Centre for Internet and Society

Cyber Crime & Privacy

merlin — 2011-09-01T09:36:11Z

India is a growing area in the field of active Internet usage with 71 million Internet users.

Introduction

India is a growing area in the field of active Internet usage with 71 million Internet users.[1] “Cyberspace is shorthand for the Web of consumer electronics; computers and communication networks that interconnect the World”. [2] The recent incidents of hacking into various popular websites of Yahoo, CNN, Sony, the CBI and the Indian Army raise the very pertinent issue of online data privacy. This blog will examine the growing instances of hacking websites and its impact on data privacy.

Cyber Crime

“Cybercrime is a criminal offence on the Web, a criminal offence regarding the Internet, a violation of law on the Internet, an illegality committed with regard to the Internet, breach of law on the Internet, computer crime, contravention through the Web, corruption regarding Internet, disrupting operations through malevolent programs on the Internet, electric crime, sale of contraband on the Internet, stalking victims on the Internet and theft of identity on the Internet.”[3]

The computer age gave rise to a new field of crime namely “cybercrime” or “computer crime”. During the 1960s and 1970s cybercrime involved physical damage to the consumer system. Gradually computers were attacked using more sophisticated modus operandi where individuals would hack into the operating system to gain access to consumer files. The 1970s - through to the present - saw cybercrimes taking different trajectories like impersonation, credit card frauds, identity theft, and virus attacks, etc.[4]

The IT Act 2000 was enacted by the government to punish such acts of cyber crime. The Act was amended in the year 2008[5].

Cybercrime — An Overview: India

The IT Act 2000 was enacted by the government in 2000 to punish acts of cyber crime. The Act was amended in the year 2008[5]. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, cyber crime is on the rise. The Bureau reported that 420 cases were reported under the IT Act in the year 2009 alone, which was a 45.8 per cent increase from the year 2008. [6] The NCRB data on cyber crime also provides a useful insight as to the growing awareness of the IT Act. The data clearly shows an increase in the number of cases reported from the years 2005 to 2009.[7]. Hacking and obscene [8] publication/transmission are the highest reported crimes with the highest rate of conviction under the IT Act 2008.

Cyber Attack: No One is Safe!!

In February 2000 the many ‘busy’ Internet websites were jammed shut by hackers causing a national upheaval in the USA with the then President Clinton calling in a high level meeting with experts from around the world. Websites like Yahoo.com were forced to shut down for three hours after they were ‘smurfed’ by hackers [9]. Many other websites like Amazon.com and CNN.com were also attacked by the same hackers. Hacking such popular websites within a span of few hours was unprecedented which left many, including the FBI, clueless. By far these are the most serious cyber attacks in the history of Internet. The attacks not only shut down important sites, but also highlighted a very disturbing growing trend. If such popular websites were shut down by unknown perpetrators then how in the world will these and similar sites be able to protect scores of personal data and credit card information of the customers they pledge to serve?

More recently cyber vandals attacked the US Senate website on the 14 June 2011, causing a huge security scare [10]. This instance again brings us to the pertinent question of the safety of our personal data held by these websites. If the personal data of the US Senators can be breached by somebody, then certainly we as consumers should be very wary of the cyberspace and its ability to protect our data.

Closer Home

On June 8, a group claiming to be “anonymous” hacked into the government’s National Information Centre to protest against the anti-graft agitation [11]. The same group was accused of hacking into the Indian Army’s website although no report of data theft was claimed by the government. Last year in December a Pakistani hacker group named Predators PK hacked into various websites including the website of the CBI.[12]

Cyber Crime: Its Implications to Privacy

Internet security has become an important issue. Recent cyber attacks on various important websites has placed many consumers at risk and vulnerable to cyber criminals. The hacking attack on the Sony website on April 16 and 17 led to the theft of 26.4 million SOE (Sony Online Enterprise) Accounts. The criminals even hacked into a 2007 database which held credit and debit card information of 23,400 customers.[13]

Attacks such as these demonstrate the vulnerability of websites, and the possibility of serious harm to a countries economy and security. Furthermore, consumers’ personal data can be used by hackers to extort and blackmail individuals.

The Internet has become a huge stakeholder in facilitating trade and e-commerce, subsequently cyberspace has become a large network of communication and commerce. We carry out a number of tasks on the Internet — from e-shopping and e-ticketing to e-banking. Though the recent attacks on the CBI website, and the Indian Army website did catch some attention from the media, and the government did make some noise about it, the issue slowly faded away. The government cannot seem to protect its own websites which houses sensitive details of national security, but seems confident about putting personal data and biometrics of a billion plus population under the AADHAR scheme [14] onto a web server which can be hacked anytime by almost anybody with a personal computer in China or Pakistan.[15]

Privacy: No More?

