India Is Blind Towards Cyber Law, Cyber Security And Cyber Forensics

Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act 2000) of India deals with E-governance, E-commerce, Cyber Contraventions and Cyber Crimes. However, it is a poorly drafted law and badly implemented legislation. It is weak and ineffective in dealing with growing Cyber Crimes in India as it is the most “Soft and Cyber Criminal Friendly Legislation” of the World.

Indian Cyber Law is the exclusive cyber law that has made cyber crimes “Bailable”. This means that if a person commits the offence of Cracking, he must be released on bail as a “Matter of Right”.

Department of Information Technology (DIT) India is the main department that was responsible for the enactment of IT Act 2000. However, its upgradation and amendment is the responsibility of Ministry of Law. Law Minister Veerappa Moily has not played a pro active role in the use of Information Technology for Legal and Judicial purposes.

Whether it is E-courts, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), Cyber Law or Cyber Forensics, Law Minister has not paid enough attention to incorporate the same in Legal and Judicial System of India.

Similarly, the Home Ministry of India is also responsible for some of the aspects of Legal System of India. For instance Home Minister P. Chidambaram has not paid any attention towards Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics. The same is not only relevant for the Legal System of India but also for the National Security of India. Issues like Cyber War and Cyber Terrorism have also skipped the attention of Home Minister.

Instead of improving the situation, DIT India, Law Ministry and Home Ministry are stressing too much upon E-surveillance and illegal snooping powers that have no “Procedural Safeguards and Guidelines” under the IT Act 2000.

With so many Government Departments responsible for various aspects of Cyber Law, Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics, India is heading nowhere. It would be better if a “Single Department” is entrusted with the responsibilities of Cyber Law, Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics so that India can have “Guided and Committed” actions in these crucial directions.

Reverse Engineer Malware Through REMnux

Dennis Fisher has written a story on a tool known as REMnux. According to the story malware reverse engineering expert Lenny Zeltser has released a stripped-down Ubuntu distribution in the form of REMnux so that malware can be analysed by reverse engineering process. The tool carries many popular malware-analysis, network monitoring and memory forensics tools for analysing the malware and reaching to the malicious code.

The traditional approach of malware analysis is limited in nature and unless we engage in memory analysis many crucial details would go unreported. It is claimed that REMnux is designed to remove this limitation. It can be booted via several VMware products, or through X-Windows.

REMNux has three separate tools for analysing Flash-specific malware, including SWFtools, Flasm and Flare, as well as several applications for analysing malicious PDFs, including Didier Stevens' analysis tools.

REMNux also has a number of tools for de-obfuscating JavaScript, including Rhino debugger, a version of Firefox with NoScript, JavaScript Deobfuscator and Firebug installed, and Windows Script Decoder.

In addition to the JavaScript and Adobe analysis tools, Zeltser also included a small Web server, and IRC server and a pseudo-DNS server. He also included Honeyd, the virtual honeypot server. There also is a customised shellcode analyser that will take malicious shellcode, create a Windows executable from it and then run it so you can observe its behavior.

In short, REMnux is designed for running services that are useful to emulate within an isolated laboratory environment when performing behavioral malware analysis. It is also useful for analysing web-based malware, such as malicious JavaScript, Java programs, and Flash files. It also has tool for analysing malicious documents, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF files, and utilities for reversing malware through memory forensics.

At the moment, REMnux is only available as a virtual machine. Nothing is better than converting it into an ISO image of a Live CD/DVD. We will wait for its ISO version.

Law Enforcement Intelligence In India

Law enforcement intelligence is an area largely unexplored in India. Till not the law enforcement agencies of India are predominantly relying upon traditional methods of intelligence gathering and investigations. There is no doubt that these traditional methods would always remain useful; and nothing can substitute them. However, information and communication technology (ICT) can further strengthen these traditional methods and can fine tune them to achieve greater results.

