Saturday, October 30, 2010

Data Protection Law In India Is Urgently Required

Indian government’s hunger for e-surveillance as well as the pressure from the industrial bodies for weak and ineffective cyber laws is costing Indians their privacy and data protection law. The truth is that privacy rights in India are at sale.

The e-surveillance projects include unique identification project of India (UID project) or Aadhar project of India. It is managed by Nandan Nilekani as the chairman of unique identification authority of India (UIDAI). Other projects include national intelligence grid (Natgrid), CCTNS, etc.

The ineffective and cyber criminal’s friendly laws include information technology act 2000. IT Act 2000 is the sole cyber law of India that has been made an instrumentality of e-surveillance by Indian government. Further, under pressure from industrial bodies, almost all the cyber crimes have been made bailable.

However, the gravest of all concerns is the high level of e-surveillance in India with no corresponding privacy laws, data protection laws and procedural safeguards. Even the IT Act 2000 is silent on the procedural safeguards against illegal and unconstitutional e-surveillance, internet censorship, etc.

In these circumstances, it is of paramount importance that suitable privacy laws and data protection laws must be enacted by Indian parliament as soon as possible.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Cyber Security Courses In India

India is facing lots of cyber security attacks these days. In the absence of adequate cyber skills and proper cyber security policy in India, the situation is not going to improve. As a matter of fact, cyber security in India needs rejuvenation.

India needs good cyber security research and training institutions. Presently, India does not have enough cyber security research and training centers. Further, cyber security is essentially techno legal in nature, i.e. it requires both technical as well as legal support to grow.

The only techno-legal cyber security research and training centre (CSRTCI) in India is managed by Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB). It is managing issues like cyber war, cyber terrorism, cyber espionage, cyber forensics, critical ICT infrastructure protection in India, etc.

Further, PTLB is also exclusively providing techno legal cyber security education and training n India. Those interested in getting cyber security courses in India and cyber security trainings in India can enroll here.

Application form for the enrollment to cyber security courses and trainings and other courses and trainings can be downloaded from here. Fill the form and submit the same along with the prescribed fees.

For more details regarding the fees, duration of courses, natures of courses, etc see the FAQs.

Since the seats are limited, early comers would be obviously benefited. Additionally, early enrollment would also carry many long term and attractive benefits. Enroll before all the seats are gone.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Ways To Defeat E-Surveillance In India

Those who are opposed to the Orwellian nature of Indian government must not sit idle but do as much as possible to reclaim their civil liberties. For instance, Indians can use self defence methods to defeat e-surveillance of Internet, e-mails, telephone conversations, instant messaging, etc by Indian government and its agencies.

Similarly, those who are not comfortable with the Aadhar project or UID project of India and its dubious management by the Nandan Nilekani led unique identification authority of India (UIDAI), must restrain from giving their biometric details.

As far as Blackberry services in India are concerned, it is quiet doubtful that Blackberry would fight for the human rights and civil liberties of Indians in Indian cyberspace. The only initiative in this regard in India seems to be managed by Praveen Dalal under the banner of protecting human rights in Indian cyberspace (HRPIC).

Fortunately, another good initiative in this regard has been launched in the form of RIM Check project. This project would analyse the data leaving Blackberry devices for e-surveillance and other civil liberty violations.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has decided to follow the footsteps of its Chinese counterpart. India is planning to control Indian portion of Internet and looking forward for a “kill switch” type option. Under this option, the Indian government and its agencies can cut off all Internet services during emergencies.

The times to come would be really challenging for human rights activists but the battle between e-surveillance and civil liberties would keep on going.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

UID Project And UIDAI Have Failed In India

The unique identification project of India, now known as Aadhar project of India, is one of the worst projects in the Indian history. It is managed by Nandan Nilekani as the head of unique identification authority of India (UIDAI). Both Aadhar project and UIDAI are “unconstitutional” and they are surviving only because the government of India has bypassed the parliament and imposed the project upon Indians.

Fortunately, Aadhar project/UID project and UIDAI have been “big failures” as they have failed to gain the confidence of Indian masses. All the Indian government and UIDAI could have done in this regard is imposing the same upon illiterate and poor people. The educated and well informed have stayed away from Aadhar project.

Aadhar project must be seen in the light of other illegal and unconstitutional projects like national intelligence grid (Natgrid), crime and criminal tracking network and systems (CCTNS), etc. By using the biometric data of Aadhar project and other details of national population register (NPR) with Natgrid and CCTNS, a complete e-surveillance and Orwellian state has been established in India.

