Cyber Crime

A 14-year old boy raking up bills of thousands of rupees on his father's credit card after getting addicted to viewing pornographic websites, a 13-year old girl creating a virus by downloading a free "Virus Development Kit" from the Internet, a class 10 student puting up a pornographic website and displaying nude "morphed" images of his classmates and teachers are common stories these days. To tackle this misuse of modern technology, Asian School of Cyber Laws has launched FACT (Freedom from Abuse of Children through Technology), which can be downloaded from the FACT home page at www.asianlaws.org. FACT is a five-pronged programme that will include:

a) Educating the children on the perils of surfing the Internet and how they could safeguard themselves.
b) Educating the parents on how to monitor the Internet activities of their children to prevent any untoward incidents.
c) Schools awareness program to equip the schools with the requisite tools to inculcate in their curriculum, awareness programs on the dangers of the Internet.
d) Creating Media awareness by way of assisting the media and providing vital helpful information to them to spread the message of the perils of the Internet.
e) Establishing a FACT Help Line to assist and advise students and parents facing a cyber threats and providing counseling to victims of cyber crimes. Asian School of Cyber Laws can be emailed at: fact@asianlawas.org.

(Courtesy: Rohas Nagpal, President, Asian School of Cyber Laws)

Security cannot be taken for granted 

According to intelligence agencies quoted extensively in the American media, Osama bin Laden has chosen to launch an attack on Pearl Harbour because of its symbolic value and because its military facilities are open from the air. On March 4, reputed internet research firm Gartner released a survey which said a large number of American companies were unprepared to face business and IT outages caused by a severe online calamity. A news report said, "The Survey found that one-third of US businesses face the loss of critical data or operational capability in the wake of a disaster, unless investments toward disaster preparedness planning are made." In plain words, this is a continuation of the dismal story of complacency towards security in the online world. It is not a question of only individual e-mail users, computers, businesses and websites being targeted, it is about the Internet as a whole under threat and its concept of being indestructible questioned. In October, 2002, the biggest ever attack was launched on the net and continued for an hour. The White House was left to tell the world that it was not cyber-terrorism but the notorious hacking community that was responsible for this. In reality, there is no such thing as total security, but the endeavour has been and must always be to see that the risks are minimized. Threats will exist in the online world as in the offline realm. There cannot be double standards or two separate definitions of security. Security cannot be taken for granted. The world need not be kicked in the teeth to realize this terrible contradiction. The significance of security can never be emphasised enough.

(Stanley Theodore)

The Statesman - March 10, 2003

Computer link to China firm scares Centre into action 

New Delhi - April 26 - An Internet service provider's start-up kit allowed the transfer of data from computers and networks to a third computer network that was allegedly linked to China's Peoples Liberation Army. This case has served as a wake-up call for Indian security agencies and the government has now said that all hardware and software relating to India's security would be developed within the country. The government said it would be setting up several working groups on cyber encryption and cyber security to ensure that key areas like defence, finance, commerce and air traffic control were not disrupted. Communications and Information Technology Minister Arun Shourie said, "We must develop our own capabilities in hardware and software to provide a shield" preventing disruptions in major areas. In the instant case, the ISP was linked to a Mauritius firm which, in turn, was a subsidiary of a Hong Kong company with connections to the PLA and Chinese intelligence. An executive incharge of network said, "Our networks are vulnerable. Electronic warfare does not consist only of disabling networks, it could mean disabling economic infrastructure by paralysing telecom network. Our security agencies should be prepared to thwart any such threat."

The Asian Age - April 27, 2003.

Food for Thought

The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do. 

: Orison Swett Marden 1850-1924, American Author

----------------------------------------------------------------

Acquire the courage to believe in yourself. Many of the things that you have been taught were at one time the radical ideas of individuals who had the courage to believe what their own hearts and minds told them was true, rather than accept the common beliefs of their day.

: Ching Ning Chu, Chinese-American Businesswoman