law: Information Technology Act, 2000
  2. Definitions. – 
  (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise
  
  requires,- 
  (a)
  
  "access", with its grammatical variation 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;
  "affixing digital 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;
  "appropriate Government " means as
  
  respects any matter- enumerated in List II of the Seventh Schedule to the
  
  Constitution;
  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;
  "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;
  "Certifying Authority" means a
  
  person who has been granted a license to issue a Digital Signature Certificate
  
  under section 24;
  "certification practice statement"
  
  issued by a Certifying Authority to specify the practices that the Certifying
  
  Authority employs in issuing Digital Signature Certificates;
  "computer" means electronic,
  
  magnetic, optical or other high-speed date 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 relates to the computer in a computer system or computer network;
  "computer network" means the
  
  inter-connection of one or more computers through-
  (i) the use of satellite, microwave,
  
  terrestrial lime or other communication media; and
  (ii) terminals or a complex consisting of two
  
  or more interconnected computers whether or not the interconnection is
  
  continuously maintained;
  "computer resources" means computer,
  
  computer system, computer network, data, computer database or software;
  "computer system" means a device or collection
  
  of devices, including input and output support devices and excluding
  
  calculators which are not programmable and capable 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;
  "Controller" means the Controller of
  
  Certifying Authorities appointed under sub-section (1) of section 17’
  "Cyber Appellate Tribunal" means the
  
  cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal established under sub-section (1) of
  
  section 48;
  "data" means a representation of
  
  information, knowledge, facts, concepts or instruction which are being prepared
  
  or have been prepared in a formalized 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.
  "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;
  "Digital Signature Certificate "
  
  means a Digital Signature Certificate issued under sub-section (4) of section
  
  35;
  "electronic from", 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;
  "Electronic Gazette" means Official
  
  Gazette published in the electronic form;
  "electronic record" means date,
  
  record or date generated, image or sound stored, received or sent in an
  
  electronic form or micro film or computer generated micro fiche;
  "function", in relation to a
  
  computer, includes logic, control, arithmetical process, deletion, storage and
  
  retrieval and retrieval and communication or telecommunication from or within a
  
  computer;
  "information’ includes data, text,
  
  images, sound, voice, codes, computer programmes, software and databases or
  
  micro film or computer generated micro fiche;
  "intermediary" with respect to any
  
  particular electronic message, means any person who on behalf of another person
  
  receives, stores or transmits that message or provides any service with respect
  
  to that message;
  "key pair", in an asymmetric crypto
  
  system, means a private key and its mathematically related public key., which
  
  are so related that the public key can verify a digital signature created by
  
  the private key;
  "law" includes any Act of Parliament
  
  or of a State Legislature, Ordinances promulgated by the President under
  
  article 240, Bills enacted as President’s Act under sub-clause (a) of clause (1)
  
  of article 375 of the Constitution and includes rules, regulations, bye-laws
  
  and order issued or made thereunder;
  "license" means a license granted to
  
  a Certifying Authority under section 24;
  (za) "originator" means a license
  
  granted to a Certifying Authority under section 24;
  (zb) "prescribed" means prescribed
  
  by rules made under the Act;
  (zc) "private key" means the key of
  
  a key pair used to create a digital signature;
  (zd) "public key" means the key of a
  
  key pair used to verify a digital signature and listed in the Digital Signature
  
  Certificate;
  (ze) "secure system" means computer
  
  hardware, software and procedure that-
  (a) are reasonably
  
  secure from unauthorized access and misuses;
  (b) provide a
  
  reasonable level of reliability and correct operation;
  (c) are reasonably
  
  suited to performing the intended functions; and
  (d) adhere to
  
  generally accepted security procedures;
  (zf) "security procedure" means the
  
  security procedure prescribed under section 16 by the Central Government;
  (zg) "subscriber" means a person in
  
  whose name the Digital Signature Certificate is issued;
  (zh) "verify", in relation to a
  
  digital signature, electronic record or public key, with its grammatical
  
  variations and cognate expressions, means to determine whether-
  (a) the initial
  
  electronic record was affixed with the digital signature by the sue of private
  
  key corresponding to the public key of the subscriber;
  (b) the initial
  
  electronic record is retained intact or has been altered since such electronic record
  
  was so affixed with the digital signature.
  (2) Any reference in this Act to any enactment
  
  or any provision thereof shall, in relation to an area in which such enactment
  
  or such provision is not in force, be construed as a reference to the corresponding
  
  law or the relevant provision of the corresponding law, if any, in force in
  
  that area.