Top cyber sleuths wake-up call: laws far behind crooks,need to adapt

The law is constantly playing a bit of catch-up,so all countries need to create laws that are flexible and adapt to the situation. This is the challenge for all governments, says Palmer,who has worked extensively with the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies to promote anti-cyber crime initiatives and promote consumer awareness about the threats.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to cyber security. The response has to be very specific. There are certain situations where even a military response would be appropriate,like in cases of cyber terrorism,but it would be giving these criminals undue credit if we call them soldiers,non-government actors. Often this is a law-enforcement issue as we are dealing with criminals. These are just old crimes being committed in newer,faster ways.

But the problem is taking epidemic proportions. The staggering scale of the world of cyber crime is clear when you consider that there are 1 million victims every day,twice the number of babies born the world over. Last year,this added up to 388 billion in time and cash lost the world over. There are 14 victims of cyber crime every second,not surprising when you realise that nine malicious software are created every second, says Effendy Ibrahim,Internet Safety Advocate and Symantec Asias Consumer Business Director.

Palmer says that while there is no doubt about the need to educate users about the impending threats in cyber space,judges,prosecutors and the police also need to be trained on how to investigate these cases and secure justice for the victims. Indian authorities are already working in tandem with international agencies to upgrade the skills of their investigators,he adds. To succeed in fighting cyber crime we must first properly define the problem… The solution,in many cases,is continuing to support increased law-enforcement capability to successfully find and prosecute cybercriminals.

The popularity of mobile devices to access the Web has added another dimension to the problem. With open source software like Android commanding 40 per cent of the smart phone market,anyone can now upload apps with malicious content. Mobile devices are lucrative targets for cyber criminals as they combine personal and business data. Almost 10 per cent of mobile users have been victims of cyber attacks,but still they tend to trust whatever comes on their phones, says Palmer,adding that even people who are very careful with their computers often take mobile phone security for granted. The risk is high in a country like India which has about 800 million mobile phones users and hardly anyone uses mobile security software.

The recent malicious virus links on Facebook,which put thousands of users in an embarrassing situation,shows what has become the latest playground of cyber criminals. Often cyber criminals use social networking sites to gain trust and misuse the personal information posted on these sites, says Palmer,explaining why users have to be very careful about what they put up on such sites.

Since 43 per cent of Indians using the Internet say they wont be able to live without it,it is time for them to be proactive,he says. It is better to think of ways to prevent attacks and make ourselves more secure than thinking of what is to done after such an incident. While we need good laws,it is also necessary for people to become proactive. In fact,43 per cent of Indians dont use updated security software to protect their devices. We have to realise that cost of cyber security is trivial when compared to the financial damage it can cause, adds Palmer.