Cybercrime is one of the most common types of lawbreaking committed in the modern era. The term ‘Cybercrime’ actually refers to crimes committed using a computing device (like a mobile phone or a laptop) on a network, most commonly the internet.
The most common types of cybercrimes include:
- Theft of personal data and/or identity.
- Hacking
- Spreading viruses in devices
- DOS assaults
- Cyber warfare
- Child Pornography
- Copyright breaches with illegal sharing of records ( i.e. piracy)
- Scams/Frauds conducted on the internet
- Illegal products
Along with these crimes, acts that constitute as a crime in Pakistan also include:
- Meddling with an information system, data or critical infrastructure system, and its data.
- Exaltation of an offense
- Hate speech
- Electronic falsification and/or Fraud
- Malicious coding
- Unconstitutional issuance of SIM cards more than the allowed number
- Spamming
- Cyber stalking
- Spreading of fake news
- Transgressions against the modesty and/or dignity of a person/people
- Unauthorized interception
Only some of the listed crimes are seldom possible, but there are a wide range of other offences that can be committed that are included according to the law of Pakistan.
Cyber-crime in Pakistan
Cyber-crime in Pakistan is very common due to a lot of unawareness in the people using the internet. There is very little that individuals know about their own mobile phones and the data that they use and produce while on it.
With its population still massively rural in nature, cyber-crime for Pakistan have meant a lot of damage to its population, mainly because of how clueless the victims are of the crimes that are sometimes committed right under their noses.
Typically, a normal Pakistani might not deal with the above crimes but rather the crimes that are more common in the cyberspace these days.
Crimes like hacking of phones and/or computers, using fake accounts on social media to defame, using internet for frauds, hijacking of WhatsApp account, spreading of photos/information without explicit consent, bugging devices, using software to record passwords, etcetera, are some of the most common cybercrimes committed in Pakistan.
These sorts of crimes, although common in nature, are also one of the most damaging. In a society like Pakistan, a photo posted on the internet can mean extreme shame and isolation from society for an individual. Fake accounts that insist on defaming and ruining one’s reputation can mean lost esteem of peers and society that rejects you.
These sorts of problems concern one individual at the time it occurs, but they are so common that official steps have to be taken to deal with them. Which is why the government have established laws and institutions that deal with cybercrime and the more common sort of crimes.
The question persists then, to combat cyber-crime pakistan is doing what?
Authority responsible for Cyber-crime’s monitoring: FIA
The authority undertaking these reports as per the government’s appointment is the Federal Investigation Authority. They have sub-sector department called the National Response Centre For Cyber Crime (also abbreviated as NR3C’s). The crimes that they deal with are the following:
- Illegally/Un-authorized gained information like Physical Information system, Digital data, Personal identity, etc.
- E-mail hacking
- Fake Identities made on Social Media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, etc.)
- Online Banking Frauds and/or Frauds by scammers through online banking means like Easy Paisa, Jazz cash, U-paisa, Time pay, or any other online money transfer facility.
- Stealing identity to impersonate or slander individuals through internet medias.
Preventative Measures Against Cyber Crime
Pakistan has put into place many preventative measures to combat cyber-crime. They range from different laws that have been put into place to a range of helplines and departments that one can reach to lodge a formal complaint.
These measures were necessitated due to widespread use of technology in a large country like Pakistan and thus a lot of exploitation of these devices for illicit or unlawful activities. The precautionary measures include:
Cybercrime helpline
The authority where more common crimes can be reported is the FIA. National Response Centre For Cyber Crime (NR3C’S) has been established as a subsidiary of the FIA to deal with all kinds of cyber related crimes and offences. They have established centers in most cities, and have helplines that you can reach them on.
They can be reached on the FIA established cybercrime helpline 111-345-786. The numbers 051-9106691, 051-9106384, 051-9106690, or 1991 can also be contacted for queries and updates on complaints. These helplines have operators that would guide citizens through the process of filing complaints and the proper channels to get the perpetrators prosecuted.
Filing Complaint online
Complaints against cyber-criminals can be filed online on the site: www.complaint.fia.gov.pk, which is the easiest way to do so.
To file cyber-crime complaint online, personal information like full name, CNIC number, phone number, postal address, along with the complaint would need to be entered in the form at the website by an individual. The complaint will take up to a week to be registered in the cybercrime department near the individual.
You can also use an e-mail for your cyber-crime reports. You can reach the authorities at the e-mail [email protected]. It should be kept in mind that registering complaints through e-mail take up to 8-10 days by relevant cybercrime departments of an individual.
The fia cyber-crime complaint helpline has been very helpful in helping people combat the more common cybercrimes that are committed. Although cybersecurity for these sorts of crimes is still not as strong as it should be for a country as large and as at risk of cyberwarfare as Pakistan.
A lot more has to be done by the government to deal with a problem that can sometimes even pose as a national security risk if sensitive documents concerning the state were accessed.
Mostly these security breaches are a global concern, as there is extreme connectivity amongst all areas of the world due to the internet. Still, the government and individuals should do their part to protect themselves and Pakistan from extreme situations posing for these crimes.