Indians must use self defence methods to defeat e-surveillance by Indian government and its agencies over Internet, e-mails, telephone conversations, instant messaging, etc.

As far as Aadhar project/UID project and UIDAI are concerned, Indians must not give their biometric details lest they wish to be watched 24x7.

Let us fight against illegal and unconstitutional projects like Aadhar/UID, Natgrid, CCTNS, etc and force the government of India to respect and preserve our civil liberties.

Cyber Forensics Courses In India

If you wish to have a good career in the information technology related fields, having good cyber skills is of paramount importance. One such important career option is cyber forensics that is assuming lots of importance these days. A cyber forensics professional is in demand not only in India but also world over as there are very few qualified cyber forensics specialists in the world.

To be a good cyber forensics expert you need to be well trained by a good techno legal institution, university or organisation. Unfortunately, the choice in this regard is very limited in India. The only techno-legal cyber forensics institution in India is managed by Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB).

Those interested in getting cyber forensics trainings in India and cyber forensics courses in India can enroll here.

Application form for the enrollment to cyber forensics courses and trainings and other courses and trainings can be downloaded from here. You must duly fill the form and submit the same along with the prescribed fees.

For more details regarding the fees, duration of courses, natures of courses, etc see the FAQs.

Since the seats are limited, first come first basis rule will be applied. Additionally, early enrollment would also carry many long term and attractive benefits. Grab a seat before they are gone.

Techno Legal Skill Development In India

Cyber skills have assumed tremendous importance these days. Not only cyber skills are required in civil areas but they are also needed for military and intelligence purposes. India need to develop good and effective cyber skills as presently it is lagging far behind than other countries.

The real problem is that we have very few cyber skill development institutions in India. Further, we have just a “single” techno legal cyber security and skill development centre in India. This exclusive techno legal cyber security research and training centre of India (CSRTCI) is managed by Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB).

Perry4Law is supervising the special techno-legal online security investigation, training and educational centre in India. It is managing the same through its online platform that is providing world class and exclusive techno legal courses and trainings in the fields like cyber law, cyber security, cyber forensics, etc.

Those interested in getting these trainings and courses can enroll here.

Further, the application form for enrollment can be downloaded from here. The interested candidate must duly fill the form and submit the same along with the prescribed fees.

For more details regarding the fees, duration of courses, natures of courses, etc see the FAQs.

Since the seats are limited, they would be offered on first come first basis. Further, early enrollment would also carry many long term and attractive benefits. So hurry up and become an essential part of the skilled cyber force of India.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Will Blackberry Collapse In India?

Ever since the cyber law of India has been transformed into an endemic e-surveillance instrumentality, the real intentions of Indian government have become apparent from time to time. It has launched many “unconstitutional projects” like Aadhar/UID, Natgrid, CCTNS, etc without any legal framework and procedural safeguards.

The sole aim of the information technology amendment act, 2008 was to confer illegal and unconstitutional e-surveillance and Internet censorship powers upon Indian government and its agencies and instrumentalities. Now only “outlaws” would have civil liberties in India. However, service providers like Blackberry, Skype, Gmail, etc are also facing the heat of the e-surveillance initiatives of Indian government.

Research in motion (RIM) has been in line of fire from Indian government over encryption usages. Sooner or later, Blackberry would succumb to the pressure of Indian government and would give up the privacy and cyber security protection provided by its encryption methods. According to Praveen Dalal, leading techno legal and cyber law expert of India, users can have good and effective alternatives to Blackberry phones. With open source encryption software like PGP, services like Blackberry can be availed on any smart phone, informs Praveen Dalal.

Does it mean a demise of Blackberry in India? Of course, those believing in privacy and security would shift to smart phones with independent encryption and security software as compared to Blackberry. While Blackberry’s instant messaging and e-mail services would be under continuous e-surveillance, other smart phones with independent encryption and security software are better situated, opines Praveen Dalal.

It seems in these circumstances, the future of Blackberry is not that great in India. Even otherwise, it is always better to use a services that has no backdoors and access points for law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies than those having the same, suggests Praveen Dalal.

SOURCE: CJNEWS

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Online Banking Risks In India

Online banking has become an essential necessity these days. It has many benefits but along with these benefits are also some problems. The biggest issue is to safeguard the customers from Phishing attacks and online frauds.

Cyber security of internet banking infrastructure of India is the need of the hour. Instances of theft of money through hacking of accounts of the accounts holders as well as by misleading them through Phishing attacks are fast becoming a trend in India.

India is also insisting upon a weaker encryption standard (40 bits encryption) for online transactions. This also applies to online banking. Surprisingly, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not shown any protest against this weakening of online banking system of India.