Although many ambitious projects have been proposed in India regarding use of ICT for law enforcement purposes, yet they have to take a good start in order to bring them into mainstream. There are many blockages that are hindering their actual use and implementation. The biggest obstacle seems to be lack of safeguards to prevent abuse of civil liberties of Indians.

India has neither a dedicated privacy law nor any data protection legislation. Even the basic legal framework for law enforcement machinery is missing and India is managing it through colonial and outdates laws that date backs even before the Constitution of India came into force.

In this background, we have to plan the launch and implementation of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Project of India (CCTNS Project). Presently, the CCTNS Project of India has not been properly planned and implemented.

At Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLB) we are in the process of developing a techno-legal strategy that can accommodate both technological as well as legal mandates. On the technology side, we are building a software database that has almost all the necessary software and utilities necessary for the successful implementation of the CCTNS project and similar projects.

On the legal side we have already suggested a 10 point legal framework for law enforcement and intelligence agencies of India. We are in the process of detailed analysis of these points as well as incorporating new and contemporary ideas and suggestion in the same.

The law enforcement intelligence in India cannot succeed till it is techno-legal in nature. The real problem is that the police is not much aware about the technological issues. Similarly, the technology providers are not aware about the police work. So we have to make partial and piece meal efforts to make a larger picture.

At PTLB we are trying to provide both technological as well as legal solutions at a single place. This would avoid unnecessary wastage of time, energy and money as the most effective solution can be proceeded with immediately. Any person, institution, agency, organisation, etc wishing to work in association with us, may contact us with his/its proposal and we would be happy to extend out techno-legal expertise for the same.

Crime And Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Project Of India

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Project Of India (CCTNS Project) is a very ambitious project of Indian government. It is the most comprehensive modernisation and reformative initiative of government of India to streamline law enforcement in India till date. The project is in its initial stage and it may face both technical as well as legal challenges and civil liberties issues.

CCTNS is a plan scheme conceived in the light of experience of a non-plan scheme namely - Common Integrated Police Application (CIPA). CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Pan of Govt of India. CCTNS aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-Governance and creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system around 'Investigation of crime and detection of criminals'.

The objectives of the Scheme can broadly be listed as follows:

1. Make the Police functioning citizen friendly and more transparent by automating the functioning of Police Stations.

2. Improve delivery of citizen-centric services through effective usage of ICT.

3. Provide the Investigating Officers of the Civil Police with tools, technology and information to facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals.

4. Improve Police functioning in various other areas such as Law and Order, Traffic Management etc.

5. Facilitate Interaction and sharing of Information among Police Stations, Districts, State/UT headquarters and other Police Agencies.

6. Assist senior Police Officers in better management of Police Force.

7. Keep track of the progress of Cases, including in Courts

8. Reduce manual and redundant Records keeping

Under the CCTNS Project, approx. 14,000 Police Stations throughout the country has been proposed to be automated.

The modernisation of police force in India cannot be successfully achieved till India acquires a techno-legal expertise. However, at least a good beginning has been made by Indian government and it would go a long way in modernisation of law enforcement in India. The government must, however, enact a suitable legal framework that can protect civil liberties of Indians from excessive police acts.

Law Enforcement In India Needs Techno-Legal Solutions

Modernisation of police force and establishing the supporting infrastructure for better policing and quicker responses to crimes, cyber crimes and national crises like terror attacks requires a techno-legal approach. Neither technology nor legal framework alone is sufficient to tackle these issues. However, absence of either law or technology would also fail any initiative that intends to modernise law enforcement in India. Take the example of National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) that has been stalled due to absence of adequate safeguards and legal framework. None can doubt about the utility of NATGRID still it is in doldrums as it is not a techno-legal initiative but merely a technological initiative. This shows the importance of a techno-legal solution.

Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLB) is the premier, rather exclusive, institution of India that is providing techno-legal solutions for law enforcement and intelligence agencies of India. It is also providing techno-legal solutions for protecting national security of India. Some of the areas that it covers include cyber security, cyber terrorism, cyber forensics, cyber law, telecom security issues, etc.

Since any technological measure used for law enforcement and intelligence agencies purposes essentially involves civil liberties violations potential, we have also launched a Human Rights Centre of India (HRPCI). The Centre serves a “dual purpose”. On the one hand it provides techno-legal solutions to nations and organisations regarding cyber security threats, cyber terrorism, threats to the critical ICT infrastructure, cyber war, cyber espionage, crisis management plan, etc. On the other hand, it keeps a close watch over human rights violations by an overzealous and over cautious e-police State. In short, we provide techno-legal solutions that are not only technically sound but also constitutionally and legally valid.

At PTLB we believe that we cannot superimpose foreign models to Indian conditions. We have to “localise” our solutions so that they may suit Indian requirements. That is why we endorse a techno-legal training of police force as per Indian requirements. To meet this objective we have a techno-legal training centre for police forces of India at place.

Presently, PTLB is preparing a techno-legal strategy for modernisation of police force in India and world wide. Its world renowned techno-legal expertise would cater the law enforcement, legal and judicial and technological needs of crime fighting in India. We hope our initiative would prove useful for all concerned.

Use Of ICT For Legal And Judicial Reforms In India

By
Praveen Dalal

The Bar Council of India (BCI) and Law Minister Mr. Veerappa Moily are all set to bring legal and judicial reforms in India. Although the steps taken by both BCI and Moily are great yet they are clearly shying away from use of information and communication technology (ICT) for legal and judicial purposes.

The BCI failed to provide an online platform where legal education and exams can be conducted. Similarly, Moily failed to bring even a single e-court in India. After almost seven years of deliberation, e-courts project of India seems to have been scrapped. Realising that both online legal education and e-courts require expertise (especially the e-court) it would be prudent to expect one more year before any action is taken by BCI and Moily in this regard.

Meanwhile, both BCI and Moily must concentrate upon another crucial project that is relevant for both Bar and Bench. It pertains to use of online dispute resolution (ODR) for legal and judicial purposes. Even the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) regime in India needs an upgradation as it has failed to provide the desired results. Since the arbitration law of India is in the process of reformulation, it is high time for Moily to incorporate necessary provisions regarding ODR in it as well. Even suitable provisions regarding e-courts can be incorporated in the same.

Techno-Legal expertise and assistance of Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB) can be taken in this regard as it is managing all the above mentioned areas of legal and judicial reforms.

PTLB is managing an online platform that caters the techno-legal training, education, coaching and skill development requirements regarding bar examinations in India, Indian legal services exams, training of lawyers in India, cyber law courses, cyber law trainings for lawyers and judges, etc. The main purpose of this platform is not to provide empty academic education but to develop skill of lawyers, judges, professionals, law students, etc.

PTLB is also managing e-courts training and consultancy centre of India. This is the exclusive centre in the World that provides valuable training and consultancy regarding e-courts, digital evidencing, cyber law training to judges, ODR, etc. This is one of the most important projects that can bring long term and robust legal and judicial reforms in India. Both BCI and Moily must consider replicating this model as soon as possible.

PTLB is also managing the exclusive techno-legal ODR Center of the World. It manages both technical as well as legal issues of dispute resolution. This can be a valuable addition in the legal and judicial reforms arsenal of BCI and Moily.

Above all PTLB is willing to replicate and establish these models for BCI and Law Ministry if they deem it necessary for India.

India Should Not Use SaaS For Crucial Governmental Functions

Software as a Service (SaaS) is in media reports for long. SaaS is a web-based version of proprietary software that performs computing on its servers on behalf of the client. Cloud computing is one of the most famous forms of SaaS. It is projected as a panacea for many infrastructure related problems and cost saving. While cloud computing has considerable cost benefits but it has drawbacks as well.

