Syllabus: GS3/Cybersecurity
Context
- The government has authorised Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to share and receive information from the Enforcement Directorate under the anti-money laundering law.
About
- It is aimed at detecting money trails and combating cyber frauds.
- The Revenue Department under the Finance Ministry included I4C under Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
- Need: This information sharing would help identify the masterminds behind such frauds which are mostly trans-national.
| About Directorate of Enforcement (ED) – Established: It was established in 1956 with the formation of an ‘Enforcement Unit’ under the aegis of the Department of Economic Affairs and handles Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA 1947). 1. A year later, the Enforcement Unit was renamed the Enforcement Directorate. – It is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of the offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. The statutory functions of the Directorate include enforcement of following Acts: – The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA): It is a civil law enacted to consolidate and amend the laws relating to facilitate external trade and payments. – The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA): It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money, ED has been given the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the PMLA. – The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA): This law was enacted to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. |
What is Cybercrime?
- Cybercrime refers to criminal activities that involve the use of computers, networks, and digital technologies.
- It encompasses a wide range of illicit activities conducted in the virtual space, often with the intent to compromise, damage, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems, networks, and data.
- Cybercriminals employ various techniques and tools to exploit vulnerabilities in networks, and they may target individuals, organizations, or even governments.
Common types of cybercrime include:
- Hacking: Unauthorized access to computer systems or networks to steal, alter, or destroy data.
- Phishing: Deceptive attempts to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and financial details, by posing as a trustworthy entity.
- Malware: Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.
- Identity Theft: Stealing and using someone’s personal information, such as social security numbers or credit card details, for fraudulent purposes.
- Cyber Espionage: Covert activities aimed at gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information for political, economic, or military purposes.
- Cyberbullying: Using digital platforms to harass, threaten, or intimidate individuals.
Impact of Cyber Crimes
- National Security Threats: Cyber crimes pose a threat to national security when state-sponsored actors or criminal organizations target critical infrastructure, government institutions, or military systems.
- Data Breaches: Data breaches lead to the exposure of personal information, trade secrets, intellectual property, and other confidential data, causing severe damage to the affected entities.
- Disruption of Services: Cyber attacks disrupt essential services such as power grids, communication networks, and transportation systems.
- Reputational Damage: Organizations that fall victim to cyber attacks often suffer reputational damage.
Initiatives by Government of India to Prevent Cybercrimes
- Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In): CERT-In is the national nodal agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents.
- It provides proactive and reactive cybersecurity support and plays a crucial role in ensuring the security and resilience of the country’s cyber infrastructure.
- National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC): NCIIPC is responsible for protecting critical information infrastructure from cyber threats.
- It identifies and designates critical sectors and advises organizations in these sectors on enhancing their cybersecurity measures.
- Cyber Crime Prevention against Women & Children (CCPWC) scheme: The Ministry of Home Affairs has provided financial assistance to all the States & UTs under the scheme to support their efforts for setting up of cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories, training, and hiring of junior cyber consultants.
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): It provides a framework and ecosystem for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to deal with cyber crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
- ‘Joint Cyber Coordination Teams’ have been constituted for seven regions at Mewat, Jamtara, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati under the I4C.
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: It is launched to enable the public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes.
- A toll-free number 1930 has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
- The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System module has also been launched for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters.
- Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre): This initiative is aimed at creating awareness about botnet and malware infections and providing tools for detection and cleaning.
| International Conventions on Cyber Crimes – Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime): It is the first international treaty specifically addressing crimes committed via the internet and other computer networks. 1. It includes provisions on offenses such as illegal access, data interference, system interference, and content-related crimes. – Internet Governance Forum: The United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups, as equals, in discussions on digital public policy. – African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention): This convention focuses on cybersecurity and personal data protection on the African continent. 1. It outlines principles for preventing cyber threats, protecting critical information infrastructure, and facilitating international cooperation. |
Source: TH
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