The explosive growth of cyberspace in the last few years has been characterised by anonymity, vastness and technology (AVT). The AVT factor has made the world a much smaller place but it also has negative expression in the form of cyber crime. The 2002 Computer Crime and Security Survey, released recently by the Computer Security Institute (CSI) in the US, speaks of an increase in cyber crime and the consequent financial losses. Almost 90 per cent of the respondents, ranging from large corporations, government agencies and educational institutions acknowledged computer system breaches in the last one year; 80 per cent of them had suffered financial losses. The attacks were varied in nature: virus attacks, website defacements, electronic fraud and denial of service attacks. Seventy-four per cent of the respondents attributed their internet connection as a frequent point of attack.Countries, businesses and individuals are affected by cyber crime. Some of the attacks becoming common in cyberspace are unauthorised access to computer systems or hacking, planting of malicious software like virus, worms and Trojan Horses, disruption of computer systems like denial of services (DoS) attacks, interception of communications or sniffing and malicious representation like spoofing. Regular hacking attacks are witnessed across the world on networks. Although many such attempts are born of frivolous pursuits, organised groups are increasingly getting involved. The recent attacks on the National Crime Records Bureau and the Central Board of Excise and Customs websites in India by hackers from outside the country are alarming. Virus attacks like those of I Love You (2000) and Mellissa (1999) have caused losses worth billions of dollars. The DoS attacks carried out on the E-bay and Yahoo websites in early 2001 have caused financial losses to these companies. Even the White House official website suffered a massive DoS attack in May 2001. Cyber criminals have targeted vulnerable groups like children and women. Issues of privacy, intellectual rights violation and pornography, are causing increasing concern. The arrest of a doctor in Chennai earlier this year for cyber pornography, has sent shock waves.How do we address these issues? Laws are just a means, and the very nature of cyberspace and the trans-national nature of cyber crime makes it difficult for laws to be really effective. The IT Act 2000 of India addresses issues of hacking, intellectual piracy and damage to computer source code, but it is silent on tackling many forms of crime like spreading false propaganda, harassment and stalking. Cyberspace will always have users who will misuse the medium. Without resorting to extreme and ambiguous measures of censorship and restriction, we should look for a tenable solution. The dividing line between the illegal and harmful use of cyberspace is also blurred. It is not always a question of the removal of illegal material on cyberspace or of preventing access to such material. It is about working towards a safe environment for users.Such an environment will be created by practical national initiatives, enhanced global co-operation and an increased understanding of this phenomenon by society. While there is still no international treaty to combat cyber crime, the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cyber-crime, yet to be ratified by member nations, has set the tone. National laws are being modified to address cyber crime and already about fifty nations have enacted new laws or improved the existing ones. The Lyon group under the G-8 is also seized of the need for devising a mechanism for global co-operation to tackle cyber crime. Interpol has also set up a special working group called the Computer Crime Working Party. Making cyberspace safe is a concern for all. Government policy makers, industry experts, law-makers and law-enforcers need to work together to ensure this.(The writer is vice president, ARGUS, and chairman, Task Force on Cyber Security, ASSOCHAM)
