Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008 comes into force
The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 has finally come into force from 27th October 2009. The Rules pertaining to section 52 (Salary, Allowances and Other Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members), section 54 (Procedure for Investigation of Misbehaviour or Incapacity of Chairperson and Members), section 69 (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information), section 69A (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public), section 69B (Procedure and safeguard for Monitoring and Collecting Traffic Data or Information) and notification under section 70B for appointment of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team have also been notified.
The Information Technology Act was enacted in the year 2000 with a view to give a fillip to the growth of electronic based transactions, to provide legal recognition for e-commerce and e-transactions, to facilitate e-governance, to prevent computer based crimes and ensure security practices and procedures in the context of widest possible use of information technology worldwide.
1. Medical records sent for computerisation to India up for sale
In a development that is certain to lead to a hardening of stance on the outsourcing industry by the western world, investigations
conducted by a British TV channel have come up with the stunning revelation that confidential medical records sent to India for computerisation are being offered for sale, triggering heightened concerns about breach of data security here.
2. Cyber crime gang member arrested
A member of an international gang involved in cyber crime causing immense loss to mobile phone companies has been arrested in Jaunpur, 60 kilometers from here, police said today.
3. Phishing your way with I-T refund emails
After some private bank portals were cloned, it is the turn of the income-tax website to be used for a phishing fraud. A mail is being
circulated in the name of the I-T department, seeking credit/debit card details as well as that of your bank accounts in a bid to siphon away funds.
4. Nigerian held for cyber crime
The State Police's Cyber Cell has arrested a Nigerian youth in connection with a cyber fraud of Rs 4.55 lakh for winning a lottery by a Jabalpur resident.
5. Cyber Law Amendments: Life term for cyber-terror crimes
Cyber-terrorism is now punishable with life imprisonment. The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 that came into force on Tuesday recognises new-age cyber offences such as identity theft, cyber-stalking, cyber harassment, among others.
1. Judge shoots down challenge to Craigslist erotic services
A federal judge has summarily dismissed a lawsuit Chicago's sheriff brought against Craigslist, ruling that the website can't be sued for prostitution ads posted by its users.
2. 9th Circuit: Obscenity Should Be Defined by U.S. Community Standards
In a ruling of particular interest to online adult businesses, a federal appeals court has decided that a national community standard to define Internet obscenity is more appropriate than a local one.
3. ICANN declares independence, breaks ties with U.S. government
The Internet’s keeper of domain names and IP addresses has gone global. Last month, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the US Department of Commerce said the agency will no longer have ties to the US government and will remain a private, not-for-profit organization.
4. CBP Officer charged with unlawful access to Government databases
Nogales, Ariz.-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Natan Ben-Shabat, 42, of Tucson, made his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hector C.Estrada on charges of Unauthorized Access to a Government Computer. Ben-Shabat was releasedpending a December 1, 2009, trial date.
5. PLUMAS LAKE Man sentenced for ising the Internet to steal Micro-Deposits
United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced today that United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. Sentenced MICHAEL LARGENT, 22, of Plumas Lake, to 15 months in prison and restitution of $200,073.44 for fraud and related activity in connection with computers. After release from prison, LARGENT will also face three years of strict restrictions on his use of computers and the Internet.
1. Newspaper archives can lose libel protection as stories change, rules High Court
A newspaper which continued to publish a defamatory article on its website after its subject was cleared in an investigation lost its right to claim a special journalistic defence against libel, the High Court has said.
2. Denmark Banks oppose computer crime law proposal
Banks say they should not have to reimburse small businesses whose online accounts are hacked. Computer criminals could wind up costing Danish banks billions if a law requiring them to compensate small businesses on an equal footing with private account holders is passed.
3. Sweden: Pirate Bay Founders Banned From Running The Site
The Stockholm District Court has taken action against two founder members of The Pirate Bay. Gottfrid Svartholm and Fredrik Neij are now banned from operating the site and will have to pay fines of $71,000 each if they continue. This, despite the fact that they nor the site remain in Sweden.
4. German rail firm pays €1.1m fine over employee snooping
Deutsche Bahn monitored the communications and bank details of thousands of employees in a corruption investigation and in a bid to uncover the source of leaks. At one point it monitored the emails of every Deutsche Bahn employee with external internet access, Berlin's data protection commissioner said.
