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The <keyword id="19895346" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Calcutta-High-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Calcutta High Court" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Calcutta High Court">Calcutta High Court</keyword> on Thursday directed the <keyword id="19896633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CBI" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="CBI">CBI</keyword> to file a report by September 18 on detestable posts being made on social media regarding the <keyword id="22813393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rape-murder-victim" source="keywords">rape-murder victim</keyword> of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The body of the on-duty trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on August 9, triggering nationwide outrage. The CBI is investigating the case from the second week of August on an order of the high court. The petitioner prayed in the PIL that the CBI be directed to investigate the <keyword id="22008077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-offences" source="keywords">cyber offences</keyword> in connection with the "unfortunate and brutal incident." The court asked the Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, representing the central agency, whether it could find a way to block these types of posts. The division bench, presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, directed the joint director, CBI, Kolkata, to look into the grievance expressed by the petitioner with regard to the issue of such abominable <keyword id="20074678" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media-posts" source="keywords">social media posts</keyword>. The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the CBI joint director or any other competent officer to file a report in this regard by September 18, when the PIL will come up for hearing again along with other petitions relating to the August 9 rape-murder of the doctor. After the order was dictated, Chakrabarti submitted before the court that the CBI does not have any separate wing to investigate such cyber crimes. Maintaining that the state police has a special unit to monitor such matters, he prayed that the <keyword id="20054502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal-government" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="West Bengal government" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="West Bengal government">West Bengal government</keyword>'s cyber crime branch be also directed to file a separate report. The court said that it would consider the prayer on the next date of hearing.

Calcutta High Court seeks CBI report on nasty social media posts on RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim

In a landmark judgement, the <keyword id="19900742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Supreme Court of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Supreme Court of India">Supreme Court of India</keyword> has broadened the definition of crimes under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court ruled that simply viewing <keyword id="20456028" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="child-pornography" source="keywords">child pornography</keyword> on the internet, without physically possessing or storing the material, is now a criminal offence under Section 15 of the <keyword id="19920672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="POCSO-Act" source="keywords">POCSO Act</keyword> and provisions of the <keyword id="19930099" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="information-technology" source="keywords">Information Technology</keyword> (IT) Act. This ruling significantly expands the scope of the law to address the evolving challenges posed by digital platforms. <h2>A wider net</h2>In its ruling, a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice J.B. Pardiwala stated, "Any act of viewing, distributing, or displaying child pornographic material by a person over the internet without any actual or physical possession or storage of such material in any device or in any form or manner would also amount to 'possession' in terms of Section 15 of POCSO Act." This interpretation effectively settled conflicting verdicts from various high courts, notably overturning a Madras High Court decision that had quashed a POCSO case against an individual who had viewed child pornography but had not circulated it. The Supreme Court, in agreeing with senior advocate H.S. Phoolka's arguments, deemed the earlier judgement "egregiously erroneous." <h2>Crimes categorised</h2>In a further clarification, the Supreme Court divided crimes related to child pornography under Section 15 of the POCSO Act into three distinct categories. The decision emphasised that law enforcement and courts must carefully assess each case to determine the specific category under which an offence falls. One critical insight from the judgement is that an offender cannot escape prosecution by simply deleting illegal content before an FIR is registered. The bench declared, "We clarify that there is no requirement under Section 15 of POCSO Act that ‘storage’ or ‘possession’ must continue to exist at the time of initiation of the criminal proceeding, and no such requirement can be read into the said provision." <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113417654" title="“Learned no lessons from Nirbhaya case”: Madhya Pradesh High Court criticises lenient treatment of crime-accused juvies in India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>This means that even if an individual deletes the material before the authorities take action, they may still face <keyword id="20554971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="legal-consequences" source="keywords">legal consequences</keyword> based on the mere act of viewing or temporary possession. <h2><keyword id="23293250" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="automatic-downloads" source="keywords">Automatic downloads</keyword></h2>Acknowledging the complexities of <keyword id="20573374" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-media" source="keywords">digital media</keyword>, the Supreme Court recognised that certain child pornographic content might be automatically downloaded onto devices without the user’s knowledge. To address this, the court created a safeguard for those unaware of the offensive material stored on their devices. If a person discovers such material on their device through automatic downloads, they will not be prosecuted if they take immediate steps to delete it and report it to the authorities. However, the onus is on the device owner to act swiftly. Failure to delete or report the offensive material after becoming aware of it would constitute an offence under the law. To avoid the automatic downloading of problematic material, there are several proactive measures you can take. First, adjust your browser settings to disable automatic downloads and pop-ups, ensuring you have to approve any file before it is downloaded to your device. Regularly update your web browser and security software to benefit from the latest protections against malicious websites. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113146443" title="Karnataka HC rejects school teacher&amp;#39;s plea to quash POCSO case over filming of girl students" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Additionally, be cautious about the sites you visit, particularly those that seem suspicious or unfamiliar; stick to well-known, reputable sources. Additionally, consider using ad blockers or content filters that can prevent potentially harmful content from loading. Always be mindful of any unsolicited links in emails or messages, as these can lead to automatic downloads of unwanted material. Lastly, routinely monitor your device for any unfamiliar files and promptly delete anything that looks suspicious to minimise your risk of unknowingly storing problematic content. <h2>What this means for the future</h2>This judgement sends a clear message: India is taking a zero-tolerance approach toward child pornography in all its forms, whether stored, distributed, or merely viewed. The ruling adapts the legal framework to modern challenges, ensuring that perpetrators can no longer hide behind technicalities such as the absence of physical possession. The Supreme Court’s interpretation also places a burden on individuals to exercise responsibility in the digital world. Anyone who stumbles upon child pornography, whether intentionally or accidentally, must take swift action to avoid legal consequences. (With inputs from agencies)

