The whole world including India has suffered the menace of crime and

atrocities against women since ages. Crime against women has its root in every
developed and undeveloped society and has many faces. Cyber Crime is also
one such face or sphere where women are predominantly subjected to offences.
Talking in terms of women, cyber crime includes cyber stalking, body shaming,
cyber pornography, voyeurism, cyber harassment, cyber defamation, morphing,
email spoofing etc.1 The perpetrators of cyber crimes often create fake accounts
on Twitter, facebook and other social media platforms and use these profiles for
blackmailing, harassing, bullying and maligning the image of women.

Preventive Measures

Like said Prevention is always better than cure. We all need to look for
preventive measures as a defence against Cyber crimes.

1. Proper Awareness and Education

Users of Computer networks should have the basic knowledge about the
cyber issues and stuffs like phishing, hacking, packet sniffing etc. It’s
very much about your defaulters. When you will know about the
unwanted techniques and initials of cyber criminals, you will surely play
a soft hand. Training and mindfulness will go far to ensure yourself
against numerous sorts of cybercrime.

2. Get your Computer system up to date

There are a few things you can't just compromise on—and it will spare
you inconceivably over the long haul while thinking about the dangers.
Are the software you use continually up to date?

1
www.journal.lex-warrier.in/2014/11/19/crimes-against-women-in-cyber-space-internet-crimes/
 Hackers exceptionally exploit in software to access frameworks and
delicate information. Updating software on network associated machines
ought to dependably be a top priority.

3. Limit access to your Sensitive data

Making all your sensitive data available to everybody is surely an

invitation to vulnerability. It isn't shrewd to not realize who got to what
and when. All the more thus, if few individuals approach such imperative
data, it will lessen the odds of introduction to unapproved people with
malevolence expectation. Limit access to such touchy data to the few
individuals who have a business need to get to it.

4. Appropriate Configuration

It is very much imperative to get your system appropriately configured to

the level of security needed. Very often too much of security imprints an
adverse impact and restricts access to certain web content, frustrating the
user. It is suggested to use the “help” feature of the operating system in
this regard.

5. Install Firewall

Firewalls work as a filter to your system. A firewall is basically a

software or firmware which maintains the security of a network and
prohibits unauthorised access. A firewall shields your PC from
programmers who may endeavour to access, crash it, erase data, or take
passwords and other delicate information. Programming firewalls are
broadly prescribed for single PCs.

6. Financial Statements should be reviewed regularly

One should review his/her stuff like Credit card and Bank statements
regularly. It surely diminishes the effect of Credit fraud and Identity theft
by finding the issue not longer after the information has been stolen or
use of the data is endeavoured. Through this one will be able to know if
there is any unusual or unauthorised use is occurring on his account.
 These cautions ought not be taken lightly and could be the primary
indicator a victim gets that something isn’t right.

7. Use anti virus software

Anti virus software are essential to your system. These software are
intended to prevent noxious software from implanting on your computers.
On the off chance that it detects pernicuous code, similar to an infection
or a worm, it attempts to incapacitate or remove it. Viruses (here used as
a generic term) can infect the system without user’s knowledge. Inability
to keep this product active is the point a larger part of the issues emerge.
The firewall screens all information streaming all through the PC to the
Internet, regularly blocking attacks from achieving the framework.
Antivirus programming is the following line of resistance so that digital
lawbreakers who abuse imperfections in programming bundles might be
ruined. This will likewise discourage various robotized and
straightforward attacks hoodlums use to break into your framework.

8. Use strong Password

Use passwords with due care and intelligence. The passwords should be
strong enough consisting of alphabets, numbers and symbols. And like
there are different keys for different locks, use different passwords for
different networks.

9. Ignore suspicious mails

Viruses and malwares are very prone to be transferred through e-mail.

So just avoid clicking on suspicious links even it has been mailed to you
by your friends.

10.If you become a victim

As soon as you get informed of being victim of the computer crime,

report to the required authorities. In India, you can report your complaint
on the Cyber Crime Portal of the NCRB.
 By government

1. Raising Awareness

The United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime has stated
the significance of awareness and Public education.2. The
governments should run campaigns raising awareness about the cyber
crimes and its escape. Initiatives like Cyber security awareness
month, short films, Media advertisements, internet safety day along
with conferences and seminars have shown their effect in many
American and European nations. Through these programmes People
should get the basic knowledge of cyber offences and ways to prevent
themselves from being another victim.

2. Legislations

Legislations should be drafted and amended accordingly as per the

need of the Cyber arena at regular intervals. Effective Legislations
can play a good role in deterring the crimes to some extent.
In India, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal
Code, 1862 provides for the provisions regarding cyber offences.

The NSPCC believes the Government’s actions are too little, too late and now is
the time for a mandatory rulebook for social networking sites, backed up by an
independent regulator with fining powers.

Children are seen to be to the most prone segment of the society.

They lack the maturity level and in order of exploring the virtual
world, they are being effectively exploited. Internet offers a range of
exceptional opportunities to the society including children but these
opportunities also bring with themselves unparalleled risks and
dangers which very often place the children being victim of cyber
2
United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime. 2002.
 offences. Apart from the mainstream cyber crimes like Cyber bullying
and child pornography, inappropriate video games, Chat houses,
pornography etc. also leave an awful impact on children.
India ranks 1st in the list of countries having most number of cyber
bullying cases in 2018.3
Child pornography is one of the horrific crime of the hour. It is
basically the sexual exploitation of a minor below 18 years. Each
sexually explicit content involving a child graphically reminds the
happening of sexual abuse of that child. Traders of child pornography
produce such content and distribute it worldwide committing an
abominable crime.

INTERNATIONAL APPROACH

European Union

The European Union has done well in stepping out and making efforts to protect
Europeans online. The European commission adopted EU Cybersecurity
Strategy in 2013 along with enacting various legislations on network and
information security. They allocated more than €600 million for research and
advancement in cyber security for the period of 2014-2020.

The EU declared fight against cyber crime as one of the three pillars of the
European Agenda on Security adopted in May 2015.

The European parliament adopted the Directive on security of network and

information systems (NIS Directive) July 2016 which remarked as yet one
another milestone in achieving cyber security. 4

THE USA

3
https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/new-report-shows-indian-kids-are-the-most-cyberbullied-in-the-
world-1920013.html
4
ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/image/document/2017-
3/factsheet_cybersecurity_update_january_2017_41543.pdf
Australia

Australia’s international cyber policy is governed by three core principles.

1. The involvement of community and private sector as equal partners with

the government of the country is quite productive and is the most
effective model. The multiplicity of stakeholders in internet governance
provides the requisite balance and helps in delivering economic benefits
along with social opportunities.

2. International law governs the State conduct in Cyberspace through

reinforcement of the agreed norms of state.

3. International development of cyber capacity by the nation helps in closing

economic and digital gulf between the developed and developing nation
and thus enhances Australia’s national security and export
opportunities.5

Singapore

Singapore’s cyber security strategy is one of the best and most

efficient Cyber security effort of the recent times.
The key features of the strategy are as following:

1. Strengthening the resilience of Critical Information Infrastructure

2. Mobilising the community and businesses in order to make cyber
world safer by combating cyber threats and crimes and ensuring data
protection.
3. Building a vibrant Cybersecurity ecosystem consisting of
technologically advanced companies and skilled workforce.
4. Forging strong International partnerships to make the international
Cyber space safer.6

5
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/cyber-security/initiatives

6
https://www.csa.gov.sg/~/media/csa/documents/publications/singaporecybersecuritystrategy.pdf?la=en