Cyber Security
🔒 Log in to trackIT Act 2000, offences and authorities
🔒 Log in to trackThe Information Technology Act, 2000 is India's law for the electronic world. It came into force on 17 October 2000 and was amended in 2008. It gives legal status to electronic records and digital signatures and punishes computer crimes.
The IT Act, 2000
The Information Technology Act, 2000 is India's main cyber law. It came into force on 17 October 2000. It grew out of the UNCITRAL model law on electronic commerce. UNCITRAL means the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
The Act does two big things.
- It gives legal status to electronic records and digital signatures.
- It lists punishments for computer crimes.
It was amended in 2008. The amendment added identity theft, cyber-terrorism and more powers for CERT-In.
Sections that exams ask
| Section | Subject |
|---|---|
| Sec 3 | Authentication by digital signature |
| Sec 43 | Compensation for unauthorised access to and damage of a computer or data |
| Sec 65 | Tampering with computer source code |
| Sec 66 | Computer-related offences, the hacking section, with dishonest intent |
| Sec 66C | Identity theft |
| Sec 66D | Cheating by personation using a computer, such as fake profiles |
| Sec 66E | Violation of privacy, capturing private images |
| Sec 66F | Cyber terrorism |
| Sec 67 | Publishing obscene material in electronic form |
| Sec 72 | Breach of confidentiality and privacy by those with lawful access to data |
Watch: Section 66A was struck down by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015). It is a favourite trick option that is no longer law.
Digital signature in one line
A digital signature is the electronic form of a handwritten signature. It is made with the signer's private key and checked with the public key. Certificate authorities issue the keys.
It proves who signed and that the document was not changed.
Rule: A digital signature gives authentication and integrity.
Example: A person uses another's password to buy things online. That is identity theft, Section 66C.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
IT Act basics
The question asks the year, origin or amendment of the IT Act.
Year is 2000 and in force from 17 October 2000.
Origin is the UNCITRAL model law.
Amended in 2008.
These are fixed facts, asked directly.
The IT Act was passed on the basis of the model law of:
Show solutionHide solution
The model law is about electronic commerce.
It is from the UN commission UNCITRAL.
UNCITRAL
Section-to-offence matching
A section number is given and the offence is asked, or the reverse.
Recall 65, 66, 66C, 66D, 66E, 66F, 67, 72.
Match the subject in plain words.
Reject 66A as valid law.
A small list of sections repeats every year.
Which section of the IT Act deals with identity theft?
Show solutionHide solution
Identity theft is one of the 66 family.
It has the letter C.
Section 66C
Authorities and reporting
The question asks who handles incidents or where to report.
CERT-In handles incidents under MeitY.
NCIIPC guards critical infrastructure.
Report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
Each body has one main job.
The national cyber crime helpline number in India is:
Show solutionHide solution
The helpline is a short number.
The number is 1930.
1930
Digital signature and e-record legality
The question asks what a digital signature proves or how it works.
It is made with the private key.
It is checked with the public key.
It proves who signed and that nothing changed.
Two keys give authentication and integrity.
A digital signature is created using the sender's:
Show solutionHide solution
The sender keeps one key secret.
That key is the private key.
Private key
Struck-down Section 66A
The question lists 66A as an option or asks about Shreya Singhal.
Recall 66A dealt with offensive messages.
The Supreme Court struck it down in 2015.
It is not valid law.
The trap works because students remember the section number.
Which case struck down Section 66A of the IT Act?
Show solutionHide solution
The case year is 2015.
The petitioner was Shreya Singhal.
Shreya Singhal v. Union of India
Shortcuts that save time
66 is hacking, 66C is identity theft, 66D is cheating by personation, 66E is privacy violation and 66F is cyber terrorism.
If Section 66A is offered as a valid law, it is a trap. The Supreme Court struck it down in 2015.
Which section on offensive messages was struck down in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India?
Show solutionHide solution
The case was decided in 2015.
The struck-down section was about offensive messages.
That is Section 66A.
Section 66A
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Saying the IT Act came into force in 2008.
It came into force on 17 October 2000. The amendment was in 2008.
Treating Section 66A as valid law.
It was struck down in 2015.
Matching Section 66C with cheating by personation.
66C is identity theft. 66D is cheating by personation.
Placing CERT-In under the Home Ministry.
CERT-In works under MeitY.
Mixing CERT-In and NCIIPC.
CERT-In handles incidents. NCIIPC protects critical infrastructure.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
IT Act 2000 came into force on 17 October 2000. It is based on the UNCITRAL model law. Amended in 2008.
Sec 3 digital signature. Sec 43 unauthorised access compensation. Sec 65 source code tampering.
Sec 66 hacking. 66C identity theft. 66D cheating by personation. 66E privacy. 66F cyber terrorism. Sec 67 obscenity. Sec 72 breach of confidentiality.
Sec 66A was struck down in 2015 (Shreya Singhal).
CERT-In is the incident agency under MeitY (2004, Sec 70B). NCIIPC protects critical infrastructure (Sec 70A).
Helpline 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in. DPDP Act 2023 covers personal data.
Practice: 16 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.