You can now be prosecuted for unknowingly “auto-downloading” child porn. Here’re some safe browsing habits

The Centre has blocked over 100 websites involved in facilitating organised illegal investments related to economic crimes and task-based part-time job frauds. According to an official statement, these websites were being operated by overseas actors and targets were mostly retired employees, women and unemployed youth looking for part time jobs. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), a wing of the Union Home Ministry, through its vertical National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) had last week identified and recommended that these websites be blocked. Following this, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), invoking its power under the Information Technology Act, 2000, has blocked these websites, the statement said. These websites, which facilitated task-based organised illegal investment related to economic crimes, were learnt to be operated by overseas actors and were using digital advertisement, chat messengers and mule and rented accounts. The proceeds from the large scale economic frauds were seen to be laundered out of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> using card network, crypto currency, overseas ATM withdrawals and international Fintech companies, the statement said. The I4C is an initiative of the Home Ministry to deal with cyber crimes in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. <keyword id="6366773" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="citizens" source="Orion">Citizens</keyword> have been advised to promptly report phone numbers and social media handles used by such fraudsters to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), the statement said. It said several complaints have been received through 1930 helpline and the NCRP and these offences were posing significant threat to the citizens and also involved data security concerns. These frauds, typically, involve a number of steps that include targeted digital advertisements launched on platforms like Google and Meta using key words like "Ghar baithe job" (Do jobs sitting at home), "Ghar baithe kamai kaise karen" (How to earn by sitting at home) etc. in multiple languages from overseas advertisers. Upon clicking the advertisement, an agent using WhatsApp or Telegram starts conversation with the potential victim, who convinces him or her to perform some tasks like video likes and subscribe, maps rating, etc. Upon completion of task, the victim is given some commission, initially and is asked to invest more to get more returns against given task. After gaining confidence, when victim deposits larger sum, deposits are frozen and thus the victim is duped. As precautionary measure, it is advised to exercise due diligence before investing in any such very high commission paying online schemes sponsored over internet. If an unknown person contacts anyone over WhatsApp or Telegram, refrain from performing financial transactions without verification, the statement said Verify the name of receiver mentioned in UPI App. If receiver is any random person, it may be a mule account and scheme may be fraudulent.Similarly, check the source from where initial commission is received, it said. Citizens should refrain from doing transactions with unknown accounts, as these could be involved in money laundering and even terror financing and lead to blocking of accounts by police and other legal action, the statement said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-november-2023/slidelist/105775116.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-november-2023/slidelist/105775116.cms" target="_blank">WagonR to Creta – Top selling cars in India in November</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-announced-new-flagship-smartphone-oneplus-12-with-up-to-24gb-ram/articleshow/105756057.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-announced-new-flagship-smartphone-oneplus-12-with-up-to-24gb-ram/articleshow/105756057.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus 12 debuts with bigger battery, up to 24GB RAM and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-and-tvs-motor-leading-electric-two-wheeler-sales-in-nov-2023-month/articleshow/105719702.cms">Electric two-wheeler sales rise in Nov as Ola Electric scales a new high</a>

