Cyber Crime Law in India: Has Law Kept Pace with Emerging Trends? An Empirical Study

India owes a lot to the exponential growth of the Information Technology service Industry over the last 15 years. Though India got its first codified Act in the Information Technology Act (“IT Act), in the year 2000, the IT Industry and in fact all businesses with cross-border obligations have been left crying themselves hoarse for more! The Indian Legislature has now passed a mish – mash legislation in December 2008, which clearly demonstrates the appeasement policy adapted to meet the various and in some instances divergent interests of the Industry and the Government. The scope of this paper is to highlight some important provisions of the cyber criminal laws in India relating to data protection, privacy, encryption and other cyber crimes and the extent to which the said provisions arm the enforcement authorities to combat not just existing but emerging trends in Cyber Crime.