Richard Stallman, the founder of Free Software Foundation, says that on the Internet, proprietary software isn't the only way to lose your freedom. SaaS is another way to let someone else has power over your computing. He totally rejects the idea of cloud computing and opines that the real meaning of “cloud computing” is to suggest a devil-may-care approach towards your computing. It says, “Don't ask questions, just trust every business without hesitation. Don't worry about who controls your computing or who holds your data. Don't check for a hook hidden inside our service before you swallow it.” In other words, cloud computing means think like a moron.

There are many security and regulatory factors that must be complied with by SaaS and cloud computing before their deployment in India. Out of these I would presently like to stress upon three aspects alone. These are Security and Privacy, Compliance, and Legal or Contractual Issues.

As far as Security and Privacy is concerned, India has a very weak cyber security and no dedicated privacy law. Even there is no dedicated data protection law in India. The data of end users and governmental agencies is not safe in the absence of these essential regulations that the government of India is willingly not interested in enacting.

As far as Compliance aspect is concerned, that is an alien concept in India. For instance, the Aadhar project of India/UID project, National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project of India, etc all are running in India even in the absence of any legislation ensuring proper safeguards. When there is no legislation even for the most basic projects like Aadhar and Natgrid, there is no question of compliance in India. Outsourcers and foreign clients, keep this in mind while sending your crucial details and data to India.

Finally, the Legal and Contractual issues also cannot provide much protection against illegal and negligent data sharing and data thefts in India. The sole cyber law of India is enacted in the form of Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act 2000). Cyber crimes like cracking, data theft, privacy violation, etc are all bailable leaving much room for commission of these crimes.

India should not use SaaS and Cloud Computing for governmental purposes in the absence of strong cyber law and cyber security. As Stallman says, in the meantime, if a company invites you to use its server to do your own computing tasks, don't yield; don't use SaaS. Use a real computer and keep your data there. Do your work with your own copy of a free program, for your freedom's sake.

The Extra Steps That TOR Users Must Take

By
Praveen Dalal

The “Decloaking Engine” invented by HD Moore was one of the most effective ways of showing how exit nodes of TOR system can sniff the unencrypted, plain text and insecure information and data passing through it. A malicious or e-surveillance capable exit node is the weakest link of the privacy and security chain of a TOR user. However, the problem is not with the TOR’s system as this is the way TOR works. The real problem lies with the end user’s perception regarding TOR’s use in general and anonymity and privacy in particular.

There are various media reports that suggest that Wikileaks acquired its whistle blowing ammunition by sniffing or intercepting the traffic flowing through TOR networks. Whether this is true or not is not the real question here. The real question is what TOR is actually offering to the end users?

Interestingly, TOR is very clearly and openly explaining the scope of anonymity and privacy offered by it to the end users. Actually TOR is great for anonymity but average at privacy protection and poor at data security. This is because although the entry node encrypts the data and forwards it to the next node, the exit node sees it in clear text and unencrypted form. This means that although the ultimate site that you wish to access would see the IP address of the exit node and not your original IP address yet the exit node itself is very sure about the data you are sending to the website.

Think about a malicious exit node as a man-in-the middle attacker (MITM).that can sniff your traffic that you are sending to the ultimate website. It may include confidential information like bank accounts, passwords, governmental secret documents, etc. All of these travel in a plain text form and can be sniffed easily by the exit node. To some extent a malicious exit node is also a form of “Extended MITM” attack as the normal MITM attack occurs either at the local network or local wireless network/access point. But in case of MITM attack occurring at the exit node of TOR system, this is happening at a place far beyond your network(s) and jurisdiction. This scary fact must be kept in mind while sending unencrypted and unprotected data across TOR network.

The real problem is that an averageTOR user cannot differentiate between a trusted and untrusted exit node. This differentiation is not within his direct control. But he has something great that can reduce his risks of exit node attacks. The TOR users must use great services like OpenSSH or PuTTY while sending confidential information. They may also use their own preferred end to end encryption software and systems but the main idea remains the same. TOR provides the anonymity and a secured connection provides additional privacy and security.

