Expert panel set up on cyber laws

Taking a hard stand towards prevention of cyber crime, the Centre has set up an expert committee to study and examine the existing domestic cyber laws and international cyber legislations and recommend a roadmap to tackle the menace.

This committee will suggest measures to curb crimes related to usage of fake emails, SMSes, phishing, lottery scams, ATM and credit card and Internet banking frauds.

Sources said, “The government is now waiting for the recommendation of the expert committee. There has been an increase in usage of fake email and SMSes to trick the users to steal their identity credentials and to commit crimes like phishing, lottery scams, ATM/credit card frauds, Internet banking frauds and other banking frauds.”

The CBI registered the highest number of cyber-crime incidents in five years in 2015.

“The CBI has now begun upgrading skills of 104 of its officers to deal with such cases at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.

The agency has tied up with the NLSIU to get the latter construct a dedicated course for its officers, titled ‘Advanced Certified Course on Cyber Crimes, Cyber Laws and Cyber Forensics’,” sources in the CBI said.

Out of the 104 officers, 26 such officers, among them are both investigators and prosecutors, have enrolled in the residential course at NLSIU’s Bengaluru campus, they added.

The additional director of the CBI, Mr Y.C. Modi, recently inaugurated a 10-day advanced certified course on cyber crimes, cyber forensics and cyber laws for the agency sleuths in Bengaluru.

Also, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 428 cases were registered under Section 66-D of the IT Act 2000 (offences relating to cheating by impersonation by using computer resources).

The Reserve Bank of India also issued guidelines to all banks regarding remittance towards participation in lottery, money circulation schemes and other fictitious offers of cheap funds in October 2011.