ICT and Society

Information Technology has contributed much to the smooth functioning of governments — it comprises many technologies for capturing, processing, interpreting, storing and transmitting information, helping governments take quick and judicious decisions while increasing transparency and accountability. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) aided governance is generally known as e-Governance.

e-Governance is the application of ICT for delivering Government services to citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner. Its objective is to ensure that Government services reach the public promptly and effectively. In Kerala, departments like the Motor Vehicle Department, Education and Revenue have successfully implemented e-Governance.

e-Governance facilitates interaction among different stakeholders in governance. The categories of these interactions are described below:

• Government to Government (G2G) — electronic sharing of data/information among government agencies, departments or organisations, improving communication, data access and data sharing.
• Government to Citizens (G2C) — creates an interface between government and citizens, increasing availability, accessibility and quality of public services; its primary purpose is to make government citizen-friendly.
• Government to Business (G2B) — e-Governance tools aid the business community to interact with government, cutting red-tapism, saving time, reducing operational costs and creating a more transparent business environment.
• Government to Employees (G2E) — a two-way process between government and its employees; policies, guidelines, orders and circulars, as well as salary and personal details, are managed through e-Governance portals.

In India, the e-Governance infrastructure mainly consists of State Data Centres (SDC) for core infrastructure and storage, State Wide Area Network (SWAN) for connectivity, and Common Service Centres (CSC) as service delivery points.

State Data Centre (SDC) supports the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) by combining services, applications and infrastructure for efficient electronic delivery. It keeps the central data repository of the state, secures data storage, and provides citizen information/services portals, a state intranet portal and disaster recovery, while minimising the overall cost of data management.

Kerala State Wide Area Network (KSWAN) is the backbone of the State Information Infrastructure (SII). It connects Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode as hubs and extends to all 14 districts, linking each of the 152 Block Panchayats and a large number of government offices.

Common Service Centres (CSC) are the front-end delivery points of government, private and social sector services for rural citizens. They offer web-enabled e-Governance services in rural areas — utility bill payments, submission of online applications, and generating/distributing certificates — along with agriculture, education, health, rural banking & insurance, entertainment and commercial services. In Kerala, Akshaya centres work as Common Service Centres.

e-District is a State Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance plan. In Kerala, applicants apply online or through Akshaya centres; the application flows to the village officer for processing, is forwarded/approved by higher authority, and the certificate is issued using a digital signature, with an SMS alert on availability.

e-Business is the sharing of business information, maintaining business relationships and conducting business transactions by means of ICT applications. Companies (business), public institutions (administration) and individuals (consumers) all engage in e-Business, which helps effective e-marketing and increases sales through e-Commerce, and reduces communication and travel cost through online meetings and shared workspaces.

Although often used interchangeably, e-Commerce covers business transactions that involve exchange of money, whereas e-Business includes all aspects of running a business — marketing, obtaining raw materials or goods, customer education, looking for suppliers, etc. Thus e-Business is an extension of e-Commerce.

An Electronic Payment System (EPS) is a system of financial exchange between buyers and sellers in an online environment, facilitated by a digital financial instrument such as a credit/debit card, electronic cheque or digital cash, backed by a bank and/or an intermediary.

e-Banking (or electronic banking) is the automated delivery of banking services directly to customers through electronic channels. Facilities like ATM, debit cards, credit cards, Internet banking and core banking have transformed traditional banking, allowing access to data without geographical limitations.

• Overcomes geographical limitations — a physical store is limited by area, but e-Commerce removes this limitation.
• Reduces operational cost — no need for a prominent physical location; savings can be passed to customers as discounts.
• Minimises travel time and cost — customers can visit the same store virtually instead of travelling long distances.
• Remains open all the time (24×7) — more service requests for merchants and a more convenient "always open" store for customers.
• Wider range of choices — consumers can quickly compare product characteristics and prices across sellers.

