The Hindu Business Line : Safety net for Internet

The world has been witnessing increasing use of the Internet. The Net is being widely used as a medium of trading, banking and other commercial transactions commonly termed as e-commerce. The Government of India enacted the Information Technology Act, 2000, to provide legal recognition to e-commerce.

The Act lays down procedures for networking operations (which include Internet use also) and for civil wrongs and offences. It, however, has not laid down the security and regulatory procedures to be followed by public houses regarding the use of the Internet by members of the public, but has (under Sec 90) left this responsibility with the State Governments.

In several instances in the recent past, the authorities have received e-mails immediately before or after explosions in public places triggered by extremist outfits — and the mails have been traced to cyber cafes.

It wasn’t long before terrorists found a new route for sending such mail — the wireless fidelity or Wi-Fi network. Here, the mischief maker can access the Internet through an authorised Wi-Fi user’s unsecured network.

Following the series of blasts in Ahmedabad in July 2008, when the computer of an official with an American MNC was accessed through Wi-Fi to send terror e-mail minutes before the blasts, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) asked the Government to direct all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to instruct their customers to have ‘proper authentication measures’ so that this facility is not misused.

The need of the hour is to frame regulations prohibiting unauthorised access to the Internet for any unlawful purpose whatsoever — be it terror e-mail or money laundering. And this can only be done by making cyber café owners and Internet Service Providers responsible and accountable for not allowing the use of their network and systems for any purpose that does not come within the ambit of responsible Internet use. The debate for and against such regulations may go on endlessly.

While some may want moderately framed regulations that don’t stifle cyber café owners or ISPs, we must nevertheless remember that the nation’s security may be at stake sometimes. Hence, we need to encourage business alongside top priority for safety.

Software filters to restrict undesirable sites, cameras to photograph cyber café users, display of ID proof of the users and logs to record the timings and other details of the users, issue of licences and so on, are steps that need to be followed whatever the expense involved. After all, there is a price for everything and security too, comes at a price. Cyber café owners, for their part, don’t have to panic if a user in their premises seeks to commit crime: the café owner will not face charges of complicity in the crime if he has followed the safety procedures carefully.

Of course, terrorists seek to, and sometimes succeed, in thwarting the safety measures; they find a way to communicate amongst themselves to execute their terror plan. Nevertheless, vigilant and proactive cyber café owners can help police zoom in on suspects by providing them with vital and timely information.

The police, in turn, need to educate cyber café owners on the gravity of the situation, and thus ensure positive results. The IT sector too needs to pitch in. The tech industry and police together can help cyber café owners understand and deploy the latest technological tools — so they are not found napping in the face of danger.

What cyber café operators need to appreciate is the fact that unless their cafes are safe places users will not frequent them. If a cyber café owner fails to take security steps, and allows criminals free run of the place, a police raid is inevitable. And this means loss of reputation — and business — for the cyber café owner and, sometimes, harassment of innocent café users too.

It’s never too late. We must act now. So let’s get cracking to put proper regulation in place without wasting time.

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