The term Cyber Crimes is not defined officially in Information Technology Act or in any other legislation. In fact, it cannot be too. Offence or crime has been dealt with elaborately listing various acts and the punishments for each, under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and related legislations. Hence, the concept of cyber crimes is just a combination of crime and computer. Crime means “an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law” and Computer, as defines in Information Technology Act, 2000, means “any electronic magnetic, optical or other high-speed data processing device or system which performs logical, arithmetic, and memory functions by manipulations of electronic, magnetic or optical impulses, and includes …show more content…
The weapon with which cyber crimes are committed is technology and therefore, the culprits of these crimes are mostly technically skilled persons who have intensive knowledge of the internet and computer applications. Some of the recently emerged cyber crimes are cyber-stalking, cyber-terrorism, e-mail spoofing, e-mail bombing, cyber-pornography, cyber-defamation etc. Some conventional crimes may also be cyber crimes if they are committed through the medium of Internet. For intensive: theft, fraud, cheating, mischief, misrepresentation, intimidation etc. which are all punishable under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.Thus, cyber crimes can be defined as any unlawful act wherein the computer is either a tool, or a target or …show more content…
The computer network used for information dissemination has the feature of anonymity and openness which make it easy and convenient for the criminal to indulge in crime without being identified or known to the computer user who is a victim of his illegal activity.
2.3.9. Paucity of Authentic Evidence
No physical evidence to show that crime has been committed. Only on an intensive look the trained person could find out the evidences which are not in the traditional format but are in digital format. Since all information over a network system is exchanged in the form of electronic data, there remains no trace of data once it is erased and the destruction of this sole evidence empowers the criminal to remain undetected and escape criminal prosecution.
2.3.10. Have Wider Ramifications
A ramification is an accidental consequence that complicates things. Cyber crimes have wider ramifications. The range of cyber crimes is wider enough to affect the socio-economic as well as the legal rights of the people. Impact is severe and may be long term. It can damage the victim system permanently and may cause loss of