FAQ

2011-10-03T20:55:00.003-07:00

Frequently Asked Questions about Cyber Crime

Q:What is meant by Cyber Crime?

A: Cyber Crime means criminal activity done using computers and the internet. That means criminal exploitation of the internet and other communication or digital devices.

Q: What is Computer fraud?

A:The term Computer fraud means any dishonest misrepresentation of fact intended to let another to do from doing something which causes any loss.

Q: What are the main reasons for Cyber Crime?

A:The capacity of computers to store a data in a comparatively small space, negligence in protecting the computers, loss of evidence, the task of remembering computer operating system's codes etc.are the main reasons for Cyber Crime..

Q: What is Cyber terrorism?

A:Cyber terrorism can be defined as an act of terrorism committed through the use of Cyber space or Computer resources. Some examples for Cyber terrorism are hacking activities directed towards individuals, families, organized by groups within networks, tending to cause fear among people, demonstrate power collecting information relevant for running people's lives,robberies,blackmailing etc.

Q: What is the meaning of Sabotage?

A: Sabotage literally means wilful damage to any machinery or materials or disruption of work. Here it means it is a threat to the existence of computers and satellites used by military activities.

Q: Define Cyber war?

A: Cyber war is defined as the use of internet and related technological means by one state against political, economic, technological and information sovereignty and independence of any other state.

Q: What is Cyber Bullying?

A: Cyber Bullying is "the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and, hostile behaviour by an individual, or group that is intended to harm others".

Q: What is Cyber Defamation?

A: Cyber Defamation is a crime conducted in cyberspace, usually through the internet, with the intention of defaming others.

Q: What is Cyber stalking?

A: Cyber stalking is a technologically-based "attack" on one person who has been targeted specifically for that attack for reasons of anger, revenge or control.

Q: Give two examples for Cyber stalking?
A: 1.Empting bank accounts or other economic control such as running the victim's credit score.

2. Harassing family friends and employers to isolate the victim.

Q: What is Malware?

A: Malware (Malicious software) is software designed to secretly access a computer system without the owner's informed permission.

Q: What is Crime ware?

A: The software tools used in cyber crime is called Crime ware. Not all software used in the commission of a crime can be defined as Crimeware.FTP clients which may be used in the commission of crimes are considered as Crime ware.

Q: What is a Bot?

A: Bots are one of the most sophisticated types of crime ware facing the internet today. Bots earn their unique name by performing a wide variety of automated tasks on behalf of the cyber criminals who are often safely located somewhere far across the internet. They play a part in "denial of service" attack in internet.

Q: What is Trojans&Spy ware?

A: Trojans and Spy ware are crime ware- two of the essential tools a cyber criminal might use to obtain unauthorized access and steal information from a victim as part of an attack.

Q: What is Phishing?

A: Phishing is the most common ways to done identity theft which is a form of Cyber crime in which criminals use the internet to steal personal information from other users.

Q: What is meant by Spam?

A: Spam means the unrequested sending of a lot of email for commercial purposes.

Q: What is meant by White-collar crime?

A: It is a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.

Q: Define INTERPOL?

A: It is an organization facilitating international Police cooperation. Its full name is the International Criminal Police Organization.

Q: What is Internet homicide?

A:Internet homicide refers to a killing in which the victim and the criminal met online, in some cases having known each other previously only through the internet, such as in World of Warcraft,Call of Duty, Halo or other online games.

Q: What is Internet suicide?

A: Internet suicide is a suicide conducted in full view of the public through the internet, or performance to a cyber suicide pact, which is a suicide pact made between individuals who meet on the internet.

Q: Who is an online predator?

A: An Online predator is an adult internet user who exploits vulnerable children or teens, usually for sexual or other abusive purposes.

Q: What is meant by an Advance-fee-fraud?

A: An Advance-fee-fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain.

Q: What is meant by Identity theft?

A:Identity theft is a form of fraud or cheating of another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name.

Q: Define Paedophilia?

A: Pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents ( persons of age sixteen and above) characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children (generally age thirteen years or younger). The child must be at least five years younger in the case of adolescent pedophiles.

Q:What is Mail fraud?

A:Mail fraud is an offense under United States federal law, which includes any scheme that attempts to un lawfully obtain money or valuables in which the postal system is used at any point in the commission of a criminal offense.

Q: Define Vishing?

A: Vishing is the criminal practice of using social influence over the telephone system, most often using features facilitated by Voice over IP (Vo IP) to gain access to private personal and financial information from the public for the purpose of financial reward. The term is a combination of "Voice" and phishing.