According to Praveen Dalal, Managing Partner of Perry4Law and the leading techno-legal expert of India, the Information Technology Act 2008 has made most of the cyber crimes and cyber offences “bailable”. India has made its cyberspace a “free zone” and “safe heaven” for cyber criminals and cyber offenders. He says that now even after committing hacking in India a person would be entitled to “bail” as a matter of right. There is nothing that prevents such cyber criminals from committing cyber crimes in India in the absence of a deterrent law.

This has resulted in an increased spate of cyber crimes including hacking of the e-mail IDs of the Internet banking users and stealing of their money. Further, IT Act 2000 also does not deal with Phishing expressly.

India has also become one of the most endemic surveillance societies of the World. Confidential information is already vulnerable and with the proposed Indian plans of installing key loggers by law enforcement officers at cyber cafes, the same would exclude the use of cyber cafes for these purposes. Although cyber cafés are not a good place to transact confidential matters yet with a poor Internet penetration in India this may still happen, says Praveen Dalal.

With a weak cyber law, lack of cyber security awareness and increasing e-surveillance initiatives in India, Internet banking disputes are bound to increase in India. The government is least bothered about these issues and ultimately the account holders would have to bear the financial losses.

It is high time for the RBI to step in and do something constructive for protecting bank customers from hacking attacks and Phishing attacks. Till now RBI is escaping from its responsibilities in this regard.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

E-Courts Mission Mode Project Of India

The failure of e-court project of India is the biggest setback for the judicial reforms initiatives of Indian government. Till the month of October 2010, India does not have even a single e-court.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily failed to materialise the use of information technology for both national litigation policy of India (NLPI) as well as e-courts project of India. Even online dispute resolution (ODR) has been failed to establish in India due to this technological apathy.

This has severely impaired the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and ODR growth in India. It is high time for Veerappa Moily and Law Ministry/Department of Justice to take e-courts project seriously.

The real problem in the path of e-courts project implementation is lack of techno legal expertise. For instance, there is just a single e-courts training and consultancy centre in India managed by Perry4Law and Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB). PTLB is currently not extending its techno legal expertise to the e-courts project of India and this is the main reason why there are no e-courts in India.

PTLB provides techno legal trainings to police force, lawyers, judges, arbitrators, corporate executives, law graduates, etc in the fields like cyber law, cyber security, cyber forensics, ODR, e-courts, etc.

Perhaps with adequate expertise and optimum manpower, e-court project of India may see the light of day after five years. For the time being, with the present expertise and pace, there is no hope of establishment of any e-court in India till another ten years.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Indian Government Is Suppressing Privacy Rights In India

India does not has a dedicate privacy law and data protection law. There is also no data security in India. This is the main reason why Praveen Dalal, the leading techno legal and cyber law specialist of India, suggested that India is not ready for cloud computing and SaaS services. Even the outsourcing services to India are also at grave risk in the absence of privacy law and data protection laws in India.

In India, privacy violation is rampant. Telemarketing woes are well known and there is no system at place to curb the same. Any new database of information of Indian residents is a gold mine for telemarketing companies and marketing companies. With no deterrent law at place, these companies have an absolute and unfettered business model.

To make the matter worst, the cyber law of India has been made a mode and instrumentality of e-surveillance in India. According to Praveen Dalal, the amended Information Technology Amendment Act 2008 (IT Act 2008) provides vast, unregulated, unaccountable and unconstitutional E-Surveillance and Internet Censorship powers in the hands of Indian Government and its Agencies. With this amendment, only the “Outlaws” can have Privacy Rights and Human Rights in Indian Cyberspace, says Praveen Dalal.

In this background, we must see the need and effectiveness of Aadhar project or UID project of India, Natgrid, CCTNS, etc. Unique identification project of India is managed by Nandan Nilekani as the head of unique identification authority of India (UIDAI). Both Aadhar project and UIDAI are unconstitutional. Further, both Aadhar project and UIDAI are also undemocratic as they go against the spirit and requirements of Indian constitution.

With the intended/possible use of collected biometric and other data of Indian residents with projects like Natgrid, CCTNS, national census, etc, a very dangerous, unaccountable and unconstitutional e-surveillance model has been established by Indian government, warns Praveen Dalal. The absolute reluctance to enact suitable privacy laws and data protection laws proves this point.

The Indian government does not want to provide adequate safeguards against privacy violations and all it is offering is sale of privacy rights of Indians to commercial entities and law enforcement/intelligence agencies.