Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday that India will deploy 5,000 cyber commandos within the next five years to counter cyber threats. Speaking at the first foundation day of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Shah emphasized the importance of cyber security as a critical component of national security.
“Cyber security is integral to our national security. The country’s growth is not possible without ensuring robust cyber protection,” Shah stated.
The planned cyber commandos will be highly trained police officers tasked with swiftly responding to and preventing cyber-attacks. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance the nation’s cyber defense capabilities.
Shah also inaugurated a ‘suspect registry’ to consolidate information on criminals involved in cyber and online financial frauds. This registry, created in collaboration with banks and financial intermediaries, aims to improve fraud risk management across the financial ecosystem. It will serve as a centralized database accessible to states, union territories, central investigation, and intelligence agencies.
“If data remains fragmented across states and union territories, it will hinder our efforts against cyber criminals, who operate without boundaries. A unified suspect registry is essential,” Shah said, calling for collective action from all stakeholders to combat cyber crime effectively.
Additionally, Shah dedicated a Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) at I4C, which will involve collaboration among major banks, financial intermediaries, payment aggregators, telecom service providers, and law enforcement agencies. The CFMC aims to foster immediate action and seamless cooperation in tackling online financial crimes.
The Minister also launched the Samanvaya platform, a web-based system designed to facilitate cybercrime investigations. The platform will serve as a comprehensive repository for cybercrime data, offering tools for data sharing, crime mapping, and coordination among law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Established on October 5, 2018, I4C was created to address cybercrime issues at a national level, enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies, and improve coordination among various stakeholders involved in tackling cybercrime.
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