Cyber Laws

What are Cyber Laws? “Cyber law or Internet law is a term that encapsulates the legal issues related to use of the Internet. It is less a distinct field of law than intellectual property or contract law, as it is a domain covering many areas of law and regulation.”


Cyber laws, same as any other branch of law, help define what is legal and illegal, and stipulate mechanisms to detect, convict and punish offenders, and protect electronic property and its rightful use.
Cyber laws pertain to diverse aspects of the electronic world such as:
* Software licenses, copyright and fair use
* Unauthorized access, data privacy and spamming
* Export of hardware and software
* Censorship
* Computerized voting

What offenses are covered under these Laws?
1. Hacking
2. Data theft
3. Identity theft (including Password Theft)
4. Email Spoofing
5. Sending offensive messages
6. Voyeurism
7. Child pornography
8. Cyber terrorism

Punishment
While all other offenses are punishable by imprisonment up to 3-5 years and /or a fine of up to Rs. 3-5 Lakh, an individual convicted of cyber terrorism is punishable by imprisonment for life.