A Guide to Cybercrime and Its Intricacies

The world was put to a halt after the advent of coronavirus, and people were expected to stay inside without making any human contact. To make sure that studies work and other day-to-day work were not hindered, the online medium became very prevalent, and all the activities were happening at a very fast pace.

The user’s cyber world came into play when such adversity struck the earth. People have never complained a lot about evolving because that’s human nature, and in this scenario, they adapted to change and accepted technological advancement and got more and more involved in the cyber world. With increased involvement and human interaction, crimes are bound to happen. With the increased use of online media, the rate of cybercrime increased rapidly all across India.

What is cybercrime?

Any crime that is stated in our Indian Penal Code and civil procedural code can be committed over online media; hence, any crime happening in the cyber world can be regarded as a cybercrime. Crimes like terrorism, stalking, harassment, sexual assault, theft and extortion combination definitions that come with obscenity and forgery are all punishable under the Indian Penal Code. They can very well be seen happening on online media as well.

The main meal reason why people got involved in online media was that it enabled them to do their job without actually meeting; hence, tracking a cybercrime is even more difficult because the person’s identity is anonymous.

What are some of the major reasons why cybercrime increased in India?

India is a developing country; there is a major chunk of people who work on a daily wage basis, and if their work is stopped, then they have no means to provide for their families. So many people who lost their jobs resorted to blackmailing and different forms of cybercrime to ensure they could provide for themselves and their families.

• Rise in Unemployment
• Lack of education about online media
• Lack of strict cyber laws
• Lack of data localization
• Lack of sufficient cyber awareness camps all over India

As people were well aware and educated about this medium, the repercussions and issues might have been minimised to a great extent.

What are some of the major types of cybercrime in India?

Some of the major types of cybercrime include:-

Cyberbullying and defamation:

Passing derogatory and defamatory remarks over social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram amounts to cyber defamation and bullying. If such remarks are published, the person seen doing it is punishable by Law. Publicizing someone’s obscene pictures and videos of women with their private parts by using their mobile phones or cameras is also covered under this section. Many people are keen on obtaining sexual favours and sending threats over text messages; even these threats can amount to cyberbullying, and the person doing it is punishable under Law.

Cyber theft:

When someone steals someone’s identity and tries to steal their personal data, information and other financial favours in that person’s name, it would come under the category of cyber theft.

Cyberstalking:

Sending text messages to someone over social media and calling them repeatedly after expressively telling you that they are not interested in talking to you is considered cyber-stalking.

Cyber fraud:

Stealing someone’s electronic signatures, contract-making false representations, and seeking damaged goods over an eCommerce platform are considered cyber fraud. Whenever someone induces payment in the name of someone else and deducts money from your account, People doing such crimes will be considered fraud and will be punishable under the Law.

Hacking:

Gaining access to someone’s laptop computer or cell phone without their permission and stealing valuable data and information is considered hacking. Whoever steals this data can make the most out of it by selling it to someone with some valuable interest.

Cyber terrorism:

Hacking someone’s computer, stealing valuable information, and demanding ransom for not exploiting it counts as cyber terrorism or cyber extortion. Usually, this phenomenon takes place on both levels: the international level and at a low level. The level of extortion and the people involved in it determines whether cyber terrorism has a significant impact or implication.

Conclusion:

Cybercrime reports suggest that the rate at which cybercrime complaints are being filed in India is massive, and crime continues to grow in India. The only way to tackle this issue is by educating people and making them aware of the implications of sharing their data.

They need to be mindful of how their actions can be used against them, and if they’re not vigilant or on social media, it is very easy for them to become a victim of something huge, and there will be no going back after that.