High Cost of Investigating Cyber Crime
Source: PIB
GS II: Policies and Developmental Studies; GS III: National Security and Challenges
Overview
- News in Brief
- Steps Taken by Central Government
- Cybercrime
Why in News?
Recently, the government has taken decisive action to bolster its ability to effectively combat cyber crimes.
News in Brief
- This initiative has entailed implementing a variety of measures aimed at streamlining and organizing the investigation process, with the goal of minimizing the financial burdens associated with such investigations for both law enforcement agencies and victims.
Image by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay - By optimizing resources and implementing more efficient protocols, the government is demonstrating a clear commitment to addressing the growing threat of cyber crimes in a thorough and effective manner.
- It is reassuring to know that the government is intensifying its efforts in addressing the increasing threat of cyber crimes within the country.
- The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution mandates that it is the duty of the States and Union Territories, through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes, including cybercrime.
- The Central Government, on the other hand, is committed to supporting these initiatives by providing financial support and guidance to the States and UTs through various programs.
- These programs are specifically designed to enhance their capacity-building efforts in compliance with the legislative rules.
- Overall, this concerted effort between the Central Government and the States/UTs is a positive step towards strengthening our collective cybersecurity measures.
Steps Taken by Central Government
- ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) was established to address all forms of cybercrime in the nation in a coordinated and thorough way.
- The ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Investigation)‘ has been formed in New Delhi:
- To offer Investigating Officers (IOs) of all State/UT Police early-stage cyber forensic assistance through both online and offline modalities.
- launched the ‘CyTrain’ portal, a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform
- To offer certification-based online courses on critical facets of cyber crime investigation, forensics, and prosecution to all stakeholders, including police officers, judges, and prosecutors.
- To enable the public to report occurrences relating to all sorts of cybercrimes, with an emphasis on cybercrimes against women and children, the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal‘ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been developed.
- The State/UT Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) responsible manage cybercrime occurrences submitted on this site, their conversion into FIRs, and any further actions on them in accordance with the law.
- The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System‘ has been introduced:
- To allow for the quick reporting of financial frauds as well as to prevent money from being syphoned off by scammers.
- For assistance with filing online cyber complaints, use the toll-free Helpline number ‘1930.’
- Financial support totalling Rs. 122.24 crores has been given to all States and Union Territories under the Cybercrime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme.
- With the primary goal of enhancing the capacity of Law Enforcement Agencies in terms of investigational tools and manpower in order to reduce the cost of conducting cybercrime investigations.
- Seven Joint Cyber Coordination Teams have been established across the whole nation based on hotspots for cybercrime and locations with multiple jurisdictional difficulties.
- To improve the coordination framework between the LEAs of the States and UTs,
- The ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Evidence)‘ has been established in Hyderabad:
- To offer essential forensic assistance in instances involving evidence connected to cybercrime
- To preserve the evidence and its analysis in accordance with the terms of the IT Act and Evidence Act
- To speed up turnaround
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has also given the States and UTs central support under the ‘Assistance to States and UTs for Modernization of Police‘ Scheme for the purchase of:
- Cutting-edge firearms
- Training aids
- Cutting-edge communication/forensic equipment
- Cyber Policing equipment
Cybercrime
- Cybercrime is a broad term that encompasses any criminal activity that involves the use of a computer or computer network, either as the primary target or as a tool for committing the crime.
- The consequences of cybercrime can be disastrous, ranging from compromising an individual’s personal security to causing financial losses.
- Examples of cybercrime include espionage, identity theft, online fraud, and other cross-border crimes committed by both state and non-state actors.
- When cybercrime extends beyond national boundaries and involves at least one nation-state, it is referred to as cyberwarfare.
- This type of cybercrime is particularly concerning, as it can have significant consequences for international relations and global security.
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