Introduction to Cyber Security

INTRODUCTION TO CYBER CRIME

The internet was born around 1960‟s where its access was limited to few scientist, researchers and the defence only. Internet user base have evolved expontinanlty. Initially the computer crime was only confined to making a physical damage to the computer and related infrastructure. Around 1980‟s the trend changed from causing the physical damaging to computers to making a computer malfunction using a malicious code called virus. Till then the effect was not so widespread beacouse internet was only comfined to defence setups, large international companies and research communities. In 1996, when internet was launched for the public, it immeditly became populer among the masses and they slowly became dependent on it to an extent that it have changed their lifestyle. The GUIs were written so well that the user don‟t have to bother how the internet was functioning. They have to simply make few click over the hyber links or type the desired information at the desired place without bothering where this data is stored and how it is sent over the internet or wether the data can accessed by another person who is conneted to the internet or wether the data packet sent over the internet can be snoofed and tempered. The focus of the computer crime shifted from marely damaging the computer or destroying or manipulating data for personal benefit to financial crime. These computer attacks are incresing at a rapid pase. Every second around 25 computer became victim to cyber attack and around 800 million individuals are effected by it till 2013. CERT-India have reported around 308371 Indian websites to be hacked between 2011-2013. It is also estimated that around $160 million are lost per year due to cyber crime. This figure is very conservative as most of the cases are never reported.
Accoring to the 2013-14 report of the standing committee on Information Technology to the 15th Lok Sabha by ministry of communication and information technology, India is a third largest number do Intrernet users throughout the world with an estimated 100 million internet users as on June, 2011 and the numbers are growing rapidly. There are around 22 million broadband connections in India till date operated by around 134 major Internet Service Providers(ISPs).
Before discussing the matter further, let us know what the cyber crime is?

The term cyber crime is used to describe a unlawful activity in which computer or computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs), etc. which are stand alone or a part of a network are used as a tool or/and target of criminal acitivity. It is often

commited by the people of destructive and criminal mindset either for revenge, greed or adventure.

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