** IPC 204 – Destruction of [ document or electronic record] to prevent its

production as evidence - Destruction of 1[document or electronic record] to prevent

its production as evidence.—Whoever secretes or destroys any 1[document or
electronic record] which he may be lawfully compelled to produce as evidence in a
Court of Justice, or in any proceeding lawfully held before a public servant, as such, or
obliterates or renders illegible the whole or any part of such 1[document or electronic
record] with the intention of preventing the same from being produced or used as
evidence before such Court or public servant as aforesaid, or after he shall have been
lawfully summoned or required to produce the same for that purpose, shall be punished
with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or
with fine, or with both.

IT ACTS 2000:
India has seen a sharp increase over the last few years in the commission of cybercrime and the loss
has proven to be significant. In order to deal with such crimes, Information Technology Act 2000
was enacted to provide a legal framework to address issues of:
 Legal Recognition of Electronic Documents
 Legal Recognition of Digital Signatures
Offenses and Contraventions in the cyber space
CYBER CRIMES AND RELEVANT SECTIONS OF LAW:

Cyber Attacks/Crimes & Amendments Sections Relevant in IT Act 2000

Cyber Stalking 43,66
Intellectual Property Crime 43,65,66
Salami Attack 43,66
Phishing 43,66,66C
Personal Data Theft 43,43A
Identity Theft 43
Spoofing 43,66
Data Theft 43,43A, 65,66
Worms, Trojan Horses, Virus, etc 43,66
Sabotage of computer 43,66
DoS, DDoS 43,66,66f
Money laundering on Web 43,66,66C,66D
 Cyber Attacks/Crimes & Amendments Sections Relevant in IT Act 2000
Publishing or transmitting obscene material 67
Pornography 67A
Child Pornography 67B
Violation of Privacy 66E
Dishonestly receiving stolen 66B
computer/communication device
Cyber Terrorism 66F
Hacking of Protected Systems 70
Offensive Messages 66A

CYBER CRIME SECTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS:

SECTION DESCRIPTION COMPENSATION

NUMBER AND
Section 43: Penalty and
Compensation for damage to
computer, computer system,
etc
Section 43A: Compensation for
failure to protect data
If any person without The person shall be liable to pay
permission of the owner or any damages by way of
other person who is in charge compensation not exceeding
of a computer, computer one crore rupees to the person
system or computer network so affected.
Where a body corporate, The person shall be liable to pay
possessing, dealing or handling damages by way of
any sensitive personal data or compensation, to the person so
information in a computer affected.
resource which it owns,
controls or operates, is
negligent in implementing and
maintaining reasonable security
practices and procedures and
thereby causes wrongful loss or
wrongful gain to any person,
such body corporate shall be
liable to pay damages.

