This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-16392960
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'Spam capital' India arrests six in phishing probe | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Police in India say they have arrested six foreign nationals suspected of defrauding hundreds of people using text message and email scams. | Police in India say they have arrested six foreign nationals suspected of defrauding hundreds of people using text message and email scams. |
| Scam victims were duped after being told they had won a lottery. | Scam victims were duped after being told they had won a lottery. |
| Authorities seized 14 laptops, seven memory sticks and 23 mobile phones, as well as fake documents and cash. | Authorities seized 14 laptops, seven memory sticks and 23 mobile phones, as well as fake documents and cash. |
| The arrests come after security firm Kaspersky reported that India now sent more spam than any other country in the world. | The arrests come after security firm Kaspersky reported that India now sent more spam than any other country in the world. |
| Police said the six men, all Nigerian, would be remanded in custody until 12 January. | Police said the six men, all Nigerian, would be remanded in custody until 12 January. |
| The arrests signal attempts to crack down on a growing cybercrime problem in the region. | The arrests signal attempts to crack down on a growing cybercrime problem in the region. |
| Mumbai-based internet security specialist Vijay Mukhi said poor enforcement of laws meant spammers could act with impunity. | Mumbai-based internet security specialist Vijay Mukhi said poor enforcement of laws meant spammers could act with impunity. |
| "We have an Information Technology Act that was introduced in 2000. But we don't have any convictions under it and it's silent on spam," he said. | "We have an Information Technology Act that was introduced in 2000. But we don't have any convictions under it and it's silent on spam," he said. |
| The crackdown is being seen as a positive sign in India where the officials have been accused of not keeping up with cybercriminals. | |
| Indian companies are now taking cyber-threats seriously as a number of recent surveys have pointed out that there appeared to be a considerable lack of preparedness to counter such threats. | |
| Indian corporations lost an estimated $27.8 million (£17.8m) in the first half of 2011 due to phishing attacks, said RSA, the security division of data specialist EMC. | |
| It is not just corporations but individuals too who are targeted as Indian internet users spend more and more time on Facebook, Google and Yahoo. | |
| So increasingly, the attacks happen on social networks. | |
| The threats mainly relate to intellectual property theft, online banking or trading frauds and phishing attacks. | |
| In December 2011, hackers broke into the official website of India's ruling Congress Party and defaced the profile page of party president Sonia Gandhi with a pornographic message. | |
| Though India has laws aimed at tackling cybercrime, many internet users feel it is not used effectively. | |
| Even when arrests are made, very few people actually get convicted. | |
| The police have recorded a little over 3,000 cases of cyber crime between 2007 and 2010, under various sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act. | |
| "If I'm a spammer, I would rather spam from India to India and the rest of world because nothing will happen to me." | "If I'm a spammer, I would rather spam from India to India and the rest of world because nothing will happen to me." |
| Free reign | Free reign |
| In its report, Kaspersky said 14.8% of all spam email sent in the three months prior to the end of September had originated in India. | In its report, Kaspersky said 14.8% of all spam email sent in the three months prior to the end of September had originated in India. |
| Darya Gudhova, Kaspersky's spam analyst, said a lack of security awareness had given spammers free reign. | Darya Gudhova, Kaspersky's spam analyst, said a lack of security awareness had given spammers free reign. |
| She added that there was a growing level of cybercrime activity in developing regions such as Asia and Latin America. | She added that there was a growing level of cybercrime activity in developing regions such as Asia and Latin America. |
| The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) estimates that the country has more than 112 million internet users, the third largest in the world after the US and China. | The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) estimates that the country has more than 112 million internet users, the third largest in the world after the US and China. |
| About seven million new users are being added every month, the IMAI said. | About seven million new users are being added every month, the IMAI said. |
| David Emm, a security researcher from Kaspersky Labs, said this growth was making life difficult for the authorities - but believed the arrests signalled a strong sign of intent from the Indian government to get a grip on scammers. | David Emm, a security researcher from Kaspersky Labs, said this growth was making life difficult for the authorities - but believed the arrests signalled a strong sign of intent from the Indian government to get a grip on scammers. |
| "One of the good things is that they are taking it as a serious issue," he told the BBC. | "One of the good things is that they are taking it as a serious issue," he told the BBC. |
| "Cybercrime activity is breaking out of the western European theatre and starting to affect other parts of the globe because of the massive growth in IT. | "Cybercrime activity is breaking out of the western European theatre and starting to affect other parts of the globe because of the massive growth in IT. |
| "[In Europe] we've had cybercrime legislation for a long time with lots of expertise and history of dealing with it - but if you go to other areas like Brazil or India, you find they don't necessarily have specific cybercrime legislation." | "[In Europe] we've had cybercrime legislation for a long time with lots of expertise and history of dealing with it - but if you go to other areas like Brazil or India, you find they don't necessarily have specific cybercrime legislation." |