Using Firefox after disabling Add-ons, Active X Controls, Java Scripts, Cookies, etc can also bring additional anonymity and privacy. If you need all these functionalities, you can use two different browsers with different setting i.e. Firefox for TOR and other browser for your other tasks. These steps may not make you absolutely anonymous but would definitely solve the problem of malicious exit nodes sniffing to a great extent.

Linux On The Top

By
Praveen Dalal

Linux is synonymous with open source and free software movement. The name "Linux" comes from the Linux kernel, originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux being technical in nature, users were shying away from using the same. The proprietary software also played a major role in the limited growth of Linux as these proprietary software are more easy to use than command based Linux environments.

Realising this hurdle many committed Linux enthusiastic dedicated their time and energy to simplify the usage of Linux distributions. Today Linux is available for a wide range of products. Linux has become increasingly popular in recent years, partly owing to the popular Mandriva Linux, Fedora, Debian or Ubuntu distributions. In fact these distributions now come with user friendly GUI that gives a look and feeling of other proprietary operating systems that user are currently using.

The user friendly GUI coupled with command based options gives a user the ultimate control over a machine. Realising this aspect many hardware and other information technology service providers are not only switching to Linux but are also pre installing it in their hardware and products. Even the smart phones are using many Linux features and distributions.

However, with the numerous benefits of Linux we also have some cyber security issues as well. It would be wrong to presume that Linux, in itself and without further efforts, is a safe option from cyber security perspective. This is a myth as now the crackers would start exploring the vulnerabilities of Linux instead of other operating systems. The cyber security community of Linux must make some additional efforts to make Linux safer from the increased and unexpected vulnerabilities and cyber attacks.

The cyber security problem is common to both open source and proprietary software and this should not bother the potential and future Linux users from switching from traditional operating systems to the Linux environment.

Ubuntu Live CD As A Forensics Tool

Ubuntu is one of the best open source computer operating system based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution. Ubuntu provides an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, with a strong focus on usability and ease of installation. The Ubiquity installer allows Ubuntu to be installed to the hard disk directly from the Live CD, without requiring the computer to be restarted prior to installation.

Among many benefits and functions of Ubuntu one function has not received much publicity and exposure. This pertains to data recovery using an Ubuntu Live CD. In this great tutorial Lifehacker has shown how to recover deleted files and partitions by using the Live CD.

According to the article the examined four tools can recover data from the most messed up hard drives, regardless of whether they were formatted for a Windows, Linux, or Mac computer, or even if the partition table is wiped out entirely.

Even otherwise Ubuntu is worth trying especially when it is open source and free of cost.

Metasploit Version 3.4.0 Released

The penetration testing professionals must rejoice the latest Metasploit Version 3.4.0 release. This is a wonderful tool that can be downloaded from here. It has many crucial improvements from its predecessor.

Metasploit now has 551 exploit modules and 261 auxiliary modules. It has got a brute force support and the release includes several major improvements, especially to Meterpreter, which is one of the available shellcode modules.

Meterpreter is now claimed to be capable of switching seamlessly between 32-bit and 64-bit processes on compromised systems. The Meterpreter is a critical component of Metasploit in that it provides the ability to perform advanced post-exploit automation on a target system. The release has also added new Java and exploit automation technologies.

The version is still freely available though its professional and paid version is also available. Metasploit is used world wide for security and pen testing purposes. It is also part of many security distros like Backtrack ( may be in modified form).

Techno-Legal Online Cyber Security Research, Training And Educational Centre of India

Cyber security management is a tough task especially if it is techno-legal in nature. In that case one has to manage not only the technical aspects but also the legal aspects. Perry4Law is the leading Techno-legal ICT law firm of World. It has many techno-legal segments like Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLB), Perry4Law Techno-Legal ICT Training Centre (PTLITC), etc. Perry4Law is also running various online techno-legal research, training and educational centre in India. Techno-Legal Cyber Security Research, Training and Educational Centre is one of them.

