Cyber crimes, fraud is increasing despite enhanced use of cyber space: MoS Ajay K Mishra

New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): With enhanced use of cyber space, the number of cyber crimes including frauds is also increasing, Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The MoS shared the input in a written reply to a query of the Lower House members Nishikant Dubey, Jual Oram and Aparupa Poddar.
As per the data maintained, the Minister said more than 16 lakh cyber crime incidents have been reported and more than 32,000 FIRs have been registered from January 1, 2020, to December 7, 2022.
Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of state and the Union Territory wise cases registered under cyber crimes (involving communication devices as medium and target) during the period from 2017 to 2021, the Minister said a total of 21,796 cases were registered in 2017 followed by 27, 248 in 2018; 44,735 in 2019; 50,035 in 2020; and 52,974 in 2021.
Mishra also said that ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. “The states and Union Territories (UTs) are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including cyber crime through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). The LEAs take legal action as per the provisions of law against persons involved in cyber crime.”
He said the Central government supplements the initiatives of the states and the UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for their capacity building.
To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, Mishra said, the Central government has taken steps for spreading awareness about cyber crimes, issuance of alerts and advisories, capacity building and training of law enforcement personnel and prosecutors and judicial officers for improving cyber forensic facilities.
The government has established the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) to provide a framework and eco-system for LEAs to deal with cyber crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the Minister said.
The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (www.cybercrime.gov.in) allows easy reporting of all types of cyber crimes. Cyber crime incidents reported on this portal are routed automatically to the respective state and UT law enforcement agency for further handling as per the provisions of the law.
The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’ has been launched for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by fraudsters.
“So far, financial fraud transactions amounting to more than Rs180 crore have been saved.”
A tollfree helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints, said the MoS, adding “National Information Security Policy and Guidelines (NISPG) 2019 has been issued in order to prevent information security breaches Cyber intrusions in ICT infrastructure”.
“The NISPG has been shared with the Central Ministries as well as the state governments and UTs. They have been advised to take appropriate steps to strengthen information security controls as per NISPG for strengthening Information Security and preventing information security breaches.”
To spread awareness on cyber crime, Mishra said the Central government has taken initiatives which, inter-alia, include; dissemination of messages through SMS, I4C social media account i.e. Twitter handle (@Cyberdost), Facebook(CyberDostI4C), Instagram(cyberdosti4c), Telegram(cyberdosti4c), Radio campaign, engaged MyGov for publicity in multiple media, organizing Cyber Safety and Security Awareness weeks in association with states and UTs, and publishing of Handbook for Adolescents and Students.
“The states and UTs have also been requested to carry out publicity to create mass awareness,” said the Minister. (ANI)