Over 100 websites blocked for facilitating organised illegal investments

<ul><li>Buying new laptops isn’t necessarily the answer to better cybersecurity if you don’t have the right mitigation methods in place. </li><li>Siddharth Vishwanath, the partner and leader of cybersecurity at PwC India, says setting up <keyword id="1427497" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-machines">virtual machines</keyword> may be a more cost-effective and secure way for companies to fend off <keyword id="116273" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyberattacks">cyberattacks</keyword>. </li><li>In an interview with Business Insider, Vishwanath explains how enterprises — big and small — can set themselves up to protect against <keyword id="11094" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hackers">hackers</keyword>. </li></ul>The coronavirus pandemic and the new work-from-home model has every enterprise thinking about cybersecurity — from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the big wigs like TCS, Wipro and Infosys. And, yes, there is a cost to it but the bigger question is how companies manage that cost, Siddharth Vishwanath, the partner and leader of cybersecurity at PwC India told Business Insider. “Purchasing hardware or providing software to secure employees’ personal devices (BYOD) will come with additional overhead of deployment, integration, administration and monitoring of devices or software,” he explained. Rather than go about it manually, Vishwanath suggests considering security as a service (SaaS) model. <div type="image" title="volumeofcyberattacks_edited_edited" msid="76274859" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;As the COVID-19 outbreak reached India, the number of cyberattacks on Indian organisations doubled in March 2020 from January 2020.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Instead of buying new devices, shift to the cloud According to him, businesses can save on costs by leveraging assets that are already there in the cloud. “Such services provide scalability and agility required in current dynamic and challenging times,” he explained. While it may seem like MSMEs are a great risk due to the lack of specialised IT security, large enterprises have a more complex and ever-expanding boundary to cover. Instead of buying 200 <keyword id="2393075" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-laptop">new laptop</keyword>s or providing security solutions for 200 of employee’s laptops, Vishwanath believes it would be more sensible and cost-effective to provision virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud. “These can be charged per hour and only be billed for the 8-10 hours an employee may use per day, whereas a new laptop would require dedicated support SLA and entire device lifecycle commitment,” he explained. Where do hackers break-in? Hackers are continuously revamping and building up how they can break into networks and devices, no matter how full-proof security may be. As the cliche goes — the best offence, in this case, is a good defence. Just a more narrow approach, that can focus on the most likely targets, “By concentrating on what I would term chokepoints,” said Vishwanath. <div type="image" title="uniquebruteforceattempts_edited" msid="76274880" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The remote work infrastructure is being heavily targeted, along with attempts of identity theft and malicious payload delivery.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> This means covering the basics like the firewall or proxy and Virtual Private Networks (<keyword id="752657" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="VPNs">VPNs</keyword>) for employees. Even if a phishing scam is successful, 2-factor authentication can make it difficult for an attacker to enter a protected network. “By ensuring every employee connecting to corporate resources (on-premises or in the cloud) must go through a two-factor authentication we are reducing the attack surface caused by weak passwords or a phished employee,” he explained. <div type="image" title="EDRdetection_edited" msid="76274919" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The increase in EDR systems may or may not be directly attributed to the cyberattacks during the COVID-19 crisis, but it could have resulted from decreased patch compliance, increased number of people working remotely and use of unsafe devices connected to corporate networks through the provision of home VPNs in certain cases.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> For employees, that does mean that their company is likely to monitor their traffic to check for malicious connections or emerging attacks vectors — like any new COVID-19 scams. Just as employees need to adapt to the ‘new normal’, organisations also need to keep their options open. “Backup alone is never an answer,” said Vishwanath. While essential, it’s best to also have next-gen antivirus, network layer scanning and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions in place to provide a ‘defence in depth’ for a higher degree of protection. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/cognizants-ransomware-attack-is-making-peers-like-tcs-and-infosys-nervous-and-they-are-beefing-up-security/articleshow/75271532.cms">Cognizant's ransomware attack is making peers like TCS and Infosys nervous — and they are beefing up security</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/top-cryptocurrency-scams-of-2019-and-how-most-hackers-got-away-with-it/articleshow/70670383.cms">Top cryptocurrency scams of 2019 — and how most hackers got away with it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/wipro-phishing-attack-computer-system-hacked/articleshow/68918449.cms">Wipro confirms phishing attack on its system — 11 other companies unknown</a>

