Everyone is aware of the widespread uses of the internet. The popularity and availability of the internet are increasing day by day. By the end of 2016, about 48% of the world’s population was using the internet. Today billions of people are connected to the internet via many devices to share information and make the world a small place.
This global surge of the rise of the Internet hasn’t left Nepal untouched. In terms of the total number of internet users, Nepal ranks 73 in the world with about 5 million internet users. Currently, about 18% of the population of Nepal is using the internet but with the advancement in technology, the number of users growing by 12 to 15% each year.
With this astounding number of people sharing and transferring an enormous amount of data on the internet, a danger arises which does and should alarm every internet user. “Cybercrimes” are offenses that are committed against individuals or institutions to cause physical, mental or financial harm using telecommunication networks such as the internet. The number of cyber crimes is currently increasing in Nepal. The number of reported cases of cybercrime in the fiscal year 2015-16 was 35; this number was only 19 in the year 2013-14.
The major cybersecurity issues faced in Nepal are:
- Fake profile Marketing (Facebook)
- Identity theft
- Spam email marketing
- Cyberbullying
- Child online protection
- Copyright issues
- Hacking
- Banking Fraud
- Phishing
- Revenge porn
The most massive cybersecurity issue currently is related to social media. People aren’t aware of maintaining their privacy on the internet and lack the judgment about which information should be shared on social media.
Nepal police deal with cyber crimes under the Electronic Transaction Act 2006. The internet is dynamic and thus through
the policy exists to protect users from cyber crimes due to lack of regular updates and proper implementation of ETA it isn’t fully able to cover the issues faced by the users on the internet. The importance of developing an appropriate national strategy and generating awareness in the area of cybersecurity cannot be overemphasized. The government can draw inspiration from the models used by developed nations to make the internet a safe place for its citizens.
