Cybersecurity bill to clearly define contours of online safety, security

The Centre is engaged on the contours of a cyber-security invoice that will outline numerous features of on-line security and set down goal parameters and guidelines spelling out what constitutes cyber fraud, offering a up to date authorized framework to deal with twenty first century crime hitherto dealt with by amended provisions of nineteenth century British-era legal guidelines.

The proposed laws, which might both act as a complement or be a part of the bigger Digital India Bill, will even doubtless element the penal provisions in instances of cyber breaches whereas specifying who’s a cybercriminal underneath provisions of the brand new regulation, a number of sources conscious of the event informed ET.

“It is important to have objective parameters. Most of the penal provisions for all things related to cybersecurity are currently drawn from the Indian Penal Code,” a senior authorities official mentioned. “While that will continue to remain, there must be provisions defined for specific cases as well.”

The ministry of electronics and knowledge know-how has entrusted Management Development Institute in Gurugram and Supreme Court advocate N S Nappinai’s Cybersaathi Foundation to work on the finer particulars of the draft of the Bill, a supply mentioned.

Mails despatched to MDI and Cybersaathi Foundation didn’t elicit any response till the publication of this report.

The first assembly of the committee fashioned to look at numerous features was held earlier this 12 months in February, whereas a second assembly was held earlier this month in New Delhi, sources mentioned.

“It is at a pre-drafting stage right now. The government has not yet decided on whether the bill will be an independent regulation or be a part of the Digital India Act. The next meeting is sometime in September,” a supply mentioned.

Proposed Comprehensive Bill

ET had earlier reported that within the draft of the Digital India Bill, the federal government might prescribe strict ‘no-go areas’ for corporations and web intermediaries and embody goal definitions for new-age offences comparable to possession and digital distribution of kid sexual abuse materials.

Also learn | Cabinet approves Digital Personal Data Bill

The Digital India Act goals to switch the 23-year-old IT Act in its entirety, as an alternative of amending the regulation. Earlier this 12 months, the federal government performed two rounds of public consultations within the pre-drafting stage of the invoice that led to sure provisions being put within the draft.

The Digital India Act would be the results of a 3rd main regulation’s overhaul by the IT ministry. In 2022, MeitY withdrew an older model of the Data Protection Bill after it had been pending for greater than three years.

A brand new model, named the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, was launched in November 2022 for public session and is prone to be launched within the Monsoon Session of Parliament this 12 months.

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