What is Cyber Crime?

The Oxford Reference Online defines cyber crime as crime committed over the Internet. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines cyber crime as any crime that is committed by means of special knowledge or expert use of computer technology. So what exactly is Cyber Crime? Cyber crime could reasonably include a wide variety of criminal offences and activities. The Internet or Cyber Space as it s sometimes called, is a borderless environment unlike a brick and mortar world. Even though it is indispensable as a knowledge bank, it is an ideal tool for someone with a criminal bent of mind, who can use this environment to his/ her maximum advantage. It is not a surprise that Cyber Crimes like money cyber stalking, denial of service, e-mail abuse, chat abuse and other crimes are on the rise. Cyber Terrorist and cyber mafia are emerging with great force, whose activities are going to threaten the sovereignty of nations and world order. Cyber crimes have been described in further detail in the next sections.

Types of Cyber Crimes Cyber Stalking Denial of Service Hackers Online Fraud Pornography Software Piracy Spoofing Usenet Newsgroup Virus Dissemination

What is Cyber Stalking?

Cyber Stalking can be defined as the repeated acts harassment or threatening behavior of the cyber criminal towards the victim by using Internet services. Stalking in General terms can be referred to as the repeated acts of harassment targeting the victim such as 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Following the victim Making harassing phone calls Killing the victims pet Vandalizing victims property Leaving written messages or objects

Stalking may be followed by serious violent acts such as physical harm to the victim and the same has to be treated and viewed seriously. It all depends on the course of conduct of the stalker. Cyber-stalking refers to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications device to stalk another person. It is a relatively new form of harassment, unfortunately, rising to alarming levels especially in big cities like Mumbai.

Who is a cyber stalker?

A cyber stalker sends harassing or threatening electronic communication to the victim. Both kinds of stalkers online and offline - have desire to control the victims life.

How does a cyber stalker operate?

1. A typical cyber stalker collects all personal information about the victim such as name, family background, telephone numbers of residence and work place, daily routine of the victim, address of residence and place of work, date of birth etc. If the stalker is the victims acquaintances, he/ she has easy access to this information. If the stalker is a stranger, he/ she collects the information from internet resources such as various profiles, the victim may have filled in while opening chat or e-mail accounts or while signing an account with some website. The stalker may post this information on any website related to sex-services or dating services, posing as if the victim is posting this information and invite the people to call the victim on her telephone numbers to have sexual services. A stalker even uses very filthy and obscene language to invite the interested persons. People of all kind from nook and corner of the World, who come across this information, start calling the victim at her residence and/or work place, asking for sexual services or relationships. Some stalkers subscribe the e-mail account of the victim to innumerable pornographic and sex sites, because of which victim starts receiving such kind of unsolicited e-mails. Some stalkers keep on sending repeated e-mails asking for various kinds of favors or threaten the victim. The stalkers follow their victim from message board to message board. They "hangout" on the same boards as their victim, many times posting notes to the victim, making sure the victim is aware that he/she is being followed. Many times they will "flame" their victim (becoming argumentative, insulting) to get their attention. Stalkers will almost always make contact with their victims through email. The letters may be loving, threatening, or sexually explicit. They will many times use multiple names when contacting the victim. In extreme cases, the stalker becomes bold enough to contact victim via telephone to make calls to the victim to threaten, harass, or intimidate him/ her. Ultimately, the stalker is even known to track the victim to his/ her home.

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When does cyber stalking happen?

In many cases, the cyber stalker and the victim had a prior relationship, and the cyber stalking begins when the victim attempts to break off the relationship. However, there also have been many instances of cyber stalking by strangers. Given the enormous amount of personal information available through the Internet, a cyber stalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks or keystrokes. The fact that cyber stalking does not involve physical contact may create the misperception that it is more benign than physical stalking. This is not necessarily true. As the Internet becomes an ever more integral part of our personal and professional lives, stalkers can take advantage of the ease of communications as well as increased access to personal information. In addition, the ease of use and non-confrontational, impersonal, and sometimes anonymous nature of Internet communications may remove disincentives to cyber stalking.

Put another way, whereas a potential stalker may be unwilling or unable to confront a victim in person or on the telephone, he or she may have little hesitation sending harassing or threatening electronic communications to a victim. Finally, as with physical stalking, online harassment and threats may be a prelude to more serious behavior, including physical violence.

Who Commits a Cyber Crime? Who can be typically expected to indulge in a Cyber Crime? Insiders Hackers Virus Writers Foreign Intelligence: - Use cyber tools as part of their Services Terrorists Disgruntled employees and ex-employees, spouses, lovers Crack into networks with malicious intent Pose serious threats to networks and systems worldwide Use cyber tools as part of their services For espionage activities Can pose the biggest threat to the security of another country Use to formulate plans, to raise funds, propaganda

Preventing Cyber Crimes / Safety Measures

General Guidelines On Cyber Safety

Do not give out identifying information such as your name, home address, or telephone number in a chat room. Even vital details like age, gender should never be divulged to anyone. Do not send your photograph to any one on the net unless you know the person well enough. Do not respond to messages or bulletin board items that are obscene, belligerent or threatening. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone who you have just met on the Internet. In case you have to meet this person, make sure you have someone with you for the meeting. And inform someone of the person and place you will be going to. Remember, people online are not always who they seem to be.

Email Safety
If you ever get an email containing an embedded link, and a request for you to enter secret details, treat it as suspicious. Do not input any sensitive information that might help provide access to your bank accounts, even if the page appears legitimate. No reputable company ever sends emails of this type.

Virus Warnings
Virus warnings are a very common occurrence in the mail box. While you shouldnt take these warnings lightly, a lot of times, such warnings are hoaxes and will do moe harm than good. Always check the story out by visiting an anti-virus site such as McAfee, Sophos or Symantec before taking any action, including forwarding them to friends and colleagues.

Why you should report cyber crime? Crime in a society is expected to remain at a tolerable level due to the deterrence factor; early detection of the crime, identification of the criminal who has committed the crime and awarding of an exemplary punishment to him/her will dissuade other individuals who would have indulged in such instances in future. An unreported crime emboldens the criminal to commit further such acts, apart from taking away the deterrence for others. Proper reporting also helps policy makers to know of the trends and allocate resources to adequately tackle newer crimes. Critical infrastructure protection, which has an impact on a large number of people also benefits by having proper reporting practices. You may be worried about the loss of reputation or negative publicity; however, most law enforcement organizations are aware of this and take steps to keep crime details confidential. They also are sensitive to the fact that the reporting company's business may depend on the availability of the computer resources involved and can take appropriate measures to use forensic tools to ensure that business disruption is minimized.

How to report a Cyber Crime

Filing a complaint/ Writing an application letter.

What details will I be asked to include in my complaint? You may need to provide the following possible information, along with an application letter addressing the head of cyber crime investigation cell when filing a complaint:

Your name, Your mailing address, Your telephone number, Specific details on how the offence was committed, along with the names and addresses of suspects and any other relevant information necessary.

What contents should be there in the application letter? Contents vary with respect to the type of fraud or crime faced by you. Cyber Stalking: It is the most common kind of cyber crime happening in India and the victims report could contain the following information:

Email/IM communications received Phone numbers of the obscene callers, if any Website address which contains the profile Screenshot or the webpage (to be saved and submitted in hard copy)

Other important necessary information could be provided after consulting law enforcement agency.

Note: Victims of Cyber Stalking often request webmaster to delete their Profile. Deleting the profile means the evidence is lost. Password Hacking:

When did you access your email account last? From where and which computer did you browse it? All information about email account e.g. date of birth entered, pin code entered and security question and the last password?

What type of documents should be included in my application which can be considered as proof or evidence in regard to my complaint? Every possible information which can be provided by you with proper documents can be included in the application letter and be considered as proof or evidence. Proof or Evidence may include the following:

E-mail printouts, Chat-room or newsgroup text or screenshots if taken by you, Email printouts should contain full email header information, Transaction acknowledgements or receipts, Credit card records, transaction details and receipts, Envelopes or letters received via post courier, FAX copies, Pamphlets or brochures (if you have received), Phone bills, Printed or preferably electronic copies of web pages Keep the necessary information in a safe location; you will be required to provide them for investigation as and when required.

Note: Proof or documents which will be part of the application are not restricted to the above list, additional information may be required depending on the nature of crime. What should I do if I believe my complaint is time sensitive? You should contact your local police station directly if you believe your matter is time sensitive. You can get the crime related information on other below mentioned web sites links:Mumbai Police: Pune Police: Thane Police: Indian Computer Emergency Response Team: www.mumbaipolice.org www.punepolice.com www.thanepolice.org www.cert-in.org.in

If you think you or anyone you know are in immediate danger, please contact your local police station or main control room (Phone no. 100) immediately! Online reporting should NEVER be used in the event of an emergency requiring immediate attention. (Disclaimer: Contents of this page have been provided for general information and should not be construed to be legal advice. This web site is not a complete or authoritative source of legal information. Information on this site therefore should not be considered legal advice or otherwise relied upon. If you have any specific questions please contact a lawyer or otherwise seek independent professional advice before acting on anything contained herein. We do not take any responsibility for reliance on errors or omissions in the content contained on our web site.)