What is Cyber Crime

INTERNET HAS become essential in our day-to-day life. All of us use it. Many a time we come across several kinds of unwanted mails. Such mails ask you to send your name, address and other important details. Senders of such mails claim that you have won some 100 million dollars as a lucky winner in a competition or lottery  in which you never participated. 

Beware! The sender can be a fraudster. Do not give your personal details in response to any such mail. One of my journalist friends told me a real- life incident. A man in his forties was cheated by an online fraudster. In response to a similar mail as mentioned in the above paragraph, he gave all his personal details including bank account number. Using his credit card information, the fraudster withdrew all the money from his bank account.

 You must have read about similar incidents in newspapers. The victim of online fraud did not lodge a FIR. He did not know anything about the fraudster. He neither knew his name nor had ever seen him.

Internet is in itself a big world. It has its advantages and disadvantages. Cyber crime is a growing concern these days. And any one frequently using a computer should be aware of the types of cyber crimes and how to avoid being a victim.

Not only this, there are many forms of cyber crimes like Cyber stalking, Hacking, Child pornography, Phishing and the like. These online terms have been decoded in simple language for the understanding of our readers.

All of you must have heard of the word Hacking. In simple words, it is an intrusion into your network or personal computer to steal your data for personal gain. Companies suffer huge losses because of such acts. It is advisable to use a strong network security system to avoid becoming a victim.

Many times, hackers steal confidential information from a particular company and threaten them to sell it off to another company and thus extort money.This is called Net Extortion.Sometimes, fraudsters send people mails in the name of an authorised officer of a reputed company to get important details from their targets and then use these details for personal monetary gain. This is called Phishing.

Cyber stalking is an act of repetitive harassment using the Internet. Jilted lovers are stalkers in most of the cases. According to the Cyber Crime Cell of Mumbai Police, most of these stalkers are men and the victims are females. Internet is rapidly reaching every nook and corner of the country and its usage is increasing fast.

Child pornography is serious. The easy access to pornographic content lowers the inhibitions of children. Paedophiles lure children by distributing pornographic material and then try to meet them for sex or to take nude photographs including their engagement in sexual positions. Parents must keep a check on the Internet usage of their children and several Parental Control software are available online. Parents must tell children not to reveal their identity and not to provide their details to unknown people they meet online.

People who become victims of online fraud and other cyber crimes must inform the local law enforcement authority. This will not only help policy makers to formulate stringent laws against criminals but also discourage people indulging in such activities. Most of these crimes are dealt with strictly under the Information Technology Act, 2008. Criminals can be imprisoned for five years or more according to the severity of the crime.

Some useful tips

1. Use a good anti-virus software to secure your personal computer.

2. Do not share your personal details online.

3. Parents should install parental control software to keep a check on   their children's online usage.

4. Use a strong password. Include numbers and special characters in it.

5. Inform the local law enforcement authority if you are a victim.