On 5 July, the Minister of State for Home
Affairs (MEA), Mr Hansraj Gangaram Ahir announced that the MEA is going to launch an online portal where
people can file complaints regarding cybercrimes.
At the Cyber Safety and Digital
Awareness Programme for Senior Citizens that was organised by the Delhi Police,
Mr Hansrajv Gangaram Ahir said that that cyber-frauds can be more or less curtailed
if Indian citizens become more digitally aware and responsible about the cyber
transactions they make.
According to
the press statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Delhi Police created the programme
specifically for senior citizens as they are soft targets for cybercrimes as a
result of their lack of digital literacy. Senior
citizens are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals that steal their savings
or commit healthcare fraud. Many senior citizens are still not aware of the
growing number cyber-threats including identity theft and financial and
healthcare fraud.
In addition to their lack of
digital awareness, computer skills among senior citizens can vary and not
everyone is concerned with the need to protect information that they post online.
They often do not appreciate the importance of basic maintenance such as
keeping their electronic devices updated with the latest security programmes.
New terminology and threats are
also difficult for them to grasp. A common method used by cyber-criminals is to
target older adults with phishing emails that claim to be sent from a financial
institution they use, or from a government agency. The Ministry’s online cybercrime portal is
expected to reduce the number of senior citizens that are victims of
cybercrime.
The programme started with a basic
introduction to cybercrimes and cybersecurity procedure. Informative handouts
on cyber-threats and safe online habits were given to the 2,500 senior citizens
that participated in the programme.
During the programme, Mr Hansrajv
Gangaram Ahir said that every citizen should remain vigilant and aware,
and with police being on guard, the government anticipates a reduction in the
rate of cybercrimes. He said that in most cases criminals that commit
cybercrimes are caught by the police and convicted, but victim’s main priority
is always to recover their lost money, hence the most important task is to
recover the money from the accused.
The
Delhi Police Chief, Mr Amulya Patnaik while addressing at programme said that Delhi
Police has established cyber-cells in 14 districts of Delhi that work
under a Special Cyber Unit. He added that it is the police department’s
priority area and that they have already trained about 800 police officers to
deal with cybercrimes, specifically.
Mr Hansrajv Gangaram Ahir also noted that the
Ministry of Home Affairs has earmarked IN₹25,000 crores (around US$3.6
billion) to equip the police with the required technology and knowledge to deal
with the increasing rate of cyber crime in the country.
Mr Hansrajv Gangaram Ahir also talked about the
Courage (Himmat)
mobile application for women's safety and an all-women patrolling
squad on streets at night. The application is a part of the Digital India
initiative that was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Mr
Narendra Modi.
The press release stated that during the
programme, the Ministry also launched the first Cyber Forensic Van of Delhi
Police for on-the-spot police investigations at crime scenes. The Van has
been developed with the latest technology and with the ability to detect
digital crimes with a portable/mobile system and hard disk forensic tools for
onsite investigation. The van will be available round-the-clock on call in all
districts/units.