15 Nov 2024        14:25:37 pm

Science

Digital Arrest

Tags : Digital Arrest

Topic: Cybersecurity

Why in the news?

• Cyber-security agency Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) shared a list of ways in which online scams are being perpetrated by fraudsters in the country, including \"digital arrest\". 
• The public advisory talks about more than a dozen ways fraudsters use to dupe people and steal their money and private data. It came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi too cautioned people against such frauds in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio broadcast.

Source: The Hindu 

About Digital Arrest: 

• It is a new tactic employed by cybercriminals to defraud gullible victims and extort money from them.
• The modus operandi in this cybercrime method is that fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials such as police, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, among others, and manipulate them into believing that they have committed some serious crime.
• In certain cases, the victims are “digitally arrested”, and forced to stay visible over Skype or other video conferencing platforms to the criminals until their demands are met.
• The cyber fraudsters deceive the victim into believing that he or she has been put under ‘digital arrest’ and will be prosecuted if they do not pay the scamsters a huge amount of money.
• The cyber criminals often force the naive victims to self-arrest or self-quarantine themselves, by tricking them into believing that they have been put under ‘digital arrest’ and cannot leave their house unless they pay up.
• Preventing measures:
  • Cyber Hygiene: It is done by regularly updating passwords, and software and also enabling two-factor authentications to reduce the chances of unauthorized access.
  • Phishing Attempts: These can be evaded by refraining from clicking on dubious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources and also authenticating the legitimacy of emails and messages before sharing any personal information.
  • Secured devices: By installing reputable antivirus and anti-malware solutions and keeping operating systems and applications up to date with the latest security protocols.
  • Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPNs can be employed to encrypt internet connections thus enhancing privacy and security. However one must be cautious of free VPN services and OTP only for trustworthy providers.
  • Secure communication channels: Secure communication techniques such as encryption can be done for the protection of sensitive information. Sharing of passwords and other information must be cautiously done especially in public forums.
  • Generating awareness: There is a need for preventive measures and increased public awareness.

CERT-In:

• It is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur.
• It is a functional organization of the Ministry of Information & Electronics Technology, Government of India, with the objective of securing Indian cyberspace. 
• CERT-In has been operational since January 2004.
• The constituency of CERT-In is the Indian cyber community and Indian cyberspace.
• The Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008, designated CERT-In to serve as the national agency to perform the following functions in the area of cybersecurity:
  • Collection, analysis, and dissemination of information on cyber incidents.
  • Forecasts and alerts of cyber security incidents
  • Emergency measures for handling cyber security incidents
  • Coordination of cyber incident response activities.
  • Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes, and white papers relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response, and reporting of cyber incidents.
  • Such other functions relating to cyber security as may be prescribed.
• To perform these functions, CERT-In is empowered to call for information  and issue directions to service providers, intermediaries, data centres, body corporates, and any other person. 
• CERT-In provides services to organizations in the Government, Public, and Private sectors. In addition, CERT-In provides services to individuals and home users as well.
• Disclosure of information will be followed in accordance with Indian Constitutional laws

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