Cyber forensics is an emerging investigation science that aims to
uncover evidence by extracting data from computers, personal data
assistants (PDAs) or even a smartphone. Efforts by a state-run agency
to develop a homegrown computer forensics software have come into the
limelight after the alleged involvement of two Indians in a failed
terrorist attack on the Glasgow Airport last month.
CyberCheck, a
software product developed by the cyber-forensics team of the Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is being used by police
officials at Bangalore, home to one of the Glasgow suspects, Khafeel
Ahmed, to analyse and mine the computer that he used while visiting his
parents in India’s tech capital. The investigation success, C-DAC
officials hope, will draw attention on the products built at its
five-year-old cyber forensics centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Cyber
forensics is an emerging investigation science that aims to uncover
evidence by extracting data from computers, personal data assistants
(PDAs) or even a smartphone. It involves finding data, preserving it
and presenting it in a manner acceptable in a court.
Internationally,
encryption, forensics and related software often fall under tight
government regulations, which clamp down on its exports and mandate
embedding loopholes that agencies of the originating country can use to
access data where ever it is sold and used.
C-DAC has investigated
around 110 cases, including a case where threatening emails were sent
to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior government officials,
involving cyber crimes such as forgery, fraud, hacking, “phishing” and
cheating. It has assisted state police departments, the Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) and the Indian Army.
With the increasing use
of computers, cellphones, satellite phones and the Internet by
terrorists and other criminal elements, C-DAC scientists see an
increasing demand for cyber forensic products.
“Currently, most of
the crimes reported, whether cyber or otherwise have digital evidence
in the form of computer hard discs, mobile phones, PDA devices and
digital cameras. As more and more people buy these devices, misuse is
on the rise, which means there is going to be large potential for cyber
forensics tools in India,” said Bhadran V.K., joint director at C-DAC’s
Resource Centre for Cyber Forensics in Thiruvananthapuram.
The local
seller of “Encase”, a forensics software of Pasadena, Guidance Software
Inc., agrees. “The Indian cyber forensics market is a hugely potential
market. It is like a 100-storey building and where we are at now, we
haven’t even begun building the ground floor. Just one or two players
cannot make that 100-storey building and we want more people in this
field,” said S. Venkatesan, director of Labs System India Pvt. Ltd, a
reseller in India for Encase.
C-DAC’s products face competition from
established US companies such as Guidance Software, Pleasant Grove,
Utah-based Paraben Corp., Chatsworth, Intelligent Computer Solutions,
Inc. and Digital Intelligence Inc. The Indian agency is using the plank
of affordability to hawk its wares.
Encase, used by both government
agencies and private customers such as audit firms Ernst & Young,
as also the likes of Wipro Ltd, is priced between Rs1.5 lakh and Rs3
lakh for a single licence and, Rs1 crore and above for enterprises of
more than about 6,000 users. In contrast, C-DAC’s CyberCheck sells for
Rs30,000 a licence and has sold about 100 copies in India. “Our
advantage is that we have designed and developed these products in
India,” Bhadran said.
uncover evidence by extracting data from computers, personal data
assistants (PDAs) or even a smartphone. Efforts by a state-run agency
to develop a homegrown computer forensics software have come into the
limelight after the alleged involvement of two Indians in a failed
terrorist attack on the Glasgow Airport last month.
CyberCheck, a
software product developed by the cyber-forensics team of the Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is being used by police
officials at Bangalore, home to one of the Glasgow suspects, Khafeel
Ahmed, to analyse and mine the computer that he used while visiting his
parents in India’s tech capital. The investigation success, C-DAC
officials hope, will draw attention on the products built at its
five-year-old cyber forensics centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Cyber
forensics is an emerging investigation science that aims to uncover
evidence by extracting data from computers, personal data assistants
(PDAs) or even a smartphone. It involves finding data, preserving it
and presenting it in a manner acceptable in a court.
Internationally,
encryption, forensics and related software often fall under tight
government regulations, which clamp down on its exports and mandate
embedding loopholes that agencies of the originating country can use to
access data where ever it is sold and used.
C-DAC has investigated
around 110 cases, including a case where threatening emails were sent
to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior government officials,
involving cyber crimes such as forgery, fraud, hacking, “phishing” and
cheating. It has assisted state police departments, the Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) and the Indian Army.
With the increasing use
of computers, cellphones, satellite phones and the Internet by
terrorists and other criminal elements, C-DAC scientists see an
increasing demand for cyber forensic products.
“Currently, most of
the crimes reported, whether cyber or otherwise have digital evidence
in the form of computer hard discs, mobile phones, PDA devices and
digital cameras. As more and more people buy these devices, misuse is
on the rise, which means there is going to be large potential for cyber
forensics tools in India,” said Bhadran V.K., joint director at C-DAC’s
Resource Centre for Cyber Forensics in Thiruvananthapuram.
The local
seller of “Encase”, a forensics software of Pasadena, Guidance Software
Inc., agrees. “The Indian cyber forensics market is a hugely potential
market. It is like a 100-storey building and where we are at now, we
haven’t even begun building the ground floor. Just one or two players
cannot make that 100-storey building and we want more people in this
field,” said S. Venkatesan, director of Labs System India Pvt. Ltd, a
reseller in India for Encase.
C-DAC’s products face competition from
established US companies such as Guidance Software, Pleasant Grove,
Utah-based Paraben Corp., Chatsworth, Intelligent Computer Solutions,
Inc. and Digital Intelligence Inc. The Indian agency is using the plank
of affordability to hawk its wares.