Don’t buy new laptops, invest in virtual machines to protect against cyberattacks — suggests cybersecurity expert

<ul><li>India’s <keyword id="2617070" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Personal-Data-Protection-Bill">Personal Data Protection Bill</keyword>, 2019 is likely to be placed in front of Parliament sometime this month.</li><li>The underlying goal of the proposed laws is to assign rights to users over the collecting, storage and usage of their information.</li><li>However, vague language and open-ended clauses leave room for government overreach and resulting misuse.</li></ul>When it comes to data privacy it looks like users have every option available to them except for the one they want — control over their data. This includes knowing who’s collecting data, where it’s being stored, how it’s being used and what can be done if it's misused instead. There have been one too many instances where personal information, anonymised or not, has been used with bad intentions. One prominent example from recent history was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-explains-how-the-firm-used-facebook-data-to-sway-elections/articleshow/71461113.cms">Cambridge Analytica</a>’s use of data from Facebook to profile voters during the 2016 US Presidential election. With the recent increase in cyber crimes, the government of India is coming up with its own data protection laws, which officials claim is based on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Any data that can identify an individual — either directly or indirectly — is covered under the <keyword id="4839724" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="data-protection-bill">Data Protection Bill</keyword>, 2019. This includes names, addresses, financial information, IP addresses, cookies, device IDs and other data. Hobson’s choice that Indian internet users face The bill outlines that an organisation needs to tell an individual from before collecting or using their data. The exceptions to this are if the data is processed under law or court order, for purposes related to employment or for a ‘reasonable’ purpose specified by the Data Protection Authority (DPA) — the nodal organisation that will be looking after the entire framework. Reasonable purposes include the operation of search engines, fraud prevention, mergers and acquisitions, and credit scoring but is not limited to any prescribed scope of activity. Moreover, clause 91 of the bill allows the central government to access anonymised or non-personal data to frame policies in the internet of the ‘digital economy’. “Such provisions show that the proposed law is far more interested in treating data as a resource,” noted the Internet Freedom Foundation (<a href="https://internetfreedom.in/essential-features-of-a-rights-respecting-data-protection-law/">IFF</a>). This indicates that there is still considerable scope for a user’s data to get collected without their consent. The only difference is that instead of a private company exploiting your personal details, it will be the government with little in its way to stop overreach. Even ‘critical’ and ‘sensitive’ data — such as religion, age, gender and other personality identifiers — may be available to the government in the interest of ‘national security’. The vaguely worded clause leaves room for misuse, according to <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/personal-data-protection-bill-2019-privacy-laws-7135832/">critics</a>. User rights under the Personal Data Protection Bill: <ul><li>The right to obtain confirmation from the fiduciary on whether their personal data has been processed.*</li><li>The right to seek correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal data.</li><li>The right to have personal data transferred to any other data fiduciary in certain circumstances</li><li>The right to restrict continuing disclosure of their personal data by a fiduciary, if it is no longer necessary or consent is withdrawn.</li></ul>*A data fiduciary is an entity or individual who decides the means and purpose of processing personal data. Penalties under the Data Protection Bill, 2019: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Offence </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Penalty </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Processing or transferring personal data in violation of the Bill </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fine of ₹15 crore of 4% of annual turnover, whichever is higher </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Failure to conduct a data audit </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fine of ₹5 crore or 2% of annual turnover, whichever is higher </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Re-identification and processing of de-identified data without consent </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Imprisonment of up to three years, or fine, or both </td></tr></tbody></table> Authority without independence In the case of data misuse, users had to file a complaint under the Information Technology Act, the Indian Penal Code, Consumer Protection Act, Indian Contract Act or look to sectoral regulators until now. With its new set of laws, India hopes to cover all issues under the ambit of the DPA. If there is ever any breach of personal data, the organisation in-charge will have to inform the DPA. After that, however, the apex body will be in charge of deciding whether the data breach should be communicated to the affected users or direct the company to mitigate the threat. The decision making is still not in favour of the users themselves. Moverover, the independence of the DPA has also been <a href="https://thewire.in/tech/india-data-protection-authority-needs-constitutional-entrenchment">called into question</a>. The members that comprise the DPA includes a chairperson and six committee members, which will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a selection committee. The committee itself is formed by senior civil servants, including the Cabinet Secretary. Critics claim that the government has too much power to appoint and remove members at its discretion. This also implies a level of ability to influence the members of the DPA and the underlying committee. The Hobson’s choice in front of internet users in India is whether they’re okay with information being used by private companies to make a profit or to hand data over to the government with whom many are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-is-facial-recognition-technology-and-how-india-is-using-it-to-track-down-protestors-and-individuals/articleshow/80782606.cms">facing a trust deficit</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-is-using-the-quad-alliance-to-get-help-from-the-us-japan-and-australia-to-match-chinas-covid-19-vaccine-push/articleshow/81408044.cms">India is asking the QUAD for money to boost vaccine production and counter China’s moves on the global stage</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/gold-prices-are-falling-and-the-worlds-biggest-market-for-the-yellow-metal-is-hoping-for-more-shoppers/articleshow/81406658.cms">Gold prices are falling and the world’s biggest market for the yellow metal is hoping for more shoppers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-blockchain-tech-to-make-sms-more-secure-is-leaving-users-locked-out-of-their-account/articleshow/81409145.cms">India’s blockchain tech to make SMS more secure is leaving users locked out of their accounts — and potentially more at risk</a>

