Legal profession is a profession which has a wide range of opportunities in divergent fields of law. In every branch of law, certain expertise and excellence is necessary to come up with effective solutions. Cyber law is emerging as one of the fastest growing fields associated with many legal issues. As a result, there was a growing need for cybersecurity experts and lawyers to work with private organizations and government agencies.

The following are the primary challenges that cyber lawyers address in order to ensure cybersecurity:

• Privacy
• Contracts
• Copyright
• Trade Secrets
• Patents
• Jurisdiction
• Defamation
• Domain Disputes
• All kinds of cyber crimes such as cyber extortion, data breach, identity theft, etc.

Cyber Lawyers are experts in information technology law, data privacy laws, intellectual property rights laws, media laws and security guidelines of the Government. They assist the people in case of cyber frauds or crimes and help them to safeguard their interest. The career opportunities in the Cyber field are very wide, one may work as Cyber Lawyer, Cyber Legal Advisor or Consultant, Cyber Assistant, In-house Counsel, Cyber Lecturer, Cyber Researcher etc. The average income of professionals in cyber law ranges between Rs. 7,00,000 to Rs.15,00,000. These are the key roles played by the legal professionals in Cyberspace.

1. Cyber Lawyer

Cyber Lawyers assist in dealing with cyber attacks on businesses, law enforcement agencies, and private organisations, as well as in resolving criminal charges involving any of these entities. They appear before the Courts to provide justice to their clients.  They can also assist with the implementation of Cybersecurity policies and regulations.

2. Cyber Legal Advisor or Consultant

Cyber legal advisors advise police, intelligence services, and cyber forensic services with a state or federal government on a variety of cyber law concerns.  They evaluate contracts, regulations, policies, procedures and standards and resolve conflicts in policies and procedures. They provide legal guidance to management, personnel, or clients. They are expected to know computer networking protocols and concepts along with network security methodologies.

3. Cyber Assistant

Cyber Assistants identify and resolve possible and real security issues, as well as to secure systems by designing control structures, access privileges, and control structures. They’re also in charge of implementing security enhancements by analysing the present situation, identifying trends, and projecting future needs.

4. Cyber Law Experts and Researchers 

Cyber Law Experts and Researchers are lawyers who work with the Government, Think Tanks, NGOs, Private Institutions in formulating legal policies, regulations and carry out research relating to Cyber Laws.

5. In-House Counsels

In-House Counsel experts work with corporate firms and are responsible for managing the Cybersecurity Strategies by adopting proper regulatory Standards required by the cyber laws.

6. Cyber Law Professors

Cyber Law assistant professors or lecturers teach courses on cyber-related issues. They mentor and guide students interested in pursuing careers in cyber law. They must have a thorough understanding of instructional approaches in the field of Cyber Law.

To be in any of the above roles, a  bachelor’s degree in a technology or law and expertise in cyber security and cyber law is required. Certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK), etc. are also relevant.

Learn everything there is to know about Cyber Laws with our courses on the Information Technology Act, Cyber Security, Cyber Law, and Intellectual Property Rights.

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By- Megha R. Ahuja,

Program Head, WCSF

Vaishakh Kulkarni,

Team Member, WCSF