Cyber Security Initiatives In India By PTLB

In this annual report 2012 we are summarising the techno legal initiatives and projects that have been freshly undertaken and continued by us. These include awareness projects, research and development projects, trainings and education projects and initiatives, skills development initiatives and projects, etc.

Let us start with some background information before we go into the details of our cyber security projects and initiatives and other techno legal initiatives for the year 2102. Perry4Law is the exclusive techno legal ICT, IP and corporate law firm of India and one of the few in the world. Perry4Law is the umbrella organisation and other techno legal segments are supporting it.

Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB) is the leading techno legal segment of Perry4Law and Perry4Law’s Techno Legal ICT Training Centre (PTLITC) is the highly specialised and domain specific techno legal training provider of Perry4Law.

Both PTLB and PTLITC are managing the techno legal lifelong learning centre of India established by Perry4Law. PTLB is also managing the exclusive portal for techno legal e-learning in India and virtual legal education campus in India and techno legal e-learning centre of India.

Besides education and trainings, PTLB is also engaged in techno legal skills development in India and world wide, online dispute resolution (ODR) in India, e-courts research and consultancy in India, etc. PTLB is managing the techno legal and cyber security aspects of skills development, ODR, e-courts, etc as well.

We at Perry4Law, PTLB and PTLITC have been spreading techno legal cyber security awareness in India for long. We are managing the exclusive techno legal national cyber security database of India (NCSDI). We are also managing the exclusive techno legal cyber security research and development centre of India (CSRDCI). To supplement these cyber security initiatives in India, we are also managing cyber forensics research and development centre of India and exclusive techno legal cyber crimes investigation centre of India (CCICI).

Further, dedicated blogs on computer security in India, computer forensics in India, e-discovery in India, international ICT policies and strategies, etc have also been launched by us.

Our cyber security initiatives and projects in general and techno legal initiatives in particular are moving towards global level. If you think that your organisation or you in your individual capacity can be a valuable addition to our projects and initiatives, you may find the segment of MOU and tie up with PTLB useful. Send us your professional proposals and we may revert back to you for a suitable business collaboration opportunity.

Pharmaceuticals Trials, Experiments And Online Sales Must Be Regulated In India

Recently, the Supreme Court of India asked the Indian government to monitor and regulate all clinical trials of experimental drugs in India.  The Apex Court was anguished over the manner in which clinical trials of experimental drugs in India are handled by Indian government and its departments.

In particular, the Apex Court was angry with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) that has failed to perform its duty properly. So much so that the Apex Court revoked the power of the CDSCO for its failure to monitor and regulate clinical trails of experimental pharmaceuticals in India.

Meanwhile, the government is considering the report of an expert committee set up to examine the issue of alleged approval of drugs without clinical trial by CDSCO. The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee in its Report on the functioning of CDSCO has raised various issues pertaining to functioning of the organisation, including alleged approval of drugs without clinical trials.

In the proceeding before the Apex Court it came to the light that no laws were in place between 2005 and 2012 for new chemical entities and yet the government was approving trials very casually.

However, till now none have raised any objection regarding the illegal and unregulated online sales of prescribed medicines in India that is happening right under the nose of Indian Government. Such sale of prescribed medicines by e-commerce portals that also without following the laws of the land is really perilious for the end consumers. Online pharmacies in India are violating Indian laws and Indian government is least interested in curbing this practice.

The problem is aggravated in the absence of strong and effective health related laws in India, including those pertaining to online sales of prescribed medicines in India. We have no dedicated data protection laws in India and privacy laws in India. Even data exclusivity laws in India need to be formulated. A regulatory framework for data exclusivity In India can be really helpful in this regard.

The health ministry of India in general and the Indian government in particular must take immediate action regarding these situations otherwise serious ramifications may occur.

HSI Seeks Public's Help Identifying 'Jane Doe' Producer Of Child Pornography

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) urgently needs the public's help to identify a suspected child pornography producer. The agency is seeking the arrest of an unidentified woman for producing child pornography and the rescue of a 4 to 5-year-old victim of sexual exploitation.