5. Police can keep convictions database, says Court of Appeal
Police forces can keep a record of spent convictions on a single central database without breaking data protection laws, the Court of Appeals has said. Police would have had to delete a million records from their system if they had lost.
2. Japan hit over child porn
The head of UNICEF on Tuesday condemned Japan's laws on child pornography, saying the country is falling behind global standards and is guilty of spreading illegal material abroad.
3. Hong Kong's data protection review is inadequate
Hong Kong's data protection laws should be brought into line with those of the EU and other countries, according to Hong Kong's Government and privacy office. Unfortunately they are refusing to take the simple steps necessary to achieve this.
4. Pakistan: Cyber crime law must be reviewed by parliament
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECO), 2007, requires serious revisions before it is passed by parliament, a Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) legislative forum said on Monday.
5. Cyber criminals are targeting Bahrain to steal bank data and credit card info
Cyber criminals are targeting Bahrain to steal bank data and credit card information. More than 60,000 cyber attacks were recorded in Bahrain in the first nine months of this year, a study has found. Sixty-four per cent of attacks by Internet hackers in the Gulf were recorded in Saudi Arabia, according to research by software firm Trend Micro.
1. Computer hacking ring charged by United States and Egypt in operation Phish Phry
The largest number of defendants ever charged in a cyber crime case have been indicted in a multinational investigation conducted in the United States and Egypt that uncovered a sophisticated “phishing” operation that fraudulently collected personal information from thousands of victims that was used to defraud American banks.
2. Cyber Criminals mix sophisticated Trojans and money mules to hack bank accounts
According to Internet security experts, there are high possibilities that cyber criminals would mix Trojan viruses with money mules (a sophisticated combination) in future to hack bank accounts. Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer at Finjan (an antivirus company), said - the above mentioned technique would be possible because cyber criminals always attempted to grab money from bank accounts through creative means, as reported by SENTOR on October 5, 2009.
3. Online advertising is threatened by Europe's cookie law
Visitors to websites in Europe may soon face a barrage of pop-ups that seek their consent to internet cookies. Bizarrely, the plan to change current laws on cookies can be stopped only if politicians fail to resolve a file-sharing dispute.
4. More action needed to fight spammers and protect online privacy, says Commission
The European Commission today has repeated its call for EU countries to do more to tackle online privacy threats to the public. A Commission-funded study published today found that although in recent years several EU countries have taken some measures to enforce Europe's ban on spam, including fines for spammers, the number of prosecuted cases and sanctions imposed on lawbreakers vary considerably.
5. Facebook publishes natural language privacy policy for user-consultation
Facebook has published a privacy policy which it has written in natural language rather than legal jargon and which it hopes will be the basis of user discussion and voting. The company said that its move was aimed at making the service more transparent.
1. US Chamber: Fake site by Yes Men not a parody but a fraud
In a lawsuit filed yesterday in US District Court for DC, the US Chamber of Commerce charged the company that manages the team of self-styled comedians and social activists known as the Yes Men with criminal fraud, including the creation of a fake Web site designed to resemble the real Chamber site, specifically to promote sales of their new film and paraphernalia surrounding that film. Along the way, the Chamber bypassed any allegation that might lead directly to the "parody defense" -- that appropriating the appearance of the target of parody is necessary in order to "bring to mind" the subject of that parody, as the law puts it.
2. Freelancer's copyright infringed by sales of digital back issues, rules High Court
A Daily Mirror service which sold digital copies of back issues infringed the copyright of a freelance photographer whose pictures appeared on their pages, the High Court has ruled.
3. Proposed Anti-Piracy Legislation is Flawed, ISP Says
In recent weeks there has been a lot of debate about the UK government’s upcoming plans to disconnect alleged file-sharers from the Internet. Now, ISP TalkTalk enters the discussions saying that the proposed legislation is unworkable and that it “contradicts fundamental human rights.”
4. China's new strategy puts intellectual property first
Businesses hoping to make a mark in China are about to face a very new version of a very old problem. If they don't adapt soon they could face the unusual prospect of being taught a lesson in intellectual property protection from Chinese companies.
5. US government & Internet domain providers join hands for trademark protections!
When internet has become the part of individual lives and internet also posing threat to dictate one day, U.S. government decided to do its best by making sure the firms take their own decisions regarding trademark protections.
