Cyber crime
IN today's interconnected world, the use of computers and other hi-tech equipment have paved the way for a new type of crime -- cyber crime. Electronic fraud in banks, hacking, identity theft, interferences with national security, child pornography and data interference are examples of cyber crimes.
Advances in the use of internet have increased the potential for illegal activities, and cyberspace is being used by individuals or groups to threaten governments as well as terrorise people.
A cyber terrorist is someone who intimidates a government or an organisation to advance his or her political or social objectives by launching computer-based attacks against computer networks and the information stored in them.
Recognising the need for cooperation among the states in combating cyber crimes and to protect legitimate interest in the use of information technology, member states of the Council of Europe and G-8 met at a convention on cyber crime in 2001 in Budapest.
The convention decided to pursue a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cyber crime by adopting appropriate legislation and fostering international cooperation. The US Senate ratified the cyber crime treaty in 2004, and the FBI trained its foreign counterparts to make them more effective partners in the fight against international cyber crime.
The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice recently indicted a 28-year old Miami man for the largest credit and debit card theft ever prosecuted in the US, with data from more than 130 million stolen credit and debit cards.
US computer networks, including those at the Pentagon and other federal agencies, are under persistent attack, ranging from nuisance hacking to more nefarious assaults. With warnings that the US is ill-prepared against a cyber attack, the White House recently conducted a study to protect its computer networks against emerging threats from hackers, cyber criminals or other nations looking for its security secrets.
Developed countries, which have transferred their utilities, including health, education and public safety into digital technologies, have already enacted appropriate laws and evolved systems for cyber security.
As the agencies fighting cyber crimes in the developed countries have become more efficient in combating such crimes, cyber criminals have chosen to shift their operations to countries, which lack the technical prowess. So the threat of cyber crime looms large in Bangladesh with its fast growing internet banking and transmission of valuable data through the worldwide web.
Cyber crime is gaining ground in Bangladesh. The website of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) was hacked by four students of a private technology institute in the city a year back. The hackers said that they hacked Rab's website just for adventure, while the Rab termed it a criminal act.
An e-mail was sent to Prothom Alo on August 23, 2004, issuing a life threat to Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader. Another e-mail was sent to the police headquarter on August 25, threatening the then prime minister Khaleda Zia and her eldest son.
Rab recently arrested JMB's IT chief Rajib, who confessed that he had downloaded information on explosives from the internet, translated them into Bengali and sent them to Mizan, who made explosives on the basis of this information.
Police headquarters recently requested the home ministry to close down 84 websites, which have thousands of porno pictures on display and are provoking sexual crimes and violence.
A Daily Star report on September 28 said that a student leader at Pirojpur lured a class X student to a love trap, raped her and recorded it in a cell phone. The video footage reached local youths through cell phones, flash drives and CDs, which are now on sale in video stores. This is the second such incident after a gang in Faridpur raped a school girl and recorded the scene and released the footage.
Cyber crime is a distinct type of crime, and law enforcers must be well-equipped to tackle it. The police department trained some officers in 2007 to combat such hi-tech crimes, but no improvement is noticeable. The cyber crime investigation cell of the Mumbai police has been fighting strongly against all sorts of cyber crimes since its inception on December 18, 2000.
The government also lacks laws to combat cyber crimes. The Information Technology Act-2006 is not effective enough to address the problem. Therefore, some stringent laws should be enacted to combat hi-tech crimes. A strong regulatory framework is also necessary to determine which acts will be identified as criminal offences and what sort of punishment will be imposed.
Cyber crime is now a global issue as it is not bounded by borders. It is an abiding threat, which is more dangerous than is typically understood. Lack of technological prowess makes the country more vulnerable to such threats. Therefore, Bangladesh needs to be ready to face such threats, as everyone is aware of the harm that computer viruses and hackers can cause.
A.N.M. Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star.
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