• A good percentage of the population is unaware of IT applications and their uses, even among regular Internet users.
• Most customers, especially in rural areas, do not possess plastic money (credit/debit card) or net banking, which is necessary for e-Business.
• If not used with caution, customers may lose valuable information like credit card numbers and passwords.
• Products like apparel, handicrafts and jewellery are often purchased after examining physically — online shopping lacks this "touch and feel" advantage.
• For success, perfect and efficient shipment service is a necessity.

Think of a virtual class where a student attends lectures given by a teacher engaging the class from a distant location, perhaps from a different country. The use of electronic media and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in education is termed e-Learning — it overcomes many limitations of the conventional teaching-learning process.

• Electronic Books Reader (e-Book) — a portable device loaded with digital book content via communication interfaces, allowing any book/page to be opened quickly; some readers offer voice output.
• e-Text — textual information available in electronic format, readable and interactive on devices like computers or e-Book readers; can be automatically read aloud, which is helpful for visually challenged people.
• Online chat — real-time exchange of text messages between two or more persons over the Internet, used to discuss topics with teachers and students; video chatting needs higher speed connections and supporting devices like a webcam and speakers.
• e-Content — e-Learning materials delivered as videos, presentations, graphics and animations; can be broadcast, webcast or uploaded, and can show actual or simulated activities not possible in traditional classrooms.
• Educational TV channels — telecasting/webcasting channels dedicated to e-Learning, broadcasting recorded classes, expert interviews and lab experiments — e.g. Doordarshan's VYAS and Kerala Government's VICTERS.

Almost all activities that we perform in real life — communication, buying goods, banking — can be achieved through the Internet, and information is exchanged between computers in the process. Many people are engaged in creative work like music, literary work, artistic work, discoveries, inventions, designs and software development — the outcome of such work is called intellectual property. It is unjust to use a person's idea without permission, so it must be protected from unauthorised access.

The importance of intellectual property was first recognised in the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883) and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Work (1886). Both treaties are administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), established in 1960 as an agency of the United Nations, dedicated to ensuring that rights of creators/owners of intellectual property are protected worldwide.

IPR refers to the exclusive right given to a person over the creation of his/her mind for a period of time. IPR enables people to earn recognition and financial benefit from what they invent or create; owners can disclose creations in exchange for money, and the company that receives the rights markets and sells the innovation — benefiting the IPR owner, the company and society. Intellectual property is divided into two categories — industrial property and copyright.

Industrial property right applies to industry, commerce and agricultural products, protecting patents, trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications. In India, industrial property rights are registered with the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• Patents — the exclusive rights granted for an invention (a new product or process involving an inventive step, capable of industrial application). To be patentable, an invention must relate to a process/product, be new, involve an inventive step, be capable of industrial use, and not be developed to harm others. The term of every patent in India is 20 years from the date of filing.
• Trademark — a distinctive sign (name, logo, symbol, etc.) that identifies goods or services produced by an individual or company, ensuring the exclusive right to use it. A trademark must be registered; the initial term is 10 years, renewable thereafter.
• Industrial designs — protect the ornamental/aesthetic aspects of an article (three-dimensional shape/surface or two-dimensional patterns, lines or colour) that are not purely functional, applied to products like watches, jewellery, vehicles and textile designs.
• Geographical indications — signs used on goods with a specific geographical origin and qualities or reputation due to that place, such as Aranmula Kannadi and Palakkadan Matta Rice from Kerala.

A copyright is a legal right given to creators for an original work, usually for a limited period of time, covering books, music, painting, sculpture, films, advertisements and computer software, including rights for reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation and translation.

In India, the Copyright Act, 1957 came into effect from January 1958 and has been amended five times — amendments in 2012 extended copyright protection to the digital environment, addressed ISP liabilities, ensured royalty rights for music composers, and created an exception for physically disabled persons to access any work.

