02 | THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT, 2000 | Definitions
THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT, 2000
Section 2. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) ―access‖ with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions means gaining entry into,
instructing or communicating with the logical, arithmetical, or memory function resources of a
computer, computer system or computer network;
(b) ―addressee‖ means a person who is intended by the originator to receive the electronic record
but does not include any intermediary;
(c) ―adjudicating officer‖ means an adjudicating officer appointed under sub-section (1) of
section 46;
(d) ―affixing 1
[electronic signature]‖ with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions
means adoption of any methodology or procedure by a person for the purpose of authenticating an
electronic record by means of digital signature;
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[(da) ―Appellate Tribunal‖ means the Appellate Tribunal referred to in sub-section (1) of section
48;]
(e) ―appropriate Government‖ means as respects any matter,–
(i) enumerated in List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution;
(ii) relating to any State law enacted under List III of the Seventh Schedule to the
Constitution,
the State Government and in any other case, the Central Government;
(f) ―asymmetric crypto system‖ means a system of a secure key pair consisting of a private key
for creating a digital signature and a public key to verify the digital signature;
(g) ―Certifying Authority‖ means a person who has been granted a licence to issue a 1
[electronic
signature] Certificate under section 24;
(h) ―certification practice statement‖ means a statement issued by a Certifying Authority to
specify the practices that the Certifying Authority employs in issuing 1
[electronic signature]
Certificates;
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[(ha) ―communication device‖ means cell phones, personal digital assistance or combination of
both or any other device used to communicate, send or transmit any text, video, audio or image;]
(i) ―computer‖ means any electronic, magnetic, optical or other high-speed data processing device
or system which performs logical, arithmetic, and memory functions by manipulations of electronic,
magnetic or optical impulses, and includes all input, output, processing, storage, computer software or
communication facilities which are connected or related to the computer in a computer system or
computer network;
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[(j) ―computer network‖ means the inter-connection of one or more computers or computer
systems or communication device through–
(i) the use of satellite, microwave, terrestrial line, wire, wireless or other communication
media; and
(ii) terminals or a complex consisting of two or more interconnected computers or
communication device whether or not the inter-connection is continuously maintained;]
(k) ―computer resource‖ means computer, computer system, computer network, data, computer
data base or software;
(l) ―computer system‖ means a device or collection of devices, including input and output support
devices and excluding calculators which are not programmable and capable of being used in
conjunction with external files, which contain computer programmes, electronic instructions, input
data and output data, that performs logic, arithmetic, data storage and retrieval, communication
control and other functions;
(m) ―Controller‖ means the Controller of Certifying Authorities appointed under sub-section (1)
of section 17
[(na) ―cyber cafe‖ means any facility from where access to the internet is offered by any person
in the ordinary course of business to the members of the public;
(nb) ―cyber security‖ means protecting information, equipment, devices, computer, computer
resource, communication device and information stored therein from unauthorised access, use,
disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction;]
(o) ―data‖ means a representation of information, knowledge, facts, concepts or instructions
which are being prepared or have been prepared in a formalised manner, and is intended to be
processed, is being processed or has been processed in a computer system or computer network, and
may be in any form (including computer printouts magnetic or optical storage media, punched cards,
punched tapes) or stored internally in the memory of the computer;
(p) ―digital signature‖ means authentication of any electronic record by a subscriber by means of
an electronic method or procedure in accordance with the provisions of section 3;
(q) ―Digital Signature Certificate‖ means a Digital Signature Certificate issued under sub-section
(4) of section 35;
(r) ―electronic form‖ with reference to information, means any information generated, sent,
received or stored in media, magnetic, optical, computer memory, micro film, computer generated
micro fiche or similar device;