India’s new data protection bill makes a good show of user rights — but can it deliver on its promises?

The Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), one of the two state-owned companies that make electronic voting machines (EVMs), on Tuesday said Syed Shuja, who has claimed that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were rigged by manipulating EVMs, has never been its employee nor associated with the EVM designing team between 2009 and 2014. The Election Commission (EC) has already lodged a police complaint against Shuja under Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to "public mischief". "The records of this company have been verified and it is found that Syed Shuja has neither been in the rolls of ECIL as a regular employee nor was he in any way associated in the design and development of EVMs in ECIL produced between 2009 to 2014," ECIL Chairman and MD Sanjay Chaubey informed the EC in a letter on Tuesday. The Election Commission has lodged a complaint with the police against Shuja. In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, the EC has said that Shuja's claims made through video conferencing in London violated the IPC, particularly Section 505, which deals with "public mischief". "Through media reports, it has come to the notice of the Commission that one Syed Shuja, on January 21 in London, claimed that he was part of the EVM design team and he can hack the EVM used in elections in India. The act of Shuja is violative of IPC, particularly Section 505(1)(b)," the letter read. "Accordingly, you are requested to lodge an FIR and investigate the matter promptly for violation of aforesaid Section of IPC and other related provisions of any law," it said. Section 505(1)(b) reads: "Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public... whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquillity." In a sensational claim, US-based Shuja on Monday said the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and even claimed that <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP) leader <keyword id="43897" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopinath-Munde">Gopinath Munde</keyword> was killed as he knew about the "hacking" of EVMs. Shuja, who claims to be part of the team that designed the EVMs used in India, alleged that the Congress lost 210 seats in the 2014 general election "due to tampering". He further alleged that his team members met "a BJP leader in 2014 who knew about this" and "they were killed in an attack". He claimed that "if his people had not intercepted the BJP's attempts to hack the transmissions during this year's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, they would have won those states as well". He claimed to have stopped the transmission during the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 and the <keyword id="6354944" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="aam-aadmi-party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) emerged the winner. "In Delhi Assembly elections, transmission initiated by the BJP IT was intercepted. We changed the frequency." Shuja claimed he too was attacked a few days ago. He claimed that a private company had helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs.

