India Launches Key Cybersecurity Initiatives to Bolster National Security

No progress possible now without cybersecurity: Amit Shah | India News - Times of India

NEW DELHI: As fast-paced advancements in technology cause a surge in digital transactions and online activity in the country, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday stressed on the need for all the stakeholders including Central and state law enforcement agencies, banks and internet service providers, to come together to fight the growing risk of cybercrimes with a data-driven approach and evolving counter-strategies. Addressing an event here to mark the first Foundation Day of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Shah said I4C has an important role in bringing all the stakeholders on one platform to deal with emerging cyber threats as initiatives like 'Digital India' see the number of internet subscribers grow from 25 crore in March 2014 to 95 crore in March 2024 and 46% of the world's digital transactions volume taking place in India. "In the days to come, as the country makes significant technological advancements, I4C has an important role in ensuring the security of its technology, data and vital installations....I believe that cyber security has become an important aspect of national security...the country's progress is not possible without it," the home minister said as he launched four new cyber security initiatives of I4C aimed at realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'Cyber Safe Bharat'. Firstly, Shah dedicated the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) -- a national platform that will onboard major banks, financial institutions, payment aggregators, telecom service providers, IT intermediaries and law enforcement agencies for real-time action against online financial crimes -- to the nation. He suggested that CFMC use Artificial Intelligence to identify the modus operandi of cyber frauds and find ways to deal with them. Shah also inaugurated the Samanvaya Platform, a one-stop portal for data repository of cybercrime, data sharing, crime mapping, data analytics, and coordination among law enforcement agencies for investigation of cybercrimes. Cyber Commandos Program that seeks to create special wing of trained commandos in the states/UTs and Central police organisations to secure digital space, with 5,000 commandos to be readied in 5 years, was also launched. The last initiative is the creation of a national-level 'suspect registry' of various mule account identifiers based on the national cybercrime reporting portal, and connecting state registries with it to in strengthen the fraud risk management capabilities of the financial ecosystem. Shah said the national suspect registry will help ensure that states/UTs do not work in silos. Shah said a nationwide cyber security awareness programme is on since September 1, with over 72 TV channels, 190 FM channels, cinema halls and other platforms on board. He appealed to the states to join in the campaign, particularly promoting the national cyber helpline '1930' across the villages and towns. Dwelling on the new criminal laws, Shah said they incorporate provisions that give legal teeth to technology-driven initiatives and scientific methods of investigation in cases related to cyber crime, personal data safety, online harassment, sexual harassment of women and children, fake news and toolkit, and misinformation campaign, etc. Shah said over 1100 officers have been trained in cyber forensics and joint cyber coordination teams (JCCTs) set up in 'hotspots' like Mewat, Jamtara, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati. "These have been successful and shall be replicated in other centres," said Shah. Bharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the 'prime' political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India's neighbourhood.

'National Security Not Possible without Cybersecurity': Amit Shah Launches Four Key Initiatives - News18

Shah also said that the home ministry has decided to train 5,000 Cyber Commandos over the next five years, a programme first discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated four cybersecurity initiatives in Delhi on Tuesday: the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), Cyber Commandos, Samanvaya portal, and Suspect Registry. In his address at the first foundation day celebrations of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Shah emphasised that without cybersecurity the nation's progress is not possible in this era. "While technology is a blessing for us, as we use it for various purposes including economic ones, there is also a threat from technology," he said. "That is why I believe that cybersecurity is not only restricted to the digital world but is also a crucial aspect of national security." In fact, he added, without cybersecurity, national security is not possible. "I want to speak more about the Suspect Registry. In a nation like ours, states have suspects in silos. Since states have their own jurisdictional areas, if each state creates its own suspect registry, it will also be limited to that jurisdiction. Therefore, this registry should be at the national level," the minister said. The minister also urged I4C to use artificial intelligence to identify the modus operandi of cyber fraudsters from the data in the Suspect Registry. "Today, the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre has been inaugurated," he said. "Financial institutions, telecom companies, international service providers, and police agencies will now have a single platform to enhance cybersecurity." The CFMC has been established at I4C in New Delhi, with representatives from major banks, financial intermediaries, payment aggregators, telecom service providers, IT intermediaries, and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in states and union territories. They will collaborate for immediate action and seamless cooperation to address online financial crimes. The CFMC will serve as an example of "cooperative federalism" in law enforcement. The ministry has decided to train 5,000 Cyber Commandos over the next five years, a programme first discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This initiative will establish a special wing of trained Cyber Commandos in states/UTs and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) to counter cyber threats in the country. Trained Cyber Commandos will assist states, UTs, and central agencies in securing the digital space. Amit Shah also launched the Samanvaya Platform (Joint Cybercrime Investigation Facilitation System), a web-based module designed as a one-stop portal for data repository of cybercrime, data sharing, crime mapping, data analytics, and a cooperation and coordination platform for law enforcement agencies across the country.

India Launches Central Cybercrime Registry and Commandos

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah launched a Central Suspect Registry during the first foundation day celebration of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C) in New Delhi. Additionally, Shah also announced three other initiatives today to address cybercrime issues. This includes the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), the Samanvaya Platform, and the Cyber Commandos program. "Cybersecurity is no longer restricted to the digital world. It is an important part of national security," said Shah during the event. Under this initiative, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) will create a database of various identifiers, in collaboration with banks and financial intermediaries to strengthen the fraud risk management capabilities of the financial ecosystem. According to the Home Minister, a Suspect Registry at the central level consolidates data on suspects from across the country into a single platform. He said, "Cyber suspect registry being in state silos does not work. States have borders and so do the state registries. So, we felt the need to create a centralised suspect registry that connects to all states." The Samanvaya Platform (Joint Cybercrime Investigation Facilitation System) acts as a single data repository of cybercrime, data sharing, crime mapping, data analytics, cooperation, and coordination for law enforcement agencies across India. Representatives of major banks, financial intermediaries, payment aggregators, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), IT intermediaries, and states/UTs Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) came together to form the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC). The initiative will address online financial crimes. Shah also suggested that the CFMC should leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to identify such cybercrime. This program will create a special wing of 'Cyber Commandos' in states/UTs and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) to counter cyber security threats. According to Shah, the central government plans to set up 5,000 commandos in five years. This comes at a time when the Home Affairs ministry recently launched a real-time cybercrime tracking website called "Pratibimb". This Geographic Information System (GIS)-based software will assist police to track down cybercriminals.