Cyber labs in states and union territories

BANGALORE:  The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) proposing to establish cyber labs in all states and Union Territories to tackle cyber crime. The Data Security Council of India (DSCI) of NASSCOM submitted a Draft of the programme report on handling of cyber crime investigation to the MoHA recently.The report speaks about the establishment of Cyber Crime Police Stations (CCPS), Cyber Crime Investigation & Forensic Training Facilities and Centres of Excellence in Cyber Forensic in all major cities.DSCI would format one group on cyber forensics to assist MoHA in programme implementation and supervision, and have a data resource centre for training. According to sources, this plan was aproved during the MoHA’s meeting with all the DGPs on June 21.Inspector General of Police and Senior Director of Cyber Security (NASSCOM) Pratap Reddy told The New Indian Express, “We have set up cyber labs in seven cities — Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderbad, Pune, Thane, Maduban (Haryana), and also one in Kolkata recently. All labs are linked with either CCPS or Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) of major cities,” he added.“There are several examples of kidnapping, terrorist attacks, economic offenses, bank frauds and financial scams being committed with the help of computers or any other digital tools. So, to tackle such threat, the cyber labs with cyber forensic facility are essential,” said K Venkatesh Murthy, Programme Manager of Cyber Labs.Though DSCI is facilitating cyber labs, many nationalised banks and other institutions are sponsoring to set up the labs.Pratap Reddy said the cyber lab programme had recieved a boost with the support of the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and IT for opening the cyber lab in Kolkata as well as renovating the existing infrastructure in the laboratories in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. Canara Bank, Andhra Bank, Genpact, IBM and other institutes had helped to set up cyber labs.