Enacted on 17th May 2000- India is 12th nation in the world to adopt cyber laws IT Act is based on Model

law on e-commerce adopted by UNCITRAL.

To provide legal recognition for transactions Carried out by means of electronic data interchange. Other means of electronic communication, commonly referred to as "electronic commerce", involving the use of alternatives to paper-based methods of communication and storage of information.

To facilitate electronic filing of documents with the Government agencies To amend the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Banker's Book Evidence Act, 1891 and the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.To facilitate electronic filing of documents with

the Government

Cyber Crime can be defined as: Any crime with the help of computer and telecommunication technology with the purpose of influencing the functioning of the computer and the computer system.

Hacking - Hacking in
simple terms means an illegal intrusion into a computer system without permission of computer owner/user. Hackers write or use readymade computer programs to attack the target computer.

Virus Dissemination Malicious software that attaches itself to other software. (virus, worms, Trojan Horse, Time bomb, Logic Bomb, Rabbit and Bacterium are the maliciouss)

Cyber Pornography - This would include pornographic

websites; pornographic magazines produced using computers. The Internet is being highly used by its abusers to reach and abuse children sexually, worldwide. Intellectual Property Crimes - Intellectual property (IP) crime is a generic term used to describe a wide range of counterfeiting and piracy offences. These include software piracy, copyright infringement, trademarks violations, theft of computer source code etc.

Software Piracy - Theft

of software through the illegal copying of genuine programs or the counterfeiting and distribution of products intended to pass for the original. The unauthorized copying of software.

Cyber Defamation - This occurs when defamation takes place with the help of computers and / or the Internet. Cyber Defamation is a crime conducted in cyberspace, usually through the Internet, with the intention of defaming others.

Phishing - The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has .

Electronic commerce, commonly known as ecommerce, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks

EC transactions over the Internet include

 Formation of Contracts  Delivery of Information and Services  Delivery of Content

A digital signature or digital signature scheme is a mathematical scheme for demonstrating the authenticity of a digital message or document.

"Digital signature" means authentication of any electronic record by a subscriber by means of an electronic method or procedure in accordance with the provisions of section 3. [section 2(1)(p)]. "Affixing digital signature" with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions means adoption of any methodology or procedure by a

Authentication of records - The authentication of the electronic record shall be effected by the use of asymmetric crypto system and hash function which envelop and transform the initial electronic record into another electronic record. [section 3(2)]. Verification of digital signature - Any person by the use of a public key of the subscriber can verify the electronic record. [section 3(3)]. The private key and the public key are unique to

Uses of digital signatures



 

Digital signature can be used in all electronic communications Web, e-mail, e-commerce. It is an electronic stamp or seal that append to the document. Ensure the document being unchanged during transmission.