Cyber security in India is not in a good shape. India is on the verge of a technology revolution and the driving force behind the same is the acceptance and adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its benefits. This technology revolution may, however, fail to bring the desired and much needed result if we do not adopt a sound and country oriented e-governance policy. A sound e-governance policy presupposes the existence of a sound and secure e-governance base as well. The security and safety of various ICT platforms and projects in India must be considered on a priority basis before any e-governance base is made fully functional. This presupposes the adoption and use of security measures more particularly empowering judiciary and law enforcement manpower with the knowledge and use of cyber forensics and digital evidencing, says India’s leading techno-legal expert Praveen Dalal.

India cannot achieve a good cyber security till it takes care of both technical as well as legal aspects of cyber security. There is no doubt about the proposition that Indian Parliament is not technology sound and we need to empower it through ICT. At the same time we must also train the governmental officials holding key positions in crucial ministries and departments about basic technology, cyber law and cyber security. These individuals must be trained suitably so that cyber security of crucial systems may not be compromised.

Cyber security is very important to protect businesses, governments and general public at large. The same must be a part of the national policy of a nation. Another crucial aspect related to a secure and strong cyber security in India pertains to critical ICT infrastructure protection in India. Critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly dependent upon ICT these days. If we are unable to secure an ICT system we are also risking critical ICT infrastructure as well.

On the one hand India has a weak and criminal friendly cyber law whereas on the other hand it does not possess tech-savvy law enforcement machinery. Even lawyers and judges are not that much aware about the nitty-gritty of cyber laws. It is high time for India to take some serious steps towards not only making the cyber law of India stronger but also to streamline cyber security of India.

AUTHOR: RAM K KAUSHIK

SOURCE: GROUND REPORT

Online Dispute Resolution In India Strengthened

India is not using ICT for dispute resolution whether it pertains to e-courts or contemporary out of court dispute resolution in the form of online dispute resolution. Fortunately, the first ever Techno-Legal Online Dispute Resolution Centre of India has been launched by Perry4Law that would cater the dispute resolution, training, educational and many more such crucial requirements in India.

Online dispute resolution (ODR) in India is in its infancy stage and it is gaining prominence day by day. With the enactment of Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act 2000) in India, e-commerce and e-governance have been given a formal and legal recognition. Even the traditional arbitration law of India has been reformulated and now India has Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 in place that is satisfying the harmonised standards of UNCITRAL Model. Even the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 has been amended and section 89 has been introduced to provide methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in India.

However, the fact is that the increasing backlog of cases is posing a big threat to the judicial system of India. The same was even more in the early 90 but due to the computerisation process in the Supreme Court and other courts that was reduced to a great extent. However, the backlog is still alarming. This is because mere computerisation of courts or other constitutional offices will not make much difference. What we need is a will and desire to use the same for speedy disposal of various assignments.

There is a lack of training among police, lawyers, judges, etc regarding use of information and communication technology (ICT) for legal, judicial and ADR /ODR purposes. Judges in India need cyber law training, e-courts training, ADR/ODR training, etc that allow them to effectively understand and use ICT for judicial and ADR/ODR purposes.

India has to cover a long gap before the benefits of ICT can be used for effective day to day functioning of its courts. The easy task of computerisation has already been achieved to some extent but the real task is still yet to be achieved. For instance, although computerisation efforts are satisfactory regarding courts in India yet till now India does not have even a single e-court. This is because the difficult part of establishment of e-courts in India is yet to be achieved.

ODR and e-courts may hold the key to growing heaps of backlog of cases in India but the political will is essential to achieve the same. In the absence of political will, we have to be satisfied by half hearted, half baked and failed e-governance projects alone.