Under Indian law, a work is automatically protected by copyright when created; registration is not necessary to get copyright, though it gives the work a formal legal status. The general rule is that copyright lasts for 60 years after the death of the last surviving author. Copyright registrations in India are handled by the Copyright Office under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Copyright holders can authorise or prohibit reproduction (print, sound recording), public performance and communication, broadcasting, translation into other languages, and adaptation (such as from a novel to a screenplay). Computer software (source code, databases, websites, etc.) can be copyrighted as a literary work, though it is increasingly getting patented since patent protection is more stringent and industry-oriented.

Symbols used to indicate registration status: ® registered trademark, ™ unregistered trademark, © copyright, and ℗ sound-recording copyright.

Unauthorised use of intellectual property rights such as patents, copyrights and trademarks is called intellectual property infringement. It may be a violation of civil law or criminal law depending on the type of property, jurisdiction and the nature of the action.

• Patent infringement — using or selling a patented invention without permission from the patent holder (many countries permit use of patented inventions for research). The Apple–Samsung legal dispute over mobile phone technologies is a well-known example.
• Trademark infringement — occurs when one party uses a trademark identical to a trademark owned by another party for similar products/services — e.g. the legal suit where a small company manufacturing toffees under 'HORLIKS' violated the trademark rights of 'HORLICKS'.
• Copyright infringement — reproducing, distributing, displaying or adapting a work without permission of the copyright holder; often called piracy. Software piracy is the illegal copying, distribution or use of software, and music piracy is the copying/distributing of music without the consent of the composer, artist or holding company. Enforcement of copyright is generally the responsibility of the copyright holder.

Cyber space is a virtual environment created by computer systems connected to the Internet — a simulated world where we can do many things from one place: e-mail has replaced much of postal communication, social media like facebook and twitter have become platforms for social movements, e-commerce sites let people shop from home, and Internet banking lets us transfer funds and pay bills without visiting a branch.

Cyberspace is an information superhighway where individuals gather information, interact, exchange ideas, provide social support, conduct business, play games and engage in discussions. Some consider it an uncontrolled and unregulated electronic space where anyone is free to act and express themselves freely — which also provides room for criminals, making cyberspace security a serious concern.

The increasing use of smart phones and tablets for online banking and financial transactions has increased the risk of cyber crime, using malicious software (malware) or illegal hacking. Cyber Crime is defined as a criminal activity in which computers or computer networks are used as a tool, target or place of criminal activity; victims lose money, reputation and face mental trauma.

An important aspect of cyber crime is its nonlocal character — an attacker may operate from one country and attack a destination in another, so the investigating teams and judiciary of different countries must cooperate. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, people commit cyber crimes knowingly or unknowingly. Cyber crimes include phishing, hacking and denial of service attacks, along with unauthorised access, credit card frauds, illegal downloading, child pornography, cyber terrorism, and the creation/distribution of viruses and spam.

Cyber crimes can be basically divided into 3 major categories: against individuals, against property, and against government.

• Identity theft — using another person's identifying information (name, credit card number, etc.) without permission, to commit fraud — e.g. transferring money from the victim's bank account, or gaining benefits in that person's name.
• Harassment — posting humiliating comments focusing on gender, race, religion or nationality at individuals in chat rooms, social media or e-mail; using the Internet to harass someone is called cyber stalking, whose characteristics include threats, false accusations, monitoring, identity theft and data manipulation.
• Impersonation and cheating — pretending to be another person to harm the victim, such as through mailing scams promising a share of a large sum of money in exchange for upfront "expenses" (advance-fee fraud).
• Violation of privacy — intrusion into a person's personal life without valid reason, such as distributing personal data, photography or workplace monitoring videos without permission — e.g. capturing images of people in public places using hidden cameras.
• Dissemination of obscene material — hosting, producing or downloading prohibited/pornographic material, which may misguide adolescents.

E-mail service providers use spam filters, and various authentication mechanisms exist for online financial transactions to reduce fraud — but individuals must also be careful while using the Internet.