Encase, used by both government
agencies and private customers such as audit firms Ernst & Young,
as also the likes of Wipro Ltd, is priced between Rs1.5 lakh and Rs3
lakh for a single licence and, Rs1 crore and above for enterprises of
more than about 6,000 users. In contrast, C-DAC’s CyberCheck sells for
Rs30,000 a licence and has sold about 100 copies in India. “Our
advantage is that we have designed and developed these products in
India,” Bhadran said.
2 comments:
Government of India please wake up
Hats off to Mr. Praveen Dalal for his awareness drive. He is undoubtedly the best in the industry. It is unfortunate for the government of India and industry players that they are not in a position to avail his expert services. He has recently come up with the first Indian cyber forensics trends-2008 that is eye opener. I hope the government will now wake up to the realities. This is available at http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cyber-forensics-trends-in-india-2008.html
Some recent interesting posts about him are:
(a) http://legalnewsandviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/wireless-networks-and-law-enforcement.html
(b) http://www.groundreport.com/Arts_and_Culture/Cyber-Forensics-in-India-Government-of-India-Must-
Cyber Forensics in India-The Consolidated Reply
Dear Readers.
I am hereby posting the “consolidated reply” of our readers regarding the awareness drive of Mr. Praveen Dalal regarding cyber law and cyber forensics in India. I hope you will find them useful.
Vishal
(A) Rajesh
GOOD NEWS. The government of India has accepted the recommendations and suggestions of Mr. Praveen Dalal, the Leading Techno-Legal ICT, Cyber Law, Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics Specialist of India.
Not only Centre for Development of Advances Computing (CDAC) has been brought on line of http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/ but also lot of clues have been taken from http://reclaiming-india.blogspot.com/ .
After persistent awareness drive by Mr. Dalal the Government finally decided to amend the IT Act, 2000 and allow use of cyber forensics evidence and tools in the courts in India.
Let us hope that a working group on cyber forensics under the chairmanship of Mr. Praveen Dalal would be the next step.
(B) Gunjan
Law enforcement and intelligence in India needs good training. However, providing merely academic coaching would not serve the purpose. They need Techno-Legal training from experts like Mr. Praveen Dalal.
Finally the Government has accepted the recommendations of Mr. Praveen Dalal. Hats off to Mr. Praveen Dalal for his awareness drive. He is undoubtedly the best in the industry. It is unfortunate for the government of India and industry players that they are not in a position to avail his expert services. He has recently come up with the first Indian cyber forensics trends-2008 that is eye opener. I hope the government will now wake up to the realities. This is available at http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cyber-forensics-trends-in-india-2008.html
Some recent interesting posts about him are:
(a) http://legalnewsandviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/wireless-networks-and-law-enforcement.html
(b) http://www.groundreport.com/Arts_and_Culture/Cyber-Forensics-in-India-Government-of-India-Must-
(C) Mohit
What would you do with hard disks if you lack cyber forensics capabilities? Law enforcement and intelligence in India needs good training. However, providing merely academic coaching would not serve the purpose. They need Techno-Legal training from experts like Mr. Praveen Dalal.
The cyber forensics trends in India-2008 are not very great. Kindly see http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cyber-forensics-trends-in-india-2008.html . For a general discussion on the topic, kindly see http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/need-of-cyber-forensics-in-india.html.
(D) Raju
You chaps forget to mention about Mr. Dalal. Let me mention the same.
About Mr. Praveen Dalal
Mr. Praveen Dalal is the Managing Partner of Perry4Law and heading its PTLB, PTLITC, and other Techno-Legal Divisions that are providing Cyber Law, Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics Assistances and Services. Perry4Law is the First and Exclusive Techno-Legal and ICT Law Firm in India and is in operation since 2002. It deals with legal issues associated with ICT and use of ICT for legal purposes. PTLB and PTLITC are few of the Techno-Legal ICT initiatives of Perry4Law and are in the process of upgradation and formalisation. Mr. Praveen Dalal’s specialisations include areas like Cyber Law, Cyber Security, Cyber Forensics, Digital Evidencing, Corporate ICT Compliances, etc.
(E) Rohit
I agree with Mr. Praveen Dalal. Further, according to Mr Praveen Dalal, the Leading Techno-Legal ICT, Cyber Law, Cyber Security and Cyber Forensics Specialist of India, “Computer Forensics or Cyber Forensics in India has started gaining importance out of the necessity to deal with modern cyber crimes. Though India has taken some steps in the direction of enacting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related law in the form of Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000), yet by and large it failed to provide a sound and secure law in this crucial direction. The result is too obvious. India has to depend upon foreign experts and institutions/universities even for the task of tracing an offender sending an offensive e-mail”.
I hope the Government of India, Department/Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry/Department of Science and Technology, and Industry players like NASSCOM, FICCI, CII, etc would at least now think seriously of seeking the expert services of Mr. Praveen Dalal in the larger interest of India.
(F) Kunal
We are inviting big trouble by not keeping in mind the necessities of cyber security and cyber forensics in India. The ICT Trends in India-2006, ICT Trends in India-2007, Cyber Security Trends by PTLB-2007, etc are examples of faulty ICT/E-governance strategies and policies of India. Further, cyber forensics trends in India are also not conducive for the growth of legal enablement of ICT systems in India. Kindly see http://computerforensicsinindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cyber-forensics-trends-in-india-2008.html in this regard. The net result is that law enforcement finds it difficult to deal with issues involving ICT. Kindly see http://legalnewsandviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/wireless-networks-and-law-enforcement.html for details.
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