SOURCE: OPEDNEWS

First E-Judiciary Training And Consultancy Centre Launched In India

India is at the initial stages of establishment of electronic courts (e-courts). Though India has done a good job by computerising the courts at various levels yet it is still far from the establishment of even the first e-court of India. It seems the e-courts project of India needs a techno-legal training boost.

Perry4Law and PTLB have launched the first ever e-courts training and consultancy centre of India and perhaps first of its kind in the World. A “prototype” of the same is available to the public and stakeholders till the final website is out.

Efforts in the direction of establishment of e-courts in India have been in process since 2003 and significant development in the sphere of computerisation has already been achieved. It is at this stage that there seems to be stagnation of e-court project of India and this initiative by Perry4Law would facilitate in the smooth and hassle free migration of e-court project to the next level.

India must understand that E-courts are much more that mere connectivity and computerisation of traditional courts. The moment e-filing, presentation, contest and adjudication of the cases in an online environment would start, India would surely be capable of establishing e-courts.

Techno-Legal Education In India Got A Boost

Legal education in India is in the process of transformation. However, there are urgent educational and legal reforms that must be undertaken by India as soon as possible. One such area that requires urgent attention is the amalgamation of legal education with information and communication technology (ICT). For instance, cyber law is an important facet of such an interaction of technology and law.

Indian educational system is more academic than professional. As a result although India has good population that is academically sound yet when it comes to practical and real life experience and work, they do not perform reasonably well. Various studies and research in India have suggested that out of the educated masses only 15 to 25% are fit for being absorbed at job places.

In short, India is running short of institutions that can impart good techno-legal skill development education, training and coaching. Perry4Law and PTLB have launched the first ever “Techno-Legal Online Coaching, Training and Education Centre” in India that aims at developing the skill and talent of the students and professionals seeking a good career in cyber law and allied fields.

Interested students, teachers and partners wishing to be part of the project as well as future projects and initiatives of Perry4Law must contact it as soon as possible. The contemporary skill requirements are multi disciplinary in nature where a computer science student or professional must also have basic level of legal knowledge. The proposed initiative keeps this in mind and students and professionals from all the educational streams are encourage getting themselves enrolled.

The government of India must also come up with a good educational policy as well as sound legal reforms so that legal sector may meet the contemporary international standards and requirements.

SOURCE: GROUND REPORT

Cyber Law Training And Coaching In India Rejuvenated

Cyber law is a subject that is less appreciated and even lesser applied in India. Whether it is the law making in this regard or its execution and enforcement, by and large cyber law scenario in India needs rejuvenation.

The position in this regard cannot be improved till we inculcate appropriate knowledge and skills at the initial stages of education. Cyber law education in India is at its infancy stage and is maturing towards a qualitative one. However, there is a growing need for good “Techno-Legal Institutions” that can manage the growing demand for cyber law coaching, education and training in India.

Fortunately, one such initiative has already been undertaken by Perry4Law and its Techno-Legal Segment known as Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLB). Perry4Law is the First and Exclusive Techno-Legal ICT Law Firm of India and is World renowned in techno-legal fields like cyber law, cyber forensics, cyber security, etc.

To cater the growing demands for qualitative techno-legal education in India and abroad, the coaching, training and education segment of PTLB has been launched. Presently, it would be providing “Online Cyber Law Coaching and Internship” to law graduates, law students, graduates and professionals of various disciplines and streams, etc. This is a golden opportunity for those who wish to make a mark in the field of cyber law. Since the seats are “limited” an early enrollment would be beneficial for the serious students.

To facilitate an effective two mode communications between students and teachers on the one hand and Perry4Law on the other, an online “Information Centre” has been established. This information platform would announce and publish all the relevant information regarding the proposed initiative from time to time. Students, teachers and other interested persons are advised to regularly visit this platform. This platform also contains many crucial and important information that must be read before finally applying.

