Cyber Safety
Any computer connected to the internet faces a daunting range of electronic threats. We cannot deny the fact that we always feel threatened by the fact that any computer genius may use unknown techniques to know important details about your financial status and might tamper with it or misuse it. This is where computer security steps in. Computer security is very important as it aims at preserving valuable data. It aims at securing the integrity availability and confidentiality of vital information stored in the computers.
Identity Protection
Your personal Identity defines who you are and so it is very important. Your identity includes your personal information such as name, address, contact information, bank account details, credit card details etc. This should all be kept safe.
What is Identity Theft ??
Identity Theft is an illegal crime where someone obtains vital information about your identity and misuses it for their personal gain. Your identity can be stolen through fraud emails, a computer virus, cookies and hackers etc. These dangers are increasing due to the rise in the usage of internet. When you login on to a website, enter a contest, sign up for a social network or paying bills through online banking, you are exposing yourself to such risks. This does not mean that you should stop using the internet, it just means that you should be smart enough to protect yourself.
Internet Privacy
It is the privacy and security level of personal data published using the internet. It is a broad term that refers to the ways and means of using techniques and technologies to protect private data and preferences.
Data Privacy refers to the use of technology and the legal right to expect privacy in the collection and sharing of data about one’s self. Internet Privacy is the ability to control what information one reveals about oneself over the Internet and to also control who can access that information.
Information Security
The security of information is an important issue. This includes preventing unauthorised access and also ensuring it’s integrity while it’s transmission. There are three keywords CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) used in this regard. CIA is rightly used benchmark for evaluation of information system security which focuses on the three core goals of confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.
Confidentiality – It refers to limiting information access and disclosure to authorised users only. This can be done using password and ID’s.
Integrity – This refers to the trustworthiness of information resources. We need to ensure that the information is not changed by mistake or delivery by hackers.
Availability – This refers to the availability of information resources. Sometimes it may be not available when you need it most for various reasons like manufacturing of a computer.
Cyber Bullying
Cyber Bullying is another cyber crime which is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic forms of contact. This includes usage of devices such as cell phones, computers, and tables as well as communication tools such as social networking sites, text messages, chat etc. Cyber Bullying has become increasingly common especially among teenagers. Cyber Bullying can be in form of text messages which are mean or rumours sent by email or posted on social networking sites, or embracing pictures, videos or fake profiles.
Reporting Cyber Crimes
Cyber Crime is any crime that is committed using the computer and the internet where the computer may be the target, tool or both. They involve criminal activities such as identity Theft, fraud, forgery, phishing, hacking, bullying and deformation etc. Cyber Crimes are addressed by the Information Technology Act 2000, which was amended in 2008. Cyber Police takes care of the cyber crimes.
The procedure for reporting cybercrimes is more or less the same as for reporting of any other kind of offence. You can approach the local police stations or the cyber crime cells in your jurisdiction and report the crime. Provisions have also been made for filing of e-FIR in many states.
There are dedicated policy station mostly in every district for reporting Cyber Crimes across the country. Matters of cyber crimes are investigated by Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) on registration of a FIR. LEA then approaches the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) for getting the information related to the complaint.
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