Cybercrime and cyber law

The essentials

Cybercrime is any criminal activity in which a computer, network or digital device is used as a tool or a target. Cybercrimes can cause financial loss, emotional harm and damage to reputation. In India, the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008) provides the legal framework for electronic records and transactions and lays down penalties for cybercrimes.

Key points

• Hacking: gaining unauthorised access to a computer system or network. Ethical hacking is done with permission to find weaknesses; non-ethical hacking aims to steal or damage.
• Phishing: fraudulent emails, messages or websites that look genuine and trick users into giving passwords, bank details or OTPs. Spelling errors, urgent threats and suspicious links are warning signs.
• Identity theft: using someone else's personal details, such as name, Aadhaar or card numbers, to commit fraud.
• Cyberbullying: using digital media to harass, threaten, insult or humiliate someone, for example by posting embarrassing photos or spreading rumours.
• Ransomware: malware that locks or encrypts data and demands a payment to restore access.
• Cyber trolls: people who post offensive or provocative comments to provoke others.
• Preventing cybercrime: use strong and different passwords, enable two-factor authentication, never share OTPs, keep software updated, avoid unknown links and attachments, and take backups.
• Reporting: victims can report cybercrimes to the cyber cell of the police or through the national cybercrime reporting portal. Save evidence such as screenshots.
• The IT Act also gives legal recognition to electronic documents and digital signatures, which supports e-commerce and e-governance.

Exam tips

• Identify the crime from the description: a fake bank email asking for login details is phishing; repeated mean messages are cyberbullying.

Common mistakes

• Calling every attack "hacking". Phishing tricks the user into giving data rather than breaking into a system.
• Deleting all messages after being bullied; evidence is needed for reporting.