In the era of information technology revolution and e-governance, the cyber

market is growing fast and undoubtedly, it will continue to grow beyond

imagination in the years to come. With the increase of internet use for every task,
every individual has become a potential victim of cyber crime in some way. So,
the concern of maintaining security of information on the internet is also growing.
In such a situation, the demand for a cyber lawyer for several departments is
rapidly growing, writes Ashwini Ahuja

Career in Cyber Law

Frauds in credit and ATM cards, cyber virus contamination and hacking of
internet sites are dubbed the new age crimes of today’s advanced
technology. In this age of technology revolution and e-governance, more and
more works and business transactions are made through internet, mobile
phone and satellite connectivity. The phenomenal growth in the IT sector,
apart from its benefits also has invited the abuses of technology, resultantly
skyrocketing the graph of cyber crimes day after day.

What is Cyber Crime?

The crimes related with copyright, contracts and intellectual property through
internet on computer are known as cyber crimes. These crimes can be
smartly executed on the smart/mobile phone also. Thus, cyber crime is a
specialised area for investigation. The police and even the judicial officers
feel very complexity while dealing with cyber related cases. Indeed, cracking
down on cyber crime requires highly skilled understanding of the electronic
world and Internet law. This is a new field of law. There is also an acute
shortage of books on cyber law and cyber crime etc.

Needless to say that the demand for legal professionals with the know-how of
technology is much higher than before. If anyone creates any problem or
tempers with information in the computer, he commits an offence under
section 66 of information technology act which came into existence in
October 2000. Not only in India, but in several other countries also; the
cyber crimes have become a very important aspect of law enforcement. At
present, cyber law has universal jurisdiction.

India is the second country in Asia and 12th in the World to have a separate
Information technology act. Under this law, any document created out of a
computer and in digital format/signature has a special legal significance. On
February 2003, when an amendment in Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881 was
made, then, by taking a new and innovative stride, Indian banking has
launched electronic versions of cheques. With this advancement, net banking
has also come within the purview of cyber law. Career in cyber law is a
challenging, wonderful and one of the most exciting professions. If you are
interested in this legal career and you have a strong IT background, it may
be the best career option for you.

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Cyber Crimes & Its History

If we look back, the first cyber crime happened in France in 1820. Now, the
ghost of cyber crime is affecting the lives of millions of internet users all over
the world. Embezzlement of funds through e-commerce and hacking of
password is a commonplace problem of the computer and internet users.
Young girls unwittingly getting caught in the web of e-pornography. Internet
savvies say that at present, there are three kinds of cyber crimes which are
being committed in India.

First of all, cyber crime through social networking sites in the form of
harassment, then, cyber crime against property/bank accounts in the form of
hacking password and username. Third of its type is in the form of spreading
virus in others’ computer systems and destroy the important data making the
financial loss. The cyber lawyer’s challenging duty is to handle the all types of
crimes which are executed through internet.

The Duty of a Cyber Lawyer

The duty of the cyber lawyer is to handle crimes like hacking or credit card
frauds and to protect e-commerce on the net. A cyber lawyer can also help
the police to nab the cyber criminals and predict the crime patterns and its
motives etc. He has also to deal with the cases of any other intellectual
property laws or copyrights, software patents etc. It is the profession of a
great potential.

After completing the graduation in law, one can earn specialization in cyber
crime area. There are also several other courses in cyber field for students of
other disciplines such as science, management and fine arts streams etc.
These courses are also helpful for IT or e-commerce professionals apart from
bankers and chartered accountants etc.

Day by day, internet based activities in government departments,

telemarketing and online stock trading is growing but the staff for expert
professionals is lower than the actual demand for these departments.
Needless to say that in the coming days, the demand for cyber professionals
will be much higher beyond expectation.

Who Can Become Cyber Professional

Cyber law is a multi-discipline subject. It’s a study which requires an

appreciation of both technology and law. Similarly, the teaching of cyber law
is also multi disciplinary. To become a cyber professional, one needs to
ponder over it if he actually deserves to be an expert cyber professional.
Look, who can become cyber professional

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  Persons who have passed graduation in law
 Persons interested in law with keen interest in IT sector
 Persons who have the ability to work with dexterity and dedication
 Persons having the capabilities of analysing the problem along with an
eye for details
 Persons adept in handling computers and its applications
 Persons who is well informed with the changing times of technology
 Quick witted persons

Moreover, working lawyers and law students too can study cyber law to have
an edge over the others and be better than several others in the changing
techno legal times.

Where Can a Cyber Professional Find Work?

1 Practice as a cyber lawyer independently

2 In police department, CID/Vigilance/CBI etc
3 IT firms, banks and financial companies
4 As a research assistant in technology firm
5 Advisor in the ministry of Information & Technology
6 Advisor in Corporate Houses
7 Trainer in Law Schools
8 Trainer in Multinational Companies (MNCs)
9 Security auditors and network administrators in technology firms
10 Assistant to senior advocates in cases related to cyber crimes
11 Online stock trading offices

Salaries for Cyber Professionals

In the era of techno savvy environment, the internet has become more
transactional with e-business, e-commerce, e-procurement and e-
governance etc. As a result, internet crimes are rapidly soaring. All the legal
issues related to the internet crimes fall under the ambit of cyber laws. To
handle this menace, the demand for experts is high.

So, if you are proficient in this profession, there is no question of salary for
you. In its initial stage, one can get at least between Rs: 15000 to 20,000 in
a solicitor’s firm. You can hope to start more even Rs: 40,000-50,000
depending on the law firm or corporate house you join in and moreover your
own capabilities.

Prominent Institutes offering Cyber Law Courses

These are prominent institutes offering the professional courses in cyber laws

1 Asian School of Cyber laws, Pune

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2 National Academy of Legal Studies & Research University of Law,
(NALSAR) Hyderabad-27
3 Government Law College, Mumbai
4 National Law School of India, Bangalore
5 Symbiosis Society’s Law College, Pune
6 The Indian Law Institute, New Delhi
7 Indian Institute of Information and Technology, Allahabad
8 Cyber Law College, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore etc
9 Amity Law School, Delhi
10 Department of Law, University of Delhi
11 Centre for Distance Education, University of Hyderabad
12 Faculty of Law, Lucknow University, Lucknow
13 School of Legal Studies, Himachal University, Shimla
14 National Law University, Jodhpur
15 IMT, Meerut Road, Ghaziabad
16 Pashchim Bengal National Institute of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata
17 Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi