Human Rights Framework For Cyberspace

Cyber law, cyber security, etc have acquired a different meaning in the contemporary society. They have also provided both the means as well as defense to fight State led censorship and e-surveillance.

Human Rights have also taken a newer shape due to cyberspace. New form of Human Rights violations are taking place these days. The State is turning into a “police state” and increasingly using censorship and e-surveillance.

Praveen Dalal, the leading Techno-Legal Expert of India and Managing Partner of Perry4Law, has started a very good initiative titled “Human Rights Protection In Cyberspace” (http://hrpic.blogspot.com/). This is a good place to keep a tack of those laws that violated the valuable “Civil Liberties” of Netizens.

All cyber law observers and Human Rights activists must consult it and strengthen this unique and exclusive initiative in India.

SOURCE: WEBNEWSWIRE

Face Off With Kevin Mitnick

There is no question who the most famous hacker is. One of the first computer hackers prosecuted, Kevin Mitnick was labeled a "computer terrorist" after leading the FBI on a three-year manhunt for breaking into computer networks and stealing software at Sun, Novell, and Motorola.

Known more for social engineering his way into networks than actually hacking them, Mitnick frustrated law enforcement not only by staying one step ahead of them but also with pranks like leaving doughnuts for them to find when they raided his empty home.

Finally arrested in 1995, Mitnick pleaded guilty to wire and computer fraud charges and was released from prison in 2002. His notoriety has helped him get lucrative speaking engagements and launch a security consultancy, where he gets paid for doing some of the very actions that landed him in jail.

In the first in a three-part Q&A series with hackers, CNET News talked to Mitnick, now 45, about what got him interested in computers in the first place, the differences between hacking today and three decades ago, and whether it's wise to hire a former black hat hacker to do security work.

SOURCE: NEWS CNET

Cyber Law Of India And Human Rights

Cyber law of India is incorporated in the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000). It is a weak piece of legislation that has been further degraded by the proposed Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008 (IT Act, 2008).

The protest against the “draconian” IT Act, 2008 have led in keeping the proposed IT Act, 2008 in infinite abeyance by the government of India (GOI). Till now the amendments have not been notified by the GOI making them useless and redundant.

The primary reason why such amendments were rejected by the GOI itself seems to be that it is violative of basic Human Rights and Fundamental Rights enshrined under the Constitution of India. The GOI cannot afford to take the blame of imposing a draconian law upon Indian citizens against their wishes.

However, there are some cyber law observers who have in fact supported these amendments. Even we can assume that there can be a “misuse of legislative power” by the GOI to push this draconian law in future.

Praveen Dalal, the leading Techno-Legal Expert of India and Managing Partner of Perry4Law, has started a very good initiative titled “Human Rights Protection In Cyberspace”. This is a good place to keep a tack of those laws that violated the valuable “Civil Liberties” of Indian citizens.

All cyber law observers and Human Rights activists must give a look at it and strengthen this unique and exclusive initiative in India.

SOURCE: MYNEWS

E-Governance In India Needs Expertise Not Size

The debate regarding “merit based execution” of e-governance projects in India is getting hotter. The crucial question is which criteria the government of India (GOI) must choose for selecting e-governance projects partners? Whether it should choose a “big company” (size) or it must choose a company or firm that can execute (expertise and merit) the project effectively?

The Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Model of India is “faulty” as it is based upon the reputation of the companies involved rather than their “expertise”. A company may be generally good in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related issues but it may not be so regarding a particular aspect of e-governance. A question that we must ask to the GOI is whether size/reputation of a company is important or its expertise?

The government must take a hard look at its policies while allocating ICT projects to vendors. Its pre-qualification requirements regarding turnover and size of the players while inviting tenders for projects tends to create a situation where many a competitive but smaller player tends to get left out because they do not meet the stringent qualification criteria. Size should not be the sole parameter for allocating a project to an IT vendor, competence should be the most crucial parameter.

If the IT sector has to have a balanced growth, small and medium companies will have to be encouraged as well because they form the bulk of the industry in India Inc. This is not to say that smaller companies should be encouraged at the cost of competitiveness, however there should be a level-playing field for all.

SOURCE: ITVOIR