Q: Define Credit card fraud?

A: Credit card fraud is a wide ranging term for theft and fraud committed using a credit card or any similar payment mechanism as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction.

Q: Mention some tips to prevent Cyber Crimes?

A: Read up on the latest ways hackers create phishing scams to gain access to your personal information.

2.Install a fire wall on your computer to keep unwanted threats and attacks to a minimum.

3.Use caution when you consider whether to click on emails, sent files or anything that looks suspicious.

4.Search for websites for a search engine.

5.Install security suit software.

6.Create strong passwords for any websites where personal information is stored.

Q: Cookies

A:
We use cookies on this website. A cookie is a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, and stored by the browser. The text file is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser. We may send a cookie which may be stored on by your browser on your computer's hard drive. We may use the information we obtain from the cookie in the administration of this website, to improve the website's usability and for marketing purposes. We may also use that information to recognise your computer when you visit our website, and to personalise our website for you. Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. (For example, in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking [Tools], [Internet Options], [Privacy], and selecting [Block all cookies] using the sliding selector.) This will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites, including this one.

Q. What are Cybercrimes against property ?
A:
The second category of Cybercrimes is that of Cybercrimes against all forms of property. These crimes include unauthorized computer trespassing through cyberspace, computer vandalism, transmission of harmful programs, and unauthorized possession of computerized information.

Q. What is Cybercrime against Government ?
A:
The third category of Cybercrimes relate to Cybercrimes against Government. Cyber Terrorism is one distinct kind of crime in this category. The growth of Internet has shown that the medium of Cyberspace is being used by individuals and groups to threaten the international governments as also to terrorise the citizens of a country. This crime manifests itself into terrorism when an individual &"cracks&" into a government or military maintained website.

Q. Is there any recent case which demonstrates the importance of having Cyber law on Cybercrime within the national jurisdictions of countries ?
A:
The most recent case of the virus "I love you" demonstrates the need for having cyber laws concerning Cybercrimes in different national jurisdictions. At the time of the web publication of this feature, Reuters has reported that "The Philippines has yet to arrest the suspected creator of the 'Love Bug' computer virus because it lacks laws that deal with computer crime, a senior police officer said". The fact of the matter is that there are no laws relating to Cybercrime in the Philippines. The National Bureau of Investigation is finding it difficult to legally arrest the suspect behind the 'Love Bug' computer virus. As such, the need for countries to legislate Cyber laws relating to Cybercrime arises on an urgent priority basis.

Q.Why do we need to fight Cybercrime ?
A:
We all must remember that Cyberspace is a common heritage of ours which we have inherited in our life times from the benefits of ever growing technologies. This Cyberspace is the lifeline of the entire universe and given its irreversible position today, it is the duty of every netizen to contribute toward making the said cyberspace free of any trouble or cybercrime. To rephrase the famous words of Rabindra Nath Tagore in today's context, "Where the Cyberspace is without fear or crime and the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection, ….. into that cyber heaven of freedom, O my father, let our humanity awake."

Q: What is IP address?

A:Each computer on the Internet has an IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. When you send or receive data, the message gets divided into little chunks called packets. Each of these packets contains both the sender’s Internet address and the receiver’s address.

Q.What is Cyber law ?

A: Internet is believed to be full of anarchy and a system of law and regulation therein seems contradictory. However, cyberspace is being governed by a system of law and regulation called Cyber law.

Q. Why is there a need for Cyber law ?

A:When Internet was developed, the founding fathers of Internet hardly had any inclination that Internet could transform itself into an all pervading revolution which could be misused for criminal activities and which required regulation. Today, there are many disturbing things happening in cyberspace. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible to engage into a variety of criminal activities with impunity and people with intelligence, have been grossly misusing this aspect of the Internet to perpetuate criminal activities in cyberspace. Hence the need for Cyber laws.

Q. What is a Domain Name ?

A:Since it is not possible to remember each and every numerical value of an IP address, the system of domain names evolved. Internet domain names, in a common man's language, are used as an easy-to-remember alias which point to a specific IP address. The dominant purpose of the domain name is simply to provide an easy method for remembering another's electronic address. It's a unique name used to identify, among other things, a specific Web site. Thus a typical domain name would be http://www.indiainfoline.com/.

Q. What is Cyber squatting ?

A:Another legal issue surrounding domain names is that of Cybersquatting.Cybersquatting is the practice by means of which a person or legal entity books up the trade mark, business name or service mark of another as his own domain name for the purpose of holding on to it and thereafter selling the same domain name to the other person for valuable premium and consideration. Cyber squatters book up domain names of important brands in the hope of earning quick millions .

Q. What are Cybercrimes against property ?

A:The second category of Cybercrimes is that of Cybercrimes against all forms of property. These crimes include unauthorized computer trespassing through cyberspace, computer vandalism, transmission of harmful programs, and unauthorized possession of computerized information.

Q. What is Cybercrime against Government ?

A:The third category of Cybercrimes relate to Cybercrimes against Government. Cyber Terrorism is one distinct kind of crime in this category. The growth of Internet has shown that the medium of Cyberspace is being used by individuals and groups to threaten the international governments as also to terrorise the citizens of a country. This crime manifests itself into terrorism when an individual "cracks" into a government or military maintained website.

Q:What does broadband mean?

A:"Broadband" is the general term used to refer to high-speed network connections. In this context, Internet connections via cable modem and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) are frequently referred to as broadband Internet connections

Q:What is Intellectual Property?
A: It is not material wants that seek ownership, but the ideas, skills and moral aspirations need equal protection. It refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.

Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs, in short the digital or non-digital forms of information.

Q: If I install filtering software on our home computer, is that enough to protect my kids?

A: While protective software is a start, it is only a first step. Your children can access computers from locations outside the home, and filtering software is not 100% effective. Speak with your children about the dangers of the Internet and make sure they know what to do in difficult or dangerous situations.

Q: My computer automatically forwarded an e-mail that had a virus attached to it, but I did not know the virus was there. Can I be prosecuted for distributing a virus?

A: No. The law prohibits knowingly sending out a virus. If you did not know that the virus was being sent out, and you had no part in the creation of the virus, you are not criminally liable.

Q: If I put a disclaimer on my Web site that says nothing on the site is meant to infringe anyone else's copyright, will that be a defence to a copyright infringement prosecution?

A: No. Such disclaimers may even help to prove that the Web site operator knew his or her conduct was unlawful, thus helping the prosecution to make its case that the infringement was done knowingly.

Q: I took some pictures of my toddler in the bathtub. Am I guilty of distributing child pornography if I e-mail these pictures my family?

A: It is unlikely. While there are stories about people being investigated or prosecuted on child pornography charges for taking innocent snapshots of their children, these cases do not result in the conviction of the parents who took the pictures. A picture like this, which does not include "lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area" (sexual conduct according to federal law), does not fall within the federal definition of child pornography.

Q: Who makes the laws that govern the Internet?

A: There is no single authority that governs the entire Internet because the Internet's reach extends across the world. Indian government have enacted law ( Information technology Act 2000 ) applicable to certain transactions and interactions that take place over the Internet. If something is illegal in the real world, it is likely to be illegal on the Internet.

Q:Are computer programmes protected under Copyright Act?
A: Yes. Computer programmes are protected under the Copyright Act. They are treated as literary works.
In addition to all the rights applicable to a literary work, owner of the copyright in a computer programme enjoys the rights to sell or give on hire or offer for sale or hire, regardless of whether such a copy has been sold or given on hire on earlier occasion.
Q: Is spam illegal?

A: Spam (unsolicited, typically commercial e-mail) is not illegal, but it is regulated.. It prohibits certain deceptive practices and requires that commercial e-mails contain a way to opt out. Some states also have laws on spam.

Bank ATM's Converted to Steal IDs of Bank Customers

2011-10-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

A team of organized criminals are installing equipment on legitimate bank ATM's in at least 2 regions to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN. The team sits nearby in a car receiving the information transmitted wirelessly over weekends and evenings from equipment they install on the front of the ATM (see photos). If you see an attachment like this, do not use the ATM and report it immediately to the bank using the phone on the front of the ATM.
The equipment used to capture your ATM card number and PIN are cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment. A "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot that reads the ATM card number and transmits it to the criminals sitting in a nearby car.
At the same time, a wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder and is mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries.
The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw thousands from many accounts in a very short time directly from the bank ATM.

Equipment being installed on front of existing bank card slot.

The equipment as it appears installed over the normal ATM bank slot.

The PIN reading camera being installed on the ATM is housed in an innocent looking leaflet enclosure.

The camera shown installed and ready to capture PIN's by looking down on the keypad as you enter your PIN

FAQ

2010-12-02T00:54:00.000-08:00

Cyber space: safe to use and unsafe to misuse.

2010-12-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Cyber Safe Pune

FAQ

Bank ATM's Converted to Steal IDs of Bank Customers

The equipment as it appears installed over the normal ATM bank slot.

FAQ

Cyber space: safe to use and unsafe to misuse.