• Credit card fraud — unauthorised use of another person's credit card information for payments or transferring funds; stolen information is sometimes sold to other fraudsters online.
• Intellectual property theft — infringement of IPRs (copyright, patent, trademark violations). Plagiarism is copying another person's language, thoughts, ideas or expressions and presenting them as one's own original work; it can be detected using various online tools.
• Internet time theft — unauthorised use of someone's Internet connection (e.g. via an unsecured wireless router) without the paying person's permission, leading to loss of time, money, and potential liability if the connection is used for other crimes.
• Attacks like viruses, worms and man-in-the-middle attacks also fall under cyber crimes against property.

• Cyber terrorism — a cyber attack against sensitive computer networks like nuclear power plants, air traffic control and telecom, focused on affecting a nation's economic and technological infrastructure. Example: the Stuxnet virus (2010), used to carry out an invisible attack on Iran's secret nuclear programme, disabling its uranium enrichment programme.
• Website defacement — a common attack that hacks government websites and posts derogatory comments about the government.
• Attacks against e-Governance websites — deny a particular online government service using a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, or gain control of a website through its content management system and destroy the data.

Cyber terrorism has increased due to the anonymous nature of cyberspace, the availability of targets affecting large numbers of people, and the fact that attacks can be conducted from a distance.

Awareness is the first step in protecting ourselves, our family and our business — our actions in cyberspace should not harm others, and are often monitored by several others. Ethical practices over the Internet include:

• Use anti-virus, firewall and spam-blocking software for your PC.
• Ensure security of websites (https and padlock) while conducting online cash transactions.
• Do not respond or act on e-mails sent from unknown sources.
• Use unique and complex passwords (minimum 8 characters, with alphabets, numbers and special characters) and change them regularly.
• Do not select check boxes or click OK before reading the contents of any agreement/message.
• Avoid the use of unauthorised software; do not hide your identity to fool others; do not use bad or rude language in social media and e-mails.
• Remove the check mark against 'Remember me' before logging into an account on a shared computer.

Cyber law refers to the legal and regulatory aspects of the Internet — a law governing the use of computers and the Internet. Criminal activities such as theft, fraud, forgery and defamation are traditional in nature and are subject to the Indian Penal Code, while the abuse of computers (cyber crime) is addressed by the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Act Amendment Bill 2008.

The IT Act aims to provide legal infrastructure for e-commerce in India, promoting the IT industry, regulating e-commerce, facilitating e-governance and preventing cyber crimes. It gives legal recognition to transactions carried out through electronic data interchange, allows electronic filing of documents with government agencies, and addresses offenses and disputes in cyberspace.

The Indian Parliament passed the Information Technology Bill in May 2000, known as the IT Act, 2000; it was amended by the IT Amendment Bill 2008, passed in December 2008, to accommodate further IT developments and security concerns. Sections 65–74 of the Act specifically deal with cyber crimes.

Punishment for sending offensive messages through online communication services (e-mail, social media, SMS, etc.) follows the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Internet and digital technologies bring convenience, but also give criminals more chance to commit crimes — traditional law enforcement tools do not successfully address the detection, investigation and prosecution of cyber crime. Forensics is the process of using scientific knowledge for identifying, collecting, preserving, analysing and presenting evidence to the courts.

Cyber forensics combines elements of law and computer science to collect and analyse data from computer systems, networks, communication systems and storage devices in a way that is admissible as evidence in a court of law — preserving the integrity of evidence so it can be used effectively in a legal case.

Information is considered the key to success, but must be collected, managed and processed well. Infomania is the state of getting exhausted with excess information — it occurs due to accumulation of information from many sources (Internet, e-mail, cell phones) that cannot be processed. It is the excessive enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge, which may result in neglecting more important things like duties and family; symptoms include constantly checking e-mails, social networking sites and online news, often driven by the fear of being "out of the group".

Studies show that people addicted to infomania lose concentration and sleep. To manage this, users should learn to log off social media, online news and discussion groups while at work or spending time with family.