Data generated in cyberspace are a fingerprint of an individual which is detailed, processed, and made permanent.[16] The cyberspace generates a blue print of our whole personality as we navigate through a health site, pay our bills, or shop for books at Amazon.com. The data collected by surfing through all these domains creates a fitting profile of who we are. [17] When hackers and cyber vandals steal this very information, it becomes a gross violation of our privacy.

Conclusion

Privacy does not exist in cyber space. The various websites that offer varied services to its consumers fail to protect their personal data time and again. The Sony website including its play station and music website was hacked at least three times this year. Scores of personal data was stolen and the consumers were kept in dark regarding the breach for almost a week. Speaking as a consumer, if a large corporate company like Sony cannot protect its website from being hacked into, it is hard to imagine other websites protecting itself from attacks.

The rise of the Internet has brought with it a new dimension of crime. The IT Act 2000 has brought some reprieve to the aggrieved according to the NCRB. Despite this, the IT Act clearly will not completely deter criminals from hacking into websites, as was demonstrated in the NCRB report. The cyber criminals of the February 2000 cyber attacks have yet to be apprehended and the attacks on various websites have been increasing every year.

Despite progress being made on enacting cyber laws and implementing them, cyber crime is still not nipped in the bud. Governments can do precious little to stop it and only hope that a cyber criminal can be traced back and be punished. Hence, Internet users need to more careful of the sites they visit; know the privacy policy of these websites to protect their personal data as much as possible.

Notes

[1] According to an annual survey conducted by IMRB and Internet and Mobile Association of India for the year 2009 – 2010.

[2] http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1229286.pdf?acceptTC=true

[3] http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/cybercrime

[4] http://www.mekabay.com/overviews/history.pdf

[5]http://www.cyberlaws.net/itamendments/index1.htm

[6] http://ncrb.nic.in/CII%202009/cii-2009/Chapter%2018.pdf

[7] http://ncrb.nic.in/CII%202009/cii-2009/Chapter%2018.pdf

[8] http://ncrb.nic.in/CII%202009/cii-2009/Chapter%2018.pdf

[9] http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/hackers_2-17.html

[10] http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/06/14/idINIndia-57677720110614

[11] http://www.thinkdigit.com/General/Anonymous-hacks-Indian-govt-website-to-support_6933.html

[12] http://www.deccanherald.com/content/117901/pakistan-hackers-wage-cyber-war.html

[13] http://mashable.com/2011/05/03/sony-another-hacker-attack/

[14] http://uidai.gov.in/

[15] http://www.securitywatchindia.org.in/selected_Article_Cyber_warfare.aspx

[16] http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1229286.pdf?acceptTC=true

[17] http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1229286.pdf?acceptTC=true

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/cyber-crime-privacy

CCTV in Universities

merlin — 2011-09-01T09:50:09Z

Basic Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Infrastructure is used to observe movements from a central room, and consists of one or more video cameras that transmit video and audio images to a set of monitors or video recorders.

A Brief History of CCTV's

Video surveillance as a means of policing gained prominence in the 1950s when the UK police installed two pan-tilt cameras on traffic lights to monitor traffic near the Parliament. Since then the United Kingdom has become the country with the most number of surveillance cameras.[1]

The proliferation of CCTVs has been attributed to the growing radicalization of human behaviour wherein organized groups terrorized entire nations and threatened their internal security. The 1985 terror attack on the then Prime Minister of Britain by the IRA and many such instances thereafter have led many countries to adopt CCTV as a means of policing. In India, terror attacks on the Mumbai stock market and successive instances have pushed the Indian Government to install CCTVs in prominent public areas so that it is possible to monitor suspicious movements.[2]

CCTVs and Public Perspective

Since the 1950'sCCTVs have become ubiquitous and ever present, monitoring our daily movements, and infringing into our personal space. Though governments believe CCTVs are essential security instruments, the public is less convinced. The early anxiety to be safe from an unseen danger has given way to a new unease amongst the people, that of constantly being watched by an unseen eye.

CCTVs in Educational Institutions

CCTVs are typically used by the government or private agencies for surveillance in areas frequented by the public that need monitoring. Recently though, universities across the length and breadth of the country have resorted to the use of CCTVs for policing campus activities and to keep the students in check and under control. Huge budgets are set to wire campuses with CCTV infrastructure, t causing students to protest as well as laud the initiative by the administration. The debate on CCTVs has gained momentum in recent years with students staging huge rallies both in support of and against it.

Example 1:

The most prominent of the agitations against CCTVs was staged by the students of Jadavpur University in Kolkata on the administration’s decision to install 16 CCTVs on the four main exit points of the campus and other strategic locations.[3] The installation cost Rs.20 lakh. The students protested loudly against the decisions and ‘gheraoed’ the office of the vice chancellor for 52 hours. The students claimed that the administration was curbing their individual freedom and robbing the campus of it’s democratic atmosphere. The administration refused to remove the cameras, and claimed that the move was necessitated for the security of the students and to prevent any unforeseen incident.

