove concealed data from the system and disks. Computer forensic
helps in analyzing legal evidence, and also helps in the investigation and procuring
Page | 321
Conclusion and Suggestions
evidence. While the software forensic deals with malicious code or program intended
to harm system and network. It helps in identifying the perpetrator.
When people get aware of cybercrime, the number of cybercrime cases will
automatically decelerate. It is important that people become aware, because every user
is a potential victim. Thus, awareness program and education will substantially decrease
the threat of cybercrime. It is evident from cases that the people who are less techno-
friendly often are trapped in financial fraud. Whereas, youngsters often get trapped in
a pornographic foul play and can even become a victim of blackmailing and other
similar crimes. Another category often falls prey of websites, which pretend to allow
free download of copyrighted material. In the pretext of download, it often induces
viruses in the system and no desired files at all. Hence, cybercriminal exploits the
vulnerability of system for fun and money. Therefore, cybercrime research and
development center should be developed to provide assistance for adequate solution of
possible threats and for conducting awareness program.
Page | 322
Conclusion and Suggestions
There should be Special Cyber Crime Investigation Cell and Cyber Police
for Cybercrime
Cybercrime police stations have been set up by the State Governments. As per
rules, these cells are handled by specially trained police officials assisted by information
technology experts as and when needed for the investigation of cybercrimes. But, in
reality they are not properly trained nor well equipped with information technology
assisted tools and have no adequate cyber forensic experts. The investigators should be
empowered to conduct search and access the data or information in private computer
systems and computer equipment’s etc. with the earlier approval by the magistrate.
The statistics related to crime fails to reflect the true picture of cybercrime. The
reason for this is that ability of computer software makes the detection of cybercrime
Page | 323
Conclusion and Suggestions
difficult. The victims of cybercrime often refrain from reporting to avoid unnecessary
harassment of time money and energy, and more time consuming judicial process.
Companies often refrain from reporting cybercrime in fear of loss of goodwill, or fear
of adverse publicity or any other detrimental repercussion.
Page | 324