Cyber expert claiming voting machines were hacked during last elections not an employee: ECIL

In view of increasing cyber crime cases, <keyword id="6354572" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBI">CBI</keyword> is mulling setting up a special branch in Mumbai to probe such offences, its director Anil Sinha said on Tuesday. 
 
Sinha was in the city to inaugurate the newly constructed 13-storey office of CBI in suburban Bandra-Kurla Complex. All its branches like anti-corruption bureau, economic offences wing and special crime branch will now operate from the new office. "Over the last two years, the cyber world has witnessed a surge in activities. I am contemplating, provided we get cooperation from the state government, setting up a branch to probe cyber crime offences," Sinha said. 
 
"As of now, such a branch is only in the headquarters (Delhi), but now I think it's time a similar branch is opened here in Mumbai, too. Cyber crime is increasing and a separate team of officers including experts are required," the director said. 
 He said CBI in Mumbai has unearthed several scams like the <keyword id="532918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harshad-Mehta-scam">Harshad Mehta scam</keyword>, Telgi fake stamp paper scam, Adarsh Housing society scam and so on. "Apart from such scams, CBI is also probing sensational murder cases of <keyword id="3020388" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheena-Bora">Sheena Bora</keyword> and <keyword id="266924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Dabholkar">Narendra Dabholkar</keyword> among others," Sinha said. 
 
"Recently, state governments and high courts have also been handing over several cases to CBI. Though CBI started as an anti-corruption bureau, its scope has increased to economic offences, serious frauds and sensational cases under IPC. It is now a federal investigating agency which can probe any kind of case," he said. 
 
"The corrupt are resorting to devious and ingenious means to outwit investigating agencies. We must, therefore, update our knowledge and reinvent our practices and methods to detect and bring these new methods of corruption within the ambit of substantive evidence," he said. 
 
Sinha said there is also a need to expand the definition of corruption as offenders are adopting new ways of indulging in graft. "We must now think beyond traps. Nobody these days accepts money in their hands directly. Hence, we must think of expanding the definition of corruption," he said.

Cyber crime: CBI likely to set
up special branch in Mumbai

New Delhi [India], March 6 (<keyword id="19904948" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ani" source="keywords">ANI</keyword>): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint against 299 accused persons and entities (including 76 Chinese-controlled entities) and two other entities controlled by other foreign nationals in an ongoing money laundering case, the agency said on Wednesday. The case is linked to the duping of gullible investors who were promised astronomical returns on investing money (claimed to be used for mining bitcoins and other crypto Currencies) for which an app-based token by the name of "<keyword id="19984854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hpz-token" source="keywords">HPZ Token</keyword>" was used. The prosecution complaint filed before a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Nagaland's Dimapur named 299 accused persons and 78 entities. Out of the total entities named in the prosecution complaint, 76 are Chinese-controlled entities (in which 10 directors are of Chinese origin) and two other entities are controlled by other foreign nationals. The court took cognizance of the offence of money laundering in the prosecution complaint on Tuesday after finding that a prima-facie case has been made under PMLA, 2002, against the said 299 accused persons. ED initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by Cyber Crime Police Station, <keyword id="20214444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kohima" source="keywords">Kohima</keyword> (Nagaland) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the <keyword id="20003647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="information-technology-act" source="keywords">Information Technology Act</keyword>, concerning the duping of gullible investors who were promised astronomical returns on investing money [claimed to be used for mining of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies], for which an app-based token by the name of "HPZ Token" was used. The ED investigation revealed that various bank accounts and merchant IDs were opened by various shell entities having dummy directors and proprietors only for the rotation and layering of proceeds of crime representing funds fraudulently received for illegal online gaming betting and investment in <keyword id="19899404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin" source="keywords">Bitcoin</keyword> mining. For an investment of Rs 57,000, returns of Rs 4,000 per day for three months were promised but money was paid only once and thereafter, fresh funds were sought. Earlier, ED conducted search operations at 44 locations throughout the country and an amount of Rs 176.67 crore, maintained by shell entities in various banks and virtual accounts, was frozen. Further movable and immovable properties to the extent of Rs 278.70 crore held in the name of dummy entities were attached. Total seizure and attachment stand at Rs 455.37 crore in the case so far. (ANI)

