Why in the news?

  • According to the report, ‘Crime in India’, published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) the number of cases registered under the cybercrimes category rose to 86,420 in 2023 from 65,893 cases recorded in 2022.

Cybercrimes in India

  • Definition: Cybercrime is any unlawful act where a computer, network, or digital device is used as a tool, target, or medium of crime.
  • Types of Cybercrimes:
    • Against Individuals:
      • Identity theft, phishing, cyberstalking, cyberbullying
      • Financial frauds (UPI scams, fake apps)
      • Data breaches and privacy violations
    • Against Property:
      • Hacking, ransomware, malware, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks
      • Intellectual property theft and software piracy
    • Against Government / National Security:
      • Cyberterrorism, espionage, defacement of govt. websites
      • Attacks on critical infrastructure (power grids, banking, telecom)
  • Magnitude of Problem:
    • Sharp Surge: Cybercrime cases increased by 31.2% in 2023.
    • Total cases: 86,420 in 2023 vs 65,893 in 2022.
    • Crime rate: Rose from 4.8% (2022) to 6.2% (2023).
    • Categories of Cybercrime (2023)
      • Fraud: 68.9% (59,526 cases) – phishing, UPI frauds, impersonation.
      • Sexual exploitation: 4.9% (4,199 cases) – circulation of obscene content.
      • Extortion: 3.8% (3,326 cases).
      • Other motives: Data theft, cyberstalking, online radicalisation, etc.
  • Government Initiatives:
    • Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended 2008): Defines offences like hacking, identity theft, cyberterrorism.
    • CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team): Nodal agency for cyber incident response.
    • National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: Citizen complaint system.
    • Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): Launched in 2020 under MHA to handle the cybercrime ecosystem.
  • Challenges:
    • Low digital literacy among citizens: easy targets of fraud.
    • Jurisdictional issues: crimes cross international borders.
    • Under-reporting due to stigma, fear, or lack of awareness.
    • Shortage of skilled cyber forensic experts.
    • Rapidly evolving technology: AI-deepfakes, crypto crimes, darknet markets.
  • Way Forward:
    • Stronger legislation: Update IT Act to cover AI-deepfakes, crypto crimes.
    • Capacity building: More cyber police stations, training forensic experts.
    • Awareness campaigns: “Cyber Surakshit Bharat Abhiyan,” digital hygiene in schools.
    • Public-private partnerships: Banking, telecom, fintech to work with govt.
    • International treaties: Join Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
    • AI & Big Data use for early detection of fraud patterns.