Cybercrime and the efficacy of Cyber Laws in the 21st century: Review of the Global situation

Abstract

The international scenario pertaining to the increasing use of the internet as a vital medium of communication is fraught with dangers of a new and unknown variety that are manifested in myriad opportunities for taking unfair advantage of ignorant and less aware persons across the globe. The terminology for these manifestations is cyber crime as it occurs in the lesser known and relatively latent world. Cyber crime has taken on virulent forms in varying situations and has necessitated the emergence of an entirely fresh lexicon of crime perpetuation.

The fact that the cyber world comprises the entire media and communications networking of the global finances, administration and governance makes the processes of survival and sustenance of humankind all the more intricate and intertwined. The cyber criminals became aware of these crucial linkages and evolved their own miasma of taking advantage at various stages.

It is an interesting fact that along with the creation of cyber crimes there has been an equally heated race to enact laws that deal with these crimes and can prove effectively deterrent for them. The magnitude and novelty of cyber crimes is matched by the creation of laws to combat them and stem their perpetuation. Another interesting fact is that the talents of the criminals and the minds of those who work towards enacting laws law to uphold the justice system are well matched. The current paper is a review of the global scenario as regards the emergence of various forms of cyber crime and the methods adopted to curb them especially in terms of legal redressal and enactment of specialised laws,