The "Jane Doe" criminal complaint and arrest warrant signed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is the second obtained by HSI's Child Exploitation Investigations Unit this year. The first Jane Doe was arrested with her husband in Portland, Ore., in September, after the agency sought and received tips from the public to identifying her. http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1209/120905portland.htm

Jane Doe, pictured here, is described by HSI special agents as a Caucasian female, 23 to 29 years old, with a medium build, brown hair with blond highlights and hazel/green eye color. She has a mole on her left thigh and a tongue piercing, with a white round stud with a pink dot. Although her whereabouts are unknown, special agents investigating this case believe she lives somewhere in the United States. She is believed to have produced at least one long-form child pornography video featuring herself engaging in explicit sexual conduct with a 4 to 5-year-old victim.

HSI special agents received an investigative referral from the Danish National Police, after the video was downloaded by law enforcement officers in Denmark. The material was submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the national clearinghouse for child sexual exploitation material. The center determined that the victim had not yet been identified or rescued.

Jane Doe's information and photos are also being distributed through law enforcement channels by the HSI Victim Identification Unit in an effort to find the perpetrator and rescue the victim.

HSI is requesting that anyone with information about this person contact the agency immediately, in one of two ways:

Call the ICE Tip Line: 866-347-2423, which is staffed 24-hours a day; or

Complete an online tip form at www.ice.gov/tips/.

All tips will remain anonymous. Individuals should not attempt to apprehend the suspect personally.

HSI's Victim Identification Program seeks to rescue child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)

Legal Issues Of Internet Banking In India

Internet banking is a popular and convenient method of doing online banking transactions. We have no dedicated Internet banking laws in India but the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued some guidelines in this regard. However, Internet banking guidelines in India by RBI are not sufficient to make the banks follow robust and required cyber security procedures.

This means that Internet banking risks in India are high and even RBI acknowledged risks of e-banking in India.  Despite this position, banks in India are ignoring the cyber security due diligence requirements prescribed by RBI. The online banking risks in India have increased tremendously due to this position.

RBI has also released a report of the RBI working group on securing card present transaction in order to provide preventive measures for ATM frauds in India. Sill Internet banking frauds in India and ATM Frauds are increasing. Banks in India are not serious about cyber security and they are not following the recommendations of RBI.

RBI has also insisted upon ensuring of cyber security of banks in India. In fact, recently RBI warned Indian banks for inadequate cyber security as well. This is resulting in increased financial crimes and cyber crimes in India. Mobile banking cyber security in India is also at risk.

The legal issues of Internet banking in India must be taken more seriously by all stakeholders especially the Indian banks. However, better results cannot be achieved till cyber security requirements made mandatory on the part of Indian banks.

Internet Banking Frauds In India

Cyber crimes in India are on rise thanks to the growing use of information technology. With limited numbers of cyber law firms in India, these cyber crimes are not reported properly. Even the cyber security of India is still catching up with the present requirements.

Cyber security of banks in India is also not upto the mark. The mobile banking cyber security in India is also missing. The preventive measures for ATM frauds in India are also missing. The truth is that Indian banks are poor at cyber security. The online banking risks in India are increasing due to this indifference towards cyber security.

RBI has recently issued a report titled Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2011-12. RBI needs banks to build a robust mechanism to prevent incidents of fraud in areas of mobile/net banking and electronic fund transfer. RBI has already issued guidelines pertaining to national electronic funds transfer (NEFT) system of India but banks in India are not providing positive confirmations of NEFT transactions.  

Ensuring effectiveness of the banking sector by way of technology combination while minimising the incidences of fraudulent cases has become one of the major objectives of the RBI in recent years.

According to RBI, complaints related to unauthorised fund transfers, fraudulent withdrawals from ATMs using duplicate cards, phishing e-mails aimed at extracting personal information have registered significant increase in recent times. RBI’s ombudsman office is already flooded with ATM related complaints in India.  

RBI must take a hard stand against defaulting banks who have not adopted sound cyber security policies and strategies for Internet banking and other online financial transactions.