+91 95358 58289Cybercrime Overview
Cybercrime is defined as illegal behaviour involving a computer, a computer network, or a networked device. Most, but not all, cybercrime is conducted by profit-driven cybercriminals or hackers.
Some cybercrimes target computers or devices directly in order to harm or disable them, while others target computers or networks in order to disseminate malware, unlawful information, pictures, or other things. Some cybercrime targets computers in order to infect them with a computer virus, which subsequently spreads to other computers and, in some cases, whole networks.
How do cybercrimes work
Cybercrime may start everywhere there is digital data, opportunity, or motivation. From a lone user engaging in cyberbullying to state-sponsored attackers, cybercriminals come in many shapes and sizes. Cybercrime does not happen in a vacuum; it is, in many respects, a dispersed phenomenon. That is, hackers frequently enlist the help of other parties to execute their schemes. This is true whether it’s a malware developer selling code on the dark web, a distributor of illicit medicines utilizing cryptocurrency brokers to keep virtual money in escrow, or state threat actors stealing intellectual property through technological subcontractors. Cybercriminals employ a variety of attack vectors to carry out their cyberattacks, and they are always looking for new ways to achieve their objectives while evading discovery and prosecution.
Malware and other forms of software are frequently used by cybercriminals, but social engineering is typically a key component in the execution of most types of cybercrime. Phishing emails are a key component of many forms of cybercrime, but they’re especially crucial in targeted assaults like business email compromise, in which an attacker impersonates a firm owner through email in order to persuade workers to pay false bills.
Types of Cybercrimes
- Identity theft
- Phishing
- Social Engineering
- Cyberstalking
- Botnets
- Prohibited content
Cybercrime under IPC and the IT Act
There are a lot of statutes and regulations enacted by various authorities that penalize cybercrime. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) both penalize a variety of cybercrimes and unsurprisingly, many clauses in the IPC and the IT Act overlap.
Laws governing cybercrimes in India
Cybercrime refers to illegal activities in which a computer is used as a tool, a target, or both. Traditional criminal actions such as theft, fraud, forgery, defamation, and mischief, all of which are covered under the Indian Penal Code, might be included in cybercrimes. The Information Technology Act of 2000 addresses a variety of new-age offences that have arisen as a result of computer abuse. The Indian Penal Code 1860, the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act 1891, the Indian Evidence Act 1872, and the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 were all swiftly amended by the IT Act. The Amendments brought under the Sections of these Acts were to make them compliant with new technologies. By establishing stringent legal recognition, these modifications attempted to tone down all electronic transactions/communications, bringing them beneath the radar.