CYBER COMMANDOS –
INTERNAL SECURITY / DEFENCE
News: Union
Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the first Foundation Day program of the Indian
Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and launched key initiatives for
prevention of cyber-crime.
What’s in the news?
About
During the event, four platforms of the I4C were
launched;
- Cyber
fraud mitigation center (CFMC);
- Samanvaya
Platform, for cybercrime data
repository, sharing, mapping, and analytics, as well as a coordination
tool for law enforcement agencies.
- The
cyber commandos programme: The government has
planned to train and prepare 5,000 cyber commandos over
the next five years to enhance cybersecurity.
- Suspect
registry: It is an initiative to
strengthen fraud risk management by creating a registry of identifiers
based on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal in collaboration with
banks and financial intermediaries.
Indian Cyber
Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
- I4C was established in 2018 under
the Central Sector Scheme within the Cyber and Information Security
Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- It provides a framework and
eco-system for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to deal with Cybercrime in
a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
What is Cybercrime?
- Cyber-crime
is the use of digital technologies such as computers and the internet to
commit criminal activities.
- These
cases are financial fraud (credit card fraud, online
transaction fraud), crime against women and children with
regard to sexually explicit material, and deep fake content etc.
- According
to the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution,
cybercrimes are within the purview of State subjects.
- According
to the ‘Crime in India’ report released by the National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB), there has been a 24.4 percent increase in
Cyber Crime Cases across India.
Reasons for increase in Cybercrime
- Rapid
Digitalization: With a growing number of
individuals and businesses relying on the Internet and digital
technologies there are more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit
vulnerabilities.
- Large
Internet User Base: India has 95 crore Internet
users. With a large population using the internet, there are more
potential targets for cybercriminals, making it a lucrative market for
cyberattacks.
- Inadequate
Cybersecurity Infrastructure: In India the
cybersecurity infrastructure is still developing. Many organizations,
especially smaller businesses, may not have robust cybersecurity measures
in place, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.
- Insider
Threats: Insider threats, where
employees or individuals with access to sensitive information misuse it
for malicious purposes, are a significant concern in India, particularly
in the corporate sector.
- Payment
Systems Vulnerability: With the rise of digital
payments and online transactions, there is an increased risk of financial
crimes such as phishing, credit card fraud, and online scams.
- In 2024,
India saw UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions worth about Rs
20,64,000 crore which is 46 percent of the
global digital transactions.
- Low
digital literacy: Lower awareness among the
general public and digital gaps amongst nations create an unsustainable
environment in the cyber domain.
Effects of Cybercrime
- Financial
Losses: Cybercrime leads to substantial
financial losses for individuals and organizations through theft of funds,
fraudulent activities, or the cost of restoring compromised systems.
- National
Security Concerns: Cyberattacks with a
geopolitical motive pose national security threats. The attacks target
government agencies, critical infrastructure, or defense systems,
compromising a nation’s security.
- Data
Breaches: The unauthorized access and theft of
sensitive data compromises the confidentiality of personal and financial
information, causing reputational damage and potential legal consequences.
- Disruption
of Services: Cyberattacks disrupt essential
services and critical infrastructure, impacting businesses, governments,
and individuals.
- Loss
of Intellectual Property: Businesses suffer
from the theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, and proprietary
information which undermine competitiveness and innovation, leading to
economic repercussions.
Government steps for Cybersecurity
- Information
Technology Act, 2000: Section 43, 66, 70, and 74
of the IT Act, 2000 deal with hacking and cyber-crimes.
- Indian
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issues
alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and
countermeasures to protect computers and networks on a regular
basis.
- National
Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) has been set up to
generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber
security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive,
preventive and protective actions by individual entities.
- Cyber
Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has
been launched for detection of malicious programs and provides free tools
to remove the same.
- Bharat
National Cyber Security Exercise 2023: Bharat
NCX will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess
readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.
Conclusion
- The
increasing use of technology is also causing many threats. That is why
cybersecurity is no longer limited to the digital world but has also
become an important aspect of national security.
- Most
cyber crimes are trans-national in nature with extra-territorial
jurisdiction. Therefore, ‘data localisation’ is required,
so that enforcement agencies are able to get timely access to the data of
suspected Indian citizens.
International
Measures
- Budapest Convention: It
is the 1st international treaty to address cybercrime. India is not a
signatory to the treaty.
- Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): It is a
US-based not-for-profit organization for coordinating & maintenance of
several databases.
- Internet Governance Forum: It
is the United Nations forum for multi-stakeholder policy
dialogue on Internet governance issues.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/countrys-progress-impossible-without-cybersecurity-amit-shah-at-foundation-day-of-cyber-crime-coordination-centre/article68625452.ece