Example 2:

The girl’s residing in the Women’s Hostel of The University of Pune protested against the setting up of CCTV cameras’ in the entrances of the hostel to check for unauthorized visits from boyfriends and friends. The girl’s vandalized the camera and claimed that they were an infringement to their privacy. The hostel authorities insisted that the cameras did not infringe on the privacy of the women, and were only installed at the entrance gates to keep a tab on visitors.[4] The authorities claimed that this step was taken in congruence with the hostel’s policy of not allowing visitors to stay the night.

Example 3:

The girls of the Churchgate’s Government Law College succeeded in getting the CCTV camera removed from the Girl’s Common Room, as it was seen as an infringement to their privacy. The MNS stepped up the agitation in favor of the students which led the college administration to finally take notice and remove the camera from the common room.[5]

The Flip Side

The issue of CCTVs in campuses takes an interesting turn when the students support the move to install cameras in campuses.

Example 1:

Delhi University installed CCTV cameras in their campuses after the Delhi Police issued an advisory for the same. They claimed that the advisory issued was to monitor the instances of on campus ragging. The Delhi Police also helped fund the setting up of CCTVs in the college. This move was lauded by the students, and the colleges took instant measures to wire their campuses.[6]

Example 2:

Recently, after the murder of a Delhi University student named Radhika Tanwar in broad day light, many student union groups assembled for a candle light vigil. They demanded CCTV cameras near the Satya Niketan bus stop where Radhika was killed which is an isolated stretch of a road. The massive agitation of almost a week brought the National Commission of Women into the foray who seconded the demand put forth by the student body.[7]

Example 3:

The recent instance of an RTI exposing inflated bills for setting up CCTVs in the Punjab University Campus also throws light on an interesting facet to this debate as the students do not mind the CCTVs in their campus. The student’s union of the university demanded the authorities to look into the discrepancies of the budget, and also expressed anger as the CCTVs installed did not work. The students claimed that the rising violence in the campus is because of disinterested security men and non working CCTV cameras.[8]

Conclusion

The decisions to use CCTVs as a means of surveillance evokes mixed responses. On one side of the debate they are seen as a deterrent to crime while on the other side of the debate they are seen as beinggross infringements on privacy. CCTV surveillance remains as a bone of contention amongst students. If they feel that their personal space is being invaded by these cameras then it needs to be addressed by the administration in a manner which appeases their fear. Universities randomly adopt the policy of CCTV surveillance, disregarding any voice of dissent. Kashmir University put up CCTVs in it’s campus to shoo away lovebirds and the Aligarh Muslim University has installed 57 CCTV cameras in it’s campus to keep a check on students. The rise of the CCTVs in colleges relates to not the actual crime but to the fear of crime. Therefore, CCTVs have become a tool of re-assurance [9]which feeds a notion of safety and security to the authority in charge.

There is no black and white regarding the implementation of CCTVs in universities. A policy can only benefit both sides when decisions are taken with the students, and not on behalf of them. Indian Universities have no guidelines and policies regarding the implementation of CCTVs and students remain unaware of any decisions in this regard. The Universities should clearly spell out their take on CCTVs including:

University policy regarding CCTVs policies
The reasons for introducing CCTVs
The proposed uses of CCTV infrastructure
Which areas in the campus will be kept under surveillance
How will the data collected be stored
How long will the data be retained
How will the data be deleted[10]

The Universities should address all these issues to dispel fear from the minds of the students, and the student unions should be included in the discussions regarding the implementation of CCTVs.

Notes

[1].Webster,William; CCTV policy in the UK: Reconsidering the evidence base; sueveillanceandsociety.org.

[2].Norris, Clive;MC Cahill, Mike;Wood, David; The Growth of CCTV: A Global Perspective on the international diffusion of video surveillance in publically accessible space; surveillance-and-society.org.

[3].Timesnow.tv/jadavpuruniversity, www.haata.com.

[4].http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/female-hostellers-damage-cctv-cameras-to-protect-privacy-83889, http://toostep.com/debate/is-it-right-to-install-a-cctv-in-girls-hostel-to-stop-unauth.

[5].http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2&contentid=201101212011012104560935753ecb888, http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cctv-cameras-in-hostel-rob-pune-women-of-freedom/142681-3.html.

[6].http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/after-delhi-police-advisory-du-to-install-cctv-cameras/761421/.

[7].http://www.indianexpress.com/news/women-constables-cctv-cameras-in-girl-stude/766083/.

[8].http://www.punjabcolleges.com/5526999-itemdisplay-Misappropriation-of-funds-on-CCTV,-RTI-exposed-it-Chandigarh.htm.

[9].www.surveillance-and-society.org/ojs/index.php/journal/article/view/prozac/prozac.

[10].www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/security/documents/cctvpolicy.doc, http://www.wustl.edu/policies/cctv-monitoring-and-recording.html.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/cctv-in-universities