“From 2014-2021 there’s a 450% increase in cyber crime, states Bivas Chatterjee, Learned Counsel, High Court of Kolkata and Special Public Prosecutor on Cyber Law at a seminar organised by the Department of Law of Brainware University He further conjectured that going forward, cyberspace will play a crucial role in national and individual security.
How are cyber laws different?
“In essence, cyber law is an attempt to integrate the challenges presented by human activity on the Internet with legacy system of laws applicable to the physical world,” as per /infosecawareness.in.
While discussing how cyber laws have been effective, Shahnaz Mondal, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Brainware University explained, “Earlier, a person whose digital data had been compromised would not have an easy way to report his issues. Cyber laws allows easy report of such crimes.”
The existing loopholes in cyber laws
“Our system is trying to create small pockets of Snowden. Systems that can be accessed easily by anyone to report cyber crimes” informed Chatterjee. He further emphasised on the importance of enforcing privacy and cyber security policies for every website for protecting user data.
Reflecting on the current cyber law system, Chatterjee states “Cyber crime is fast and so our legal system needs to be faster”. He highlighted on the fact that Indian laws are yet to provide protection to citizen ethical hackers. When asked about the amount of loopholes in the system, he replied “It is impossible to state any singular loopholes. The system is filled with them”
On a positive side, Shahnaz Mondal reflected on how newer technologies are making tracking difficult. She warns, “The internet allows easy attempts of cyber-stalking, furthermore criminals can plant fake evidence on innocent devices to hide their own crimes”.
Internet- blessing or a curse?
“The internet can take just as much as they give” reflects Bivas Chatterjee. Echoing the sentiment, Mondal states how the internet is both a boon and a curse for those heedless to the risks.
Mondal instructs on multiple ways to be careful, including Checking ATM’s for skimmers, never disclosing private information, avoiding random links, and reporting to authorities when suspicions arise.