ED files prosecution complaint against 299 accused, 76 Chinese-controlled entities in a money laundering case

The <keyword id="6355014" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-high-court" source="Orion">Delhi High Court</keyword> on Thursday granted bail to <keyword id="13154993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chitra-Ramkrishna" source="Orion">Chitra Ramkrishna</keyword> in the <keyword id="500410" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-laundering-case" source="Orion">money laundering case</keyword> related to alleged <keyword id="16434436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal-phone-tapping-and-snooping" source="Orion">illegal phone tapping and snooping</keyword> of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) employees. "The application is allowed. The applicant is granted bail," said Justice Jasmeet Singh. The former NSE managing director, who was earlier arrested by the CBI in the alleged NSE co-location scam, was arrested in the present case by the Enforcement Directorate on July 14 last year. She was granted bail in the CBI case by the high court in September last year. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed her bail plea in the present case on grounds that she was the "mastermind" behind the conspiracy. The phone tapping case, according to the ED, pertains to a period from 2009 to 2017 when former NSE CEO Ravi Narain, Ramkrishna, Executive Vice-President Ravi Varanasi, and Head (Premises) Mahesh Haldipur and others conspired to cheat NSE and its employees and for the purpose, engaged iSEC Services Pvt Ltd for illegal interception of phone calls of employees of the NSE in the guise of doing periodic study of cyber vulnerabilities of the NSE. Seeking bail, Ramkrishna had argued that no scheduled offence was made out against her and the allegations also did not fall within the rigours of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act . Ramkrishna was appointed as Joint MD NSE in 2009 and remained in the position till March 31, 2013. She got elevated as MD and CEO on April 1, 2013. Her tenure at NSE ended in December 2016. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/commercial-ev-distribution-start-up-turno-raises-13-8-million-from-b-capital-others/articleshow/97758281.cms">Commercial EV distribution start up Turno raises $13.8 million from B Capital &amp; others</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/shares-of-alphabet-fall-8-pc-after-google-rollout-of-ai-search-features/articleshow/97755747.cms">Shares of Alphabet fall 8 pc after Google rollout of AI search features</a>

