Pandemic Impact: Rise of Cyber Crime Against Women & Girls
A latest global survey carried out across 22 countries including India has revealed that girls and women are one of the biggest targets of cybercrime like - Online violence, harassment, abuse etc1.
INTRODUCTION
" With Indians under lockdown due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, crime against women didn't stop - they just changed."
After the hit of COVID -19 home is the new work place, now- a - days Everything is done through technology which is lead to increase the use of internet, net banking and other online transactions, this is no doubt which makes our life so easy and have led to reduction of cost but ,
There has been significant increase in CYBERCRIME against women in India , specially sextortion , harassment ,abuse etc. during this pandemic this , induced lockdown with criminals targeting women online , through phishing scams , sextortion is the widely used form of online spam attack where cyber criminal extort money by claiming to have the receiver's compromising photos or evidences of their sexual activity, 55 cybercrime complaints were received online in April in comparison to 21 complaints in February2and total 566 complaints received expert says however said number are just the "tip of the iceberg".
Although these technologies have made our life easier, speedy, time saving methods of transaction , meanwhile various hackers have found ways to interfere with internet account and have been successful in gaining unauthorized access to the user's and stole credential information.
UNDERSTANDING OF CYBERCRIME
Cyber crime is also called computer crime that means any kind of Illegal activity through use of computers, mobile phones or through internet technology as it.
primary means of commission refers to cybercrime, this is the offence committed against individual or group of individuals or against company with the intention to harm the goodwill of victim or cause of any kind of mental of physical harm direct or indirect with the use of internet.
Cybercrime takes many forms, and it is therefore difficult to fight.
Common form of cybercrimes are:
Phishing: using fake email messages to get personal information from internet users, misusing personal information (identity theft), shutting down or misusing websites or computer networks (hacking), spreading hate and inciting terrorism, distributing child pornography, making sexual advances to minors (grooming) etc.
Few of them, cybercrimes are gender - based cybercrimes which are mostly happens with women, like Abuse of threat, Ransom demand and blackmailing, Malicious email claiming and hacked account, sextortion.
Cyber stalking and cyber harassment, sextortion Etc. are gender- based cybercrimes - women and girls are more likely to experience this form of harassment than men and boys3 by contrast, cyberbullying does not seems to be a gender - based cybercrime,
INCREASING CYBERCRIMES AGAINST WOMEN: DURING COVID - 19
The nationwide lockdown has shown a huge amount of increasing in the number of complains on cybercrimes against women, The National commission for women have also received many complaints regarding same subject matter by women. One thing which needs to understand the complexity of cyber space that operates in the world that accepts and promote sexual violence in India the patriarchy system is the base for such crimes4 .
Effort of the central and state government are also insufficient in ensuring the safety of women in both real as well as virtual world.
It was well before the lockdown that cybercrimes against women, at par with the crimes happening against them in the real space, had started creating challenges before the police. Incident of cyberbullying, hacking and other cybercrime against women are continuously increasing in other state of country (India),
including newly - formed union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Report5 says the police of j& k has received several complaints of usage of fake identity on social media to attack women. Another some cases men have morphed images and threatened women. News tells that these are the few cases which we have got known through complaints which were reported while there are many women who don't want to make official complaints, fearing stigma, this clearly indicates that there is more possibility of cybercrimes against women going unreported, which making it difficult to help women in the nation.
Vineet Kumar, Founder and President of cyberspace foundation he said, specially " Sextortion" have increased during this lockdown. Sextortion means extorting money for sexual favor from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity through means like morphed images. He also said, " people are getting into relationships online as they are under lockdown and sextortion cases are being reported to us6 ".
Complaints for crime against women in India’s Red Zones during lockdown in May 2020 data7.
Domestic violence - 131 percent
Cybercrimes -. 184 percent
Rape and sexual assault -. -119
As we see that how cybercrimes has increased during this lockdown, especially against women .
LAW PREVENTING CYBERCRIMES IN INDIA
Offence related to the Internet that has been punishable under IT Act, (Information Technology Act, 2000);8
Here is various provision to prevent cybercrimes -
Section 65 - Tempering with computer source document.
Section 66 - Hacking with computer system and data alterations.
Section 67 - Publishing obscene Information.
Section 70 - Unauthorized access to a protected system.
Section 72 - Breach of confidentiality and privacy.
Section 73 - Publishing false digital signature certificate.
Section 354 D of IPC (Indian penal code ,1860) for punishment for stalking 9
One can keep themselves safe from such scams and frauds with the help of vigilance and diligence. Here are some pointers that you can keep in mind:
CONCLUSION
When the whole country is locked down, people are working from home spending lots of time on internet so, even cyber criminals are becoming innovative and craftier in their technics. Where, women community is most effected through cybercrimes during lockdown.
Creation of fake profile, cyber bullying, cyber stalking, online harassment, sextortion, abuse these are bigger challenges for women during lockdown as we saw above that, Effort of the central and state government are also insufficient in ensuring the safety of women in both real as well as virtual world . So, in this way there is need to be aware and guidelines for preventing cybercrimes must keep in mind and there must be proper knowledge and education on technology. Those who have any kind of information related cybercrimes awareness should be passed to those people who are needy, through online webinars, conferences etc. In this pandemic period.
kind of information related to cybercrimes awareness should be passed tk those people who are needy, through online webinars, conferences etc. In this pandemic period.
References
Written By: WAGENDRA SHRIWAS (Intern, 2020), BA.LLB. 3rd YEAR, GGU CENTRAL UNIVERSITY BILASPUR CHHATTISGADH