Section 65: Tampering with
Computer Source Documents
Whoever knowingly or
intentionally conceals, destroys
or alters or intentionally or
knowingly causes another to
conceal, destroy or alter any
The person shall be liable for
imprisonment up to three years,
or with fine which may extend
up to two lakh rupees, or with
both.
 SECTION
NUMBER AND
Section 66: Computer Related
Offences
Section 66 A: Sending offensive
messages through
communication service, etc.
Section 66 B: Dishonestly
receiving stolen computer
resource or communication
device
Section 66 C:Identity Theft
Section 66 D: Cheating by
personation by using computer
Section 66 E: Violation of
Privacy
DESCRIPTION
computer source code used for
a computer, computer program,
computer system or computer
network, when the computer
source code is required to be
kept or maintained by law for
the time being in force shall be
punished.
If any person, dishonestly, or
fraudulently, does any act
referred to in section 43, he
shall be punishable.
Any person who sends, by
means of a computer resource
or a communication device
Whoever dishonestly receives
or retains any stolen computer
resource or communication
device knowing or having
reason to believe the same to
be stolen computer resource or
communication device shall be
punished.
Whoever, fraudulently or
dishonestly make use of the
electronic signature, password
or any other unique
identification feature of any
other person is liable for
punishment.
Whoever, by means of any
communication device or
computer resource cheats by
personation shall be liable for
punishment?
Whoever, intentionally or
knowingly captures, publishes
or transmits the image of a
private area of any person
without his or her consent,
under circumstances violating
the privacy of that person shall
be punished.
COMPENSATION
The person shall be punished for
a term which may extend to
three years or with fine which
may extend to rupees one lakh
or with both.
The person shall be liable for
imprisonment up to three years,
or with fine which may extend
up to two lakh rupees, or with
both.
The person shall be punished for
a term which may extend to
three years or with fine which
may extend to rupees one lakh
or with both.
The person shall be liable for
imprisonment for a term which
may extend to three years and
shall also be liable to fine which
may extend to rupees one lakh.
The person shall be liable for a
term which may extend to three
years and fine which may extend
to one lakh rupees
The person shall be punished
with imprisonment which may
extend to three years or with
fine not exceeding two lakh
rupees, or with both.
 SECTION
NUMBER AND
Section 66 F: Punishment for
cyber terrorism
Section 67: Publishing or
transmitting obscene material
in electronic form
Section 67 A: Publishing or
transmitting of material
containing sexually explicit act,
etc. in electronic form
DESCRIPTION
o With intent to threaten the
unity, integrity, security or
sovereignty of India or
o To strike terror in the people
or any section of the people
and by means of such conduct
causes
o Is likely to cause death or
injuries to persons or
o Damage to or destruction of
property or
o Disrupts or knowing that it is
likely to cause damage or
o Disruption of supplies or
services essential to the life of
the community or
o Adversely affect the critical
information infrastructure
specified under section70;
Whoever publishes or transmits
or causes to be published in the
electronic form, any material
which is lascivious or appeals to
the prurient interest or if its
effect is such as to tend to
deprave and corrupt persons
who are likely, having regard to
all relevant circumstances, to
read, see or hear the matter
contained or embodied in it,
shall be punished.
Whoever publishes or transmits
or causes to be published or
transmitted in the electronic
form any material which
contains sexually explicit act or
conduct shall be punished
COMPENSATION
The person shall be punishable
with imprisonment which may
extend to imprisonment for life.
The person shall be punished on
first conviction with
imprisonment of either
description for a term which
may extend to three years and
with fine which may extend to
five lakh rupees and in the event
of a second or subsequent
conviction with imprisonment of
either description for a term
which may extend to five years
and also with fine which may
extend to ten lakh rupees.
The person shall be punished on
first conviction with
imprisonment of either
description for a term which
may extend to five years and
with fine which may extend to
ten lakh rupees and in the event
of second or subsequent
conviction with imprisonment of
either description for a term
which may extend to seven
years and also with fine which
may extend to ten lakh rupees.
 SECTION
NUMBER AND
Section 67 B: Publishing or
transmitting of material
containing sexually explicit act,
etc. in electronic form
Section 68: Power of Controller
to give directions
Section 69 A: Power to issue
directions for blocking for public
access of any information through
any computer resource
DESCRIPTION
Whoever:
• Publishes or transmits or
causes to be published or
transmitted material in any
electronic form which depicts
children engaged in sexually
explicit act or conduct; or
• Creates text or digital images,
collects, seeks, browses,
downloads, advertises,
promotes, exchanges or
distributes material in any
electronic form depicting
children in obscene or
indecent or sexually explicit
manner;
The or may, by order,
Controller
direct a Certifying Authority or
any employee of such Authority
to take such measures or cease
carrying on such activities as
specified in the order if those are
necessary to ensure compliance
with the provisions of this Act,
rules or any regulations made
there under.
Where the Central Government
or any of its officer specially
authorized by it in this behalf is
satisfied that it is necessary or
expedient so to do in the interest
of sovereignty and integrity of
India, defense of India, security
of the State, friendly relations
with foreign
states or public order or for
preventing incitement to the
commission of any cognizable
offence relating to above, it may
subject to the provisions of sub-
sections (2) for reasons to be
recorded in writing, by order
COMPENSATION
The person shall be punished on
first conviction with
imprisonment for a term which
may extend to five years and
with a fine which may extend to
ten lakh rupees and in the event
of second or subsequent
conviction with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to
seven years and also with fine
which may extend to ten lakh
rupees
Any person who intentionally or
knowingly fails to comply with
any order under this section
shall be guilty of an offence and
shall be liable on conviction to
imprisonment for a term not
exceeding two years or to a fine
not exceeding one lakh rupees
or to both
The intermediary who fails to
comply with the direction
issued under sub-section (1)
shall be punished with an
imprisonment for a term which
may extend to seven years and also
be liable to fine.
 SECTION
NUMBER AND
Section 70: Protected System
Section 71: Penalty for
misrepresentation
DESCRIPTION COMPENSATION
direct any agency of the
Government or intermediary to
block access by the public or
cause to be blocked for access by
public any information
generated, transmitted, received,
stored or hosted in any computer
resource.
o Any person who secures Any service provider,
access or attempts to secure
access to a protected system intermediaries, data centers,
in contravention of the
provisions of this section shall body corporate or person who
be punished.
o The appropriate Government fails to provide the information
may, by notification in the
called for or comply with the
Official Gazette, declare any
computer resource which direction under this section
directly or indirectly affects
the facility of Critical shall be punishable with
Information Infrastructure, to
be a protected system. imprisonment for a term which
o Explanation: For the purposes
of this section, "Critical may extend to one year or with
Information Infrastructure"
means the computer fine which may extend to one
resource, the incapacitation
or destruction of which, shall lakh rupees or with both.
have debilitating impact on
national security, economy,
public health or safety.
Whoever makes any The person shall be punished with
misrepresentation to, or imprisonment for a term which
suppresses any material fact may extend to two years, or with
from, the Controller or the fine which may extend to one lakh
Certifying Authority for
rupees, or with both.
obtaining any license or
Electronic Signature Certificate,
as the case may be, shall be
punished.
 SECTION DESCRIPTION COMPENSATION
NUMBER AND
Section 73: Penalty for publishing No person shall publish an The person shall be punished with
electronic Signature Certificate Electronic Signature Certificate imprisonment for a term which
false in certain particulars or otherwise make it available may extend to three years, or
to any other person with the with a fine which may extend to
knowledge that: five lakh rupees, or with both.

> The Certifying Authority

listed in the certificate has
not issued it; or
> The subscriber listed in the
certificate has not accepted
it; or
> The certificate has been
revoked or suspended
> Unless such publication is
for the purpose of verifying
a digital signature created
prior to such suspension or
revocation shall be
Section 74: Publication for punished.
Whoever knowingly creates Imprisonment for a term which
fraudulent practice
publishes or otherwise makes may extend to two years, or with

available an Electronic Signature fine which may extend to one lakh

rupees, or with both.
Certificate for any fraudulent or
unlawful purpose shall be