Cyber Crimes

Also known as computer crimes

Means criminal activities done using information
technology components like internet.
Examples are theft, fraud, forgery.....
Cyber Law in India is Information Technology Act
2000.
Defined as a crime in which a computer is the
object of the crime or is used as a tool to commit
an offence.
 Nature and Scope
• Insecure nature of computers --- leads to
increased online criminal activity
• Technology advanced criminals --- criminals
are skilled in internet and computers.
• Social and economic phenomenon --- crimes
are as old as the human society.
 Reasons for increase of cyber crimes
• No geographical limit of committing cyber crimes.
• Criminal activity is not in physical world but in
cyber world.
• Criminal activities can be done from any part of
the world.
• Difficult to prove in court due to special nature of
cyber crime.
• Cyber crimes affect the lives of so many beyond
our imagination
 Classification of Cyber Crimes
• 1. Traditional Crimes
Theft of money, illegal use of computer programs,
unauthorised acquisition of stored data.
2. Crime against individuals
Includes financial crimes, hacking (Unauthorised
access into data), child pornography.
3. Cyber crimes against property
Property means movable and intangible property like
computers.
4. Cyber crime against Government
Criminals may hack Government websites
and military websites.
5. Cyber crimes against society
Cyber crimes committed against
numerous individuals, it is cyber crime
against society.
Eg: online gambling
 Offence and Punishment
• 1. Computer related offences– Imprisonment
upto 3 years of fine upto 5 lakh or both
• 2. Theft of identity (fake id) --- Imprisonment
upto 3 years of fine upto 1 lakh
• 3. Cyber terrorism – Life imprisonment
• 4. Violation of privacy -- Imprisonment upto 3
years of fine upto 2 lakh or both
• 5. Receiving stolen computer resource--
Imprisonment upto 3 years of fine upto 1 lakh
• 6. Unauthorised access to computer system –
Imprisonment upto 10 years and fine
• 7. Violating the directions to block any
information -- Imprisonment upto 7 years and
fine
• 8. Violating the directions to retain the
information by intermediaries -- Imprisonment
upto 3 years and fine
• 9. Penalty for misrepresentation – Imprisonment upto
2 years or fine upto 1 lakh or both.
• 10. Penalty for breach of privacy -- Imprisonment upto
2 years or fine upto 1 lakh or both.
• 11. Publication for fraudulent purpose --
Imprisonment upto 2 years or fine upto 1 lakh or both.
• 12. Violating the directions of Indian Computer
Emergency Response Team -- Imprisonment upto 1
years or fine upto 1 lakh or both.
 Cyber Terrorism
• Means politically motivated hacking operations
intended to harm personal life or leads to
economic damage.
• Types are:
• ...Cyber Extortion -- a computer system/website is
subjected to attack by hackers who demand money
in return to stop the attack
• ...Cyber Warfare – One nation use IT to penetrate
into another nation networks which cause damage.
 Scope of Cyber Terrorism
• Targets of cyber terrorism covers power
plants, military installations, banking industry,
air traffic control centres, water systems.
 Types of Cyber Crimes
• 1. Hacking
Unlawful gaining of access to a computer system or network
by breaking the password protected websites/computers
Or usage of faulty hardware or software implementation to
illegally obtain a password.
Hacker -- person who finds and exploits the weakness in
computer system to get into access.(DATA loss)
Cracker – Person who exploit the vulnerable part of a
system for malicious purposes. (system damage and loss
to us)
 Types of Hackers
• 1. White hat Hackers – He uses his skill for
good things and donot harm the computer.
• 2. Black hat Hackers – He gains unauthorised
access with the intention of private gain
• 3. Grey hat Hackers – Combination of White
and Black hat hackers
• 2. Identity Theft
A person fraudulently obtains another persons personal
information and uses it for economic gain. Identity Theft may
be Phishing or Pharming.
Phishing – victims are contacted by email, telephone or text
message by someone which attract individuals sensitive data
such as credit card details, passwords etc. (artificial Bank login)
Pharming – Done without the knowledge or consent of victims.
Hacker installs virus(malicious code), it will redirect us to some
unwanted/fraudulent sites. Personal information will be stolen.
• 3. Cyber Stalking
Repeated acts of harrasment by using internet, email or
other types of electronic communications. Means repeated
act of Cyber Harrasment. Cyber stalking consists of:
Cyber Harrasment – an act which threatens an individual via
email, messages with the intention of harming that person.
Cyber Bullying – Intentional act carried out by a group or an
individual repeatedly using electronic forms against a
victim who cannot easily defend him.
• 4. Web Hijacking
Taking forceful control over a persons website,
thereby denying the owners control over his
website.
5. Ponography
Creating/publishing/showing sexual acts for
sexual excitement
• 6. Deniel of service attack
Victims email is filled with spam mail. To disrupt connection
between computers.
7. Malicious software/Malware
Designed to harm computers. Types are
... Viruses (programs which infect other programs)
...Worms (programs that spread from computer to computer)
...Trojen Horse(program which pretends to be useful in the
beginning but later gains control over the computer and do
damage)
• ... Spyware ( program which is installed
unknowingly without appropriate user
permissions while installing another program)
• ... Adware ( program which contains
advertisement, thereby collects information
about the user)
• 8. Financial Crimes
Are carried out by individuals, corporations,
organised crime groups. Types are
...Online gambling --- electronic payment of
gambling by use of credit card, debit card etc.
... Cyber laundering... Electronic transfer of
illegally obtained money with the goal of
hiding its source and destination
• ...Cyber contrabrand – transferring of illegal item
through internet.
• ...Salami Attack – Criminal takes an amount of money
that is so insignificant in a single case, that it will be
unnoticed. Say Rs.5

• 9. Intellectual Property Crimes

When some manufacturers sell or distribute patents,
trademarks or artistic works for commercial gains.
Types are...
• ...Software piracy (stealing of legally protected
software and use it for copying, reproducing,
distributing or modifying/selling without the
permission of owner)
• ...Cyber Squatting (using trademark of others
without the owners consent for making profit
from the goodwill of others)
• ...Meta tagging (using well known trade mark
word of another to his own domain name)
• 10. Email crimes
...email frauds(intentionally sending email for personal
gain or to damage another individual)
...email spoofing ( email appears to have originated from
one source but actually has sent from another source)
... Email bombing ( sending large number of email to
victims account resulting in crashing of that accout)
...Email spamming( sending thousands of email to many
users thereby flooding the internet from an
unidentifiable source)
• 11. Cyber defamation
If any one publishes untrue matter about someone
else on a website or send emails containing
untrue statements to lower his reputation
12. Cyber Theft
Act of using internet to steal some ones
information or entering into others computer
system for committing cyber crimes. Types are:
• ...Internet time theft (unauthorised person
uses internet hours which is paid by another
person)
• ...Theft of computer system ( offence consist
of theft of computer/part of a computer)
• ...Cyber vandalism --- (refers to damaging or
destroying data rather than stealing or
misusing them)