Assam government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to curb cyber crime by setting a mobile phone forensic lab in Guwahati.
To curb the growing threat of cyber crime in the state, there will be a ‘mobile phone forensic lab’ under CID, a top official told Northeast Now on the condition of anonymity. This lab will cater to all the states of North-east India.
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“Nowadays, more than internet-based crimes, mobile phone crimes are rising as everyone can access different sites via their cell phones. So mobile phone analysis will provide cyber forensic tools for investigation. The tenders for the project have been passed and modern technology and equipment will be imported from US and Israel,” CID sources told Northeast Now.
This proposed laboratory will be set up with the help of Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), Kolkata.
With the rising threat of cyber crime, this initiative is a crucial one to tackle the emerging cases. According to latest official figures, 379 cases were registered in 2014 which increased to 489 cases up to October 2017.
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Sources within the CID said, “Crime rates are rising because mobile users are also rising. The criminals involved even in robbery and murder cases use cell phones. So it becomes a prime source to gather digital evidence and other documents.”
Women become vulnerable in most cases of crimes via social media. But it is also because of their ignorance. Sometimes, they themselves share private information online which leads to the problem.
In December 2016, Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay had said that there will be seven Cyber Investigation Labs (CILs) in order to counter cyber crimes in the state. As part of state police modernization, these CILs were supposed to be set up at seven police ranges, each covering four to five districts. Of the seven CILs, two are currently operational at Jorhat and Silchar.
“The other five CILs are in the pipeline. The tendering process is underway,” sources added. The remaining labs will be set up in Guwahati, Diphu, Bongaigaon, Tezpur and Kokrajhar.
To sensitize young people regarding cyber crime, the department will hold an awareness programme on ‘internet etiquette’ at Srimanta Shankar Academy, Dispur on January 9, 2018.