Cybercrimes and its Alarming Escalation during Recent Times: An International Legal Perspective

Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing areas of crime. These include attacks against computer data and systems, identity theft, distribution of child pornography, internet auction fraud, deployment of viruses, and various e-mail scams such as phishing. The global nature of the internet has allowed criminals to commit almost any illegal activity anywhere in the world. Traditionally, crime and its sanction are largely local, regional, or national, but today the main hurdle confronting us are associated with the transnational characteristics of cybercrimes. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to have international legal instruments ready to serve anti-crime efforts. There is always an illusory overlap or rather a fine line between internet space and international space. This paper focuses to address the sensitive issues of cybercrimes through an international legal perspective. Firstly, a brief introduction with regard to the world of cybercrimes and the underlying complications in placing legal fetters on the perpetrator. Moving on with a comprehensive analysis of Interpol’s significant study and report on increase in computer crimes during the covid-19 pandemic. Methodical array of various international efforts such as United nations office on drugs and crime (UNODC) its objective and geographical scope, United nations crime and justice information network (UNCJIN,1999) and the types of cybercrimes recognised by the organisation has been actively deliberated, the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD), commonwealth of nations, Group of 8 (G8) and other United Nations efforts to combat growing cyber threats has been elucidated. The paper is concluded with an inference made from statistical data’s as well as legal statutes, various safeguard methods are also supplemented with it.