MHA to set up Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre in New Delhi

The Union Home Ministry will set up Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an apex coordination centre in New Delhi to deal with cybercrimes.
It also has asked States to establish similar mechanism in every district and released funds for setting up of cyber-forensic training laboratory-cum-training centre for police officials in each State. It also has released funds to Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children Scheme.

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

It will be apex coordination centre to deal with cybercrimes based in New Delhi. It will coordinate with State governments/UTs and closely monitor cyberspace and social media with due emphasis on vernacular content. It will also block those websites which flout Indian laws and circulate child pornography and communally and racially sensitive content.
It will also maintain list of suspects and leads generated during investigations in cybercrime cases and will be shared with law enforcement agencies through secured internal network. Under this framework, state governments will set up State cybercrime coordination cell at headquarter-level and also establish district cybercrime cells.

Background

Over a period of time, there has been phenomenal increase in use of computers, smart phones and internet in India. With this increase, cybercrimes have emerged as major challenge for law enforcement agencies. The cybercrime cases are of varied types ranging from defacement of government websites, online financial frauds, online stalking and harassment, and data thefts. Moreover, these cybercrime cases pose technical, legal and administrative challenges in investigation which require strengthening of institutional mechanism. Institutionalisation of I4C comes in wake of 1,44,496 cybersecurity attacks observed in country during 2014-16 period. MHA already has created Cyber and Information Security Division, a new wing to deal with new-age challenge.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2018