Scenario Of Modern Cybercrimes And Cyber Laws In India

Divyani Newar, National Education Foundation (NEF) Law College, Guwahati, Assam

ABSTRACT

Cybercrime is a relatively new concept. It began to gain importance with the development of technology and increase in internet users worldwide. The Internet is not confined to any territory; it is borderless and spread across nations due to its accessibility. It is considered a boon as it has made life easy for humans, but on the other side, cybercrime acts as the bane in this boon. It is a unique type of crime that takes place in the virtual space, perpetrated by individuals whose identities are hidden. The criminals can execute their acts from miles away, using technology without any physical contact with their victims. Cybercrimes are committed for various reasons, such as causing harm to the victim's reputation, emotional well-being, mental health, and financial stability among other reasons. It can affect any section of society, whether it is private individuals, large-scale private or governmental organizations, or even children who are not spared from such acts. India is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, suffering heavy losses due to increasing incidents of cybercrime each year. The legislature has enacted several laws to address these issues, including the IT Act of 2000, the new criminal laws of 2023 (which replaced the old criminal laws), and the DPDP Act of 2023. This paper aims to highlight the growing issue of cybercrime, its various categories, the profound impact it has on society, and the enforcement of laws to combat these issues in the country.

Keywords: Internet, Cybercrime, Cyberlaws, Legislature, Technology