“Key logger is a freely available hacking tool, which can be easily downloaded. Joseph used key logger to access data of 100 bank accounts, 17 of which he hacked into. I want to discuss with Nasscom why such a dangerous tool is available on the Net and what safety measures can be put in place to counter its misuse,” said DG, CoD Ajai Kumar Singh.
Singh also mentioned that all cyber crimes from the State and outside are registered with the cyber crime police station at the CoD. 
“They already have their hands full. Safety aspects at the cyber cafes should be looked into by the local police and the Information Technology department. I will suggest to the DG&IGP to empower officers of the DySP rank to ensure that all cyber cafes are registered and implement the safety rules for protection of users’ data. This year we have sent 47 reports on violation of rules by Net cafes to the IT/BT Secretary but there’s been no response,” said the officer.
Singh also said that people should also be very careful and follow safety rules while using computers in cyber cafes.


JOSEPH & FRIENDS

Joseph, a BBA dropout from Madurai University as an external student, has been abandoned by his family members. He lives in a PG accommodation, but spends more time on footpath. He is reportedly a chronic alcoholic and charted his career in crime to feed his addiction.

His accomplices: Y K Mani, watchman in Peenya factory, lent his bank account to Joseph. Chandru, a real estate agent, helped Joseph get account numbers in which money could be transferred. He was earlier arrested by CoD and released on bail. Abubakar Siddique, of Sakleshpur owns a travel booking agency. He had lent Joseph his bank account in Chennai besides providing him with the mobile numbers, which were fraudulently charged at a discounted rate. He was arrested by the CoD on Nov 27 and remanded to judicial custody.

Raheem, a lorry driver from Udupi, now arrested, introduced Joseph for committing the offence. Akbar, a taxi driver, also from Udupi, helped in recharging of phones and Hameed, a hotel owner from Bijapur, had provided the bank account of Melba Jeroline Nadar of Mumbai to which Rs 40,000 was transferred. He had also given some mobile numbers for recharging. Haneef, (details not known) is absconding.

Cyber cafes: Cyber cafes from where Joseph hacked accounts: I-Zone, Pai Layout , Old Madras Road, Blr; Sai Deep Cyber Centre, HAL 3rd Stage; Net City Cyber Cafe, HNRBR, Kalyan Nagar; Anu Enterprises (cyber cafe), CMC Complex, Mahadevapura, all in Blr and Net Corner, Cyber Cafe, Doctor’s Corner Road, Gokulam in Mysore.

WHEN THE HACKER STRUCK

*HR Manager, Analog Infotech India, Carl Braganza, on Nov 15, complained to the CCPS that on Oct 10, someone hacked into his Citibank account, MG Road branch and transferred Rs 40,000 to Melba Jeroline Nadar’s Citibank account in Mumbai. He also said on Oct 10 and 11, seven transactions of Rs 5,000 each had been fraudulently committed on his credit card.
*R Jayachandran of HTA Instrumentation, Chamarajpet, on Aug 9, 2006, complained about fraudulent transfer of Rs 15,000 from his UTI Bank account.
*Amarthya Kumar Ghosh of Target Services India, Challaghatta village, Varthur hobli, on Sept 7, 2006, complained of fraudulent transfer of Rs 87,000 from his HDFC Bank account, MG Road.
*BR Madhavarao of Indiranagar, on July 15, 2006 complained of fraudulent transfer of Rs 50,000 from his bank account in HDFC, Indiranagar.
*Yeshwanth Krishnan on Aug 22, complained of fraudulent transfer of Rs 75,000 from his account in Citibank, MG Road.

Online bank transaction
Don’ts:
*  Leave your personal documentation
*  Log on to your online account from an insecure computer network
*  Key in your online banking account, log in details at unknown website
*   Respond to emails that ask you to enter your bank account or messages informing you have won online lottery


Dos

*  Check that URL is correct; key in your bank URL yourself
*  Use alternative methods to enter account log in details 
*  Scan your computer to ensure that no spyware or key logger is installed

KEYLOGGER

Keylogger is a tool used in software development that captures user’s keystrokes. It’s widely available on Internet and can be used by private parties to spy on computer usage of others.  In 2001, a mafia don was arrested in the US and the FBI captured a large amount of data, which was encrypted. They couldn’t analyse it because they didn’t have the password. The FBI, taking court’s permission, installed a keylogger to get the data. The logger helped them recover the password which was the prison ID of the don’s father. They called the software Magic Lantern.