For those who are looking forward for “Domain Specific” and “Highly Skilled Training”, a separate initiative has been launched by another segment of Perry4Law. The same would also be functional very soon.

SOURCE: MYNEWS

BACKTRACK 4 FINAL RELEASE: AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN YOUR CYBER SECURITY AND CYBER FORENSICS ARSENAL

The final and stable version of Backtrack 4 series is a wonderful penetration testing, cyber security and cyber forensics tool. It is not only a powerful utility but is also useful for multiple purposes. The best part is that it is available to the security and forensics community free of cost.

Although Backtrack has always been a good tool but its team(s) must be congratulated for not only providing it free of cost but also for keeping pace with the contemporary cyberspace challenges. The latest stable and final release has also added the cyber forensics functionality. The best part about this feature is that it is claimed to be safe from making changes to the system under inspection. Although Perry4Law and Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLBTM/SM) have yet to test the tool but the claimed features are very promising.

A successful cyber forensics examination must essentially gather both volatile as well as non-volatile data and information. Also during the live analysis of a system, files and data should not be overwritten. Similarly, there should not be any change in the integrity of the information residing on the suspected computer or device. Backtrack 4 meets many of these requirements but it still has to enhance the cyber forensics features further. It is very difficult to provide security and forensics functionalities at the same time yet Backtrack 4 is proceeding in the right direction.

All interested person must give it a try and the same can be downloaded from the website of Backtrack. Perry4Law and PTLB are in the process of analysis and use of Backtrack 4 and would come up with their observations and suggestions. For the time being it would be a good idea to start gaining the basic knowledge of Linux.

We are also analysing other freely available cyber security and cyber forensics distributions. There are many freely available and dedicated cyber forensics distributions that are worth trying. Similarly, there are dedicated cyber security softwares that are freely available. We would be covering them one by one.

Cyber Laws All Over The World Are Becoming Unreasonable And Oppressive

Cyber Laws all over the World are intentionally designed to violate civil rights like privacy, speech and expression, etc. They are also intentionally formulated to facilitate “Internet Censorship” and “E-Surveillance” beyond the legitimate limits of “National Security”. This approach is more dangerous and is detrimental to the national security in the long run.

The Google’s episode regarding China’s censorship shows the growing hunger of various nations for Internet censorship and e-surveillance. India is no different from China when it comes to “Internet Censorship” and “E-Surveillance”, though the extent and degree may be somewhat lesser. The Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act 2000) is the sole cyber law of India that was amended by the Information Technology Act 2008 (IT Act 2008). From here starts the real problem.

According to Praveen Dalal, Managing Partner of Perry4Law and the leading Techno-Legal Expert of India, “The IT Act 2008 made India a “Safe Heaven” for cyber criminals on the one hand and an “Endemic E-Surveillance Society” and “Internet Censorship State” on the other hand. It seems the main aim of the proposed IT Act 2008 was to strengthen the “Internet Censorship” and “E-Surveillance Capabilities” of India.

With the passage of IT Act 2008 India has now officially become an endemic e-surveillance society. The amendments have provided unregulated, unconstitutional and arbitrary e-surveillance and Internet censorship powers to Government of India and its agencies and instrumentalities, says Praveen Dalal. The fact is that India has become an E-Police State, states the ICT Trends of India 2009.

Surprisingly, Minister of State for Communication Sachin Pilot believes that Indian cyber law is strong enough to meet the challenges posed by technology-assisted terrorism and cyber-terrorism. It seems he has not gone through the present IT Act 2000 after its 2008 amendments.

Some observers in India have rejoiced the exit of Google from China believing that it may be a good opportunity for India. However, they fail to understand the “ground reality” that India is no different from China when it comes to Internet Censorship and E-Surveillance. If India does not abdicate its alliance to Internet censorship and e-surveillance similar incidence may happen in India as well.

SOURCE: ITVOIR