Plug loopholes related to electronic evidence to curb cyber

Plugging loopholes related to electronic evidence is the need of the hour to tackle the rise in cyber offences, legal experts and activists from various countries today observed.
Throwing light on the emerging cyber crime across the globe and the challenges in cyber space, advocate Pavan Duggal, the organiser of a round-table conference which was attended by lawyers, activists and representatives of nearly 20 countries, said it is difficult to catch an accused on the basis of electronic evidence because of the loopholes and lack of proper training about the same.
"It is difficult to prove and catch an accused on the basis of electronic evidence. This is the key thrust area and a major challenge in cyber law," he said.

Expressing concern over growing instances of cyber crime, he said with vast accessibility of the Internet, criminals have gone a step ahead and cyber crime has emerged as a major challenge.
The panel also discussed the urgency to address the issue of exposure of children to the Internet and pornography due to the availability of cheap smartphones.
"Sexting and sextortion are big issues which need to be addressed. People click a picture of you and then blackmail you in cyber space, that is 'sextortion'," Parry Aftab, an American lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety, a site where victims can receive one-on-one assistance when they have been bullied online, said.

The experts also emphasised on the need to impart cyber safety training to minors to protect them from cyber crimes and bullies.
"Cheap smartphones are making Internet and pornography widely accessible, especially to boys who are more exposed to it," Serena Tommasino, Child Protection Specialist from the UNICEF, said, and elaborated on steps initiated by the organisation to train children and establish a mechanism to monitor child pornography.
An International Conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime and Cybersecurity will be held in November.