Modify laws to protect 'genuine IT users': Nasscom chief

Chandigarh, JulY 20 (UNI) Nasscom President Kiran Karnik today called for amendments in the laws to effectively check cyber crime and ensure that the ''genuine IT user is not harassed unnecessarily''.

''Though our Indian Penal Code (IPC) is adequate to deal with cyber crime, it has often been noticed that either the e-service provider or the consumer who gets the unsolicited offensive message is taken to task before the actual culprit is tracked down'', he said while talking to mediapersons at the sidelines of e-revolution 2006 Conference, which was inaugurated by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gen (retd) S F Rodriques.

It is important that amendments in the legal system should take care of '' the innocent service providers and consumers'', he said adding that they (IT companies) had suggested certain changes in the laws to check cyber crime.

When his attention was drawn to suggestions from certain quarters on restricting some specific IT tools to check their misuse by criminal elements, Mr Karnik rejected the idea saying that this was not a solution to the problem.

''We must remember that IT tools have also been used to track down crime'', he added.

Pointing out that IT companies were working in close coordination with law enforcement agencies to check cyber crime, the Nasscom chief said training was being provided to the police and other agencies by IT experts on ''methods to investigate such crime''.

Cyber Crime Labs have started functioning in Mumbai and Thane and two more are ready for commissioning in Pune and Bangalore, he said.

Mr Karnik suggested that a similar Lab should be set-up at Chandigarh, as the region was an upcoming IT hub of the country.

Asked about the use of IT in terror activities especially the recent serial blasts in Mumbai, Mr Karnik said, ''all crime including narcotic smuggling are being linked with IT. Necessary precautions have to be taken so that facilities are not misused''.

He responded positively to Gen Rodrique's suggestion to set up a Cyber Security Research Centre in Chandigarh.

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