Delhi HC grants bail to Chitra Ramkrishna in money laundering case

With <keyword id="6354616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter" source="Orion">Twitter</keyword> once again taking the Indian government to court, the debate has reignited over insufficient IT laws -- demanding the clearance of new IT Rules, 2021 as soon as possible -- to tame <keyword id="1781932" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="big-tech" source="Orion">Big Tech</keyword> and penalise them if found not complying with the law of the land, amid a completely changed digital landscape from two decades ago. When the IT Act, 2000 was passed, there was no social media presence. Today, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are dictating the public discourse and being used for disseminating fake news and trolls from across the spectrum. The <keyword id="6363148" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="information-technology" source="Orion">Information Technology</keyword> Act, 2000, which got amended only in 2008, is neither a data privacy law nor a data protection law. In such a scenario, is its Section 69A sufficient to book social media biggies and even penalise them for not complying with the government content blocking orders, especially when it comes to national security? According to New Delhi-based cyberlaw expert Virag Gupta, two decades back, intermediaries were acting as the messenger carrying a message from point A to point B, without interfering in it in any manner. "Nowadays, social media platforms are aggressively active and no longer playing the role of a conventional intermediary," Gupta told IANS. Twitter is an intermediary as per the Indian law which has to compulsorily comply with directions issued by the authorities under section 69A of the IT Act. According to experts, failure to comply with any such directions would take away the indemnity provided under section 79 of the IT Act. "Section 69A of the IT Act gives immense and extraordinary power to the government for blocking the content, which can be challenged before the High Court or Supreme Court," said Gupta. However, its purpose is to maintain public order, prevent cognisable offences and protect sovereignty, integrity, defence, security and <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s friendly relation with foreign states. Freedom of speech is guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. However there are many restrictions under Article 19(2), which are part of the Section 69A of the IT Act. "So in such matters of national security, judicial review of the government orders may not be normally allowed," Gupta told IANS. Twitter was also involved in a legal battle in the Delhi High Court last year with the Centre over not complying with the Information Technology (<keyword id="7206149" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="intermediary-guidelines" source="Orion">Intermediary Guidelines</keyword> and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that aim to redefine India's digital landscape. After Twitter went to the Karnataka High Court this time, the government reiterated that all Internet intermediaries and social media platforms have to comply with the law of the land. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that "be it any company, in any sector, they should abide by the laws of India". Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that all foreign intermediaries and platforms have a right to approach the court and judicial review in India. "But equally, all intermediary/platforms operating here have an unambiguous obligation to comply with our laws and rules," Chandrasekhar emphasised. The IT Minister has given the hint for a new IT Act to fight multiple cyber challenges faced by the authorities and users. The republished draft by the IT Ministry has revealed a plan to form an appeals panel that can reverse content moderation decisions by Big Tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The new IT rules also require big social media platforms to help the government trace the originator of messages in special cases. "The intermediary shall respect the rights accorded to citizens under the constitution," according to the new draft. By virtue of Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021, the moment any intermediary including any significant social media intermediary does not comply with the Information Technology Rules, they automatically lose their statutory exemption from legal liability. Further, they become liable for being punished for various offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. "There is actually no rationale for any service providers not to comply with the applicable law in India. The Internet service providers and social media platforms ought to comply with the rules immediately so as to prevent any potential future legal consequences," said Pavan Duggal, a seasoned Supreme Court advocate and a cyber law expert. The government is clearly entitled to take action for criminal prosecution against the service provider as per Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021. Further, all affected persons who have been affected by the inactions of the service provider, can sue the service provider, both for legal action and also for criminal liability, Duggal added. "The ultimate idea is to give a deterrent message to all service providers that they will have to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, otherwise they will continue to keep on facing legal consequences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules and regulations," Duggal told IANS. "The thumb rule is very clear: if you have to operate in India, then you have to ensure compliance with the applicable Indian law, otherwise you will be prepared to face the legal consequences emerging there from," he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/facebook-insta-and-google-took-down-over-21-million-posts-in-may-while-whatsapp-and-twitter-banned-over-19-lakh-bad-accounts/articleshow/92698950.cms">Facebook, Insta and Google took down over 21 million posts in May while WhatsApp and Twitter banned over 19 lakh ‘bad’ accounts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/big-tech-should-obey-the-law-of-the-land-says-india-after-twitter-goes-to-court/articleshow/92689452.cms">Big Tech should obey the law of the land says India, after Twitter goes to court</a>

You Searched For "cyber offences" and got 10 results

Calcutta High Court seeks CBI report on nasty social media posts on RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim

PTI

You can now be prosecuted for unknowingly “auto-downloading” child porn. Here’re some safe browsing habits

BI India Bureau

Over 100 websites blocked for facilitating organised illegal investments

PTI

Don’t buy new laptops, invest in virtual machines to protect against cyberattacks — suggests cybersecurity expert

Prabhjote Gill

India’s new data protection bill makes a good show of user rights — but can it deliver on its promises?

Prabhjote Gill

Cyber expert claiming voting machines were hacked during last elections not an employee: ECIL

BI India Bureau

Cyber crime: CBI likely to set up special branch in Mumbai

BI India Bureau

ED files prosecution complaint against 299 accused, 76 Chinese-controlled entities in a money laundering case

ANI

Delhi HC grants bail to Chitra Ramkrishna in money laundering case

PTI

Opinion: There is a need to pass the IT Rules, 2021 to tame social media platforms like Twitter

IANS

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