Akamai State Of Internet report

Akamai Releases Fourth Quarterly “State of the Internet

-- India ranked #17 globally in terms of attack traffic, with 1.16% of observed attack traffic

During the fourth quarter of 2008, Akamai observed attack traffic originating from 193 unique countries around the world, up nearly 8% from the third quarter count of 179 countries. In the fourth quarter, the United States moved into first place for the first time in 2008, after placing second to either China or Japan throughout the year. Throughout 2008, the United States, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were consistently among the top 10 countries that generated the highest percentages of attack traffic. (via Zee News).

High Crime rates and USA

With a population of 30 crores (300 million), the US has a criminal population of 70 lakhs (7 million) - behind bars, on probation or on parole. US Government estimates a figure of 20 lakhs (2 million) people serving prison sentences.

What is behind such high levels of crime and prison population in the US?

Contrast that with India ...

The current status of Indian criminal system is a study in contrast. With a population of 110 crores (1100 million) India, has a prison population of 2 lakhs (0.2 million). The Indian National Human Rights Commission gives a figure of 3.5 lakhs as the prison population - including convicts and those who are undergoing trial. The UK Home Office survey of World Prison Population estimates Indian prison population at 2.5 lakhs.

With less than 25 people per 100,000 in prison, India has the world’s lowest imprisonment rate. Cynics may snigger at India’s ‘inefficient’ police or the slow court procedures as the cause for this low prison population. That can only mean criminals are at large and India must, therefore have the highest crime rate - which is not true.

Based on category, India has low or average crime rates. All the 5 indices (below) create a bias for lawlessness and rampant crime, in Indian society. With these five indices, namely: -

1. Police to population ratio (increase police force).


2. Prison population (put more criminals behind bars)


3. Capital punishment (kill enough criminals to instill fear)


4. Poverty (it is poverty which the root of all crime)


5. Gun ownership (more guns means more crime)

against a stable social system, how does India manage low-to-average crime rates.

How can India have such a low prison population, with a poor police-to-population ratio and a crime rate which is not above the average - in spite of a large civilian gun population.

History ...

The answer goes back 4000 years back in history - to Lipit Ishtar, Hittite laws, Hammurabi et al. More than 2000 years ago, Megasthenes a Greek traveller to India wrote,

Theft is of very rare occurrence. Megasthenes says that those who were in the camp of Sandrakottos, wherein lay 400,000 men, found that the thefts reported on any one day did not exceed the value of two hundred drachmae, and this among a people who have no written laws

Historically, trade in India is governed by शुभ लाभ 'shubh labh’ - and hence Indians have not been major players in drugs proliferation (unlike Japan, or the West, which traded Opium in Korea and China) or in slave trade. In modern times, though a power in computing industry, India is not a big player in spamming or in software virus.