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14.9 Cybercrime

        Cybercrimes are crimes related to the misuse of resources available on the Internet. Some examples of cybercrimes
        are:
        ●  Hacking someone’s account or system.
        ●  Stealing someone’s identity information via phishing.
        ●  Hosting a site carrying malware or being a source for spreading them.

        ●  Harassing someone through emails, messages or social networking sites.
        ●  Post offensive content on any site or send it to anyone.
        ●  Defaming someone using the Internet.
        ●  Software piracy or illegal download of digital content.
        ●  Child pornography.
        ●  Sending spam emails to uninterested recipients.

        14.9.1 Preventing Cybercrime

        Below, we mention some precautions against cybercrimes:
        ●  Take regular backup of important data.
        ●  Use antivirus software and keep it updated.
        ●  Download software from known and secure (HTTPS) sites.
        ●  Keep your operating system updated.

        ●  Do not visit or download content from untrusted websites.
        ●  Use a strong password for web login, and change it periodically. Do not use the same password for all websites. Use
           different combinations of alphanumeric characters, including special characters. Ignore common words or names
           in the password.

        ●  While using someone else’s computer, don’t allow the browser to save passwords or auto-fill data, and prefer to
           browse in your private browser window.

        ●  Do not agree to the use of cookies from untrusted websites.
        ●  Perform  online  transactions  like  shopping,  ticketing,  and  other  such  services  only  on  well-known  and  secure
           sites.
        ●  Always secure wireless network at home with a strong password and regularly change it.

        14.10 Indian Information Technology Act (IT Act) 2000

        The advent of the Internet has significantly changed our lives. People from all walks of life are increasingly using
        computers  to  create,  communicate,  and  store  information  in  electronic  form  rather  than  traditional  paper  and
        document  formats.  Electronically  stored  information  offers  numerous  advantages,  including  cost  savings,  ease  of
        storage and retrieval, and connection speed. Despite its many benefits, it has been abused by many people for financial
        gain or to damage someone’s data or reputation. So, governments have taken precautions and enacted legislation
        governing the use of the Internet. The Indian Parliament passed the Information Technology Act 2000 to keep pace
        with information technology-related crime.  The Information Technology Act of 2000 was based on the Model Law of
        the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). It aimed at providing a legal infrastructure
        for e-commerce in India. The act also included a provision for digital signatures as a means of authenticating digital
        documents. It incorporated offences and penalties for cybercrime. The main goal of this act is to make sure that digital,
        online, and electronic transactions are legal and safe and to stop or get rid of cybercrime. There are 13 chapters and
        90 sections in the IT Act.


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