Shah was speaking at the first foundation day celebrations of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). Pic/News18
Shah also said that the home ministry has decided to train 5,000 Cyber Commandos over the next five years, a programme first discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated four cybersecurity initiatives in Delhi on Tuesday: the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), Cyber Commandos, Samanvaya portal, and Suspect Registry.
In his address at the first foundation day celebrations of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Shah emphasised that without cybersecurity the nation’s progress is not possible in this era. “While technology is a blessing for us, as we use it for various purposes including economic ones, there is also a threat from technology,” he said. “That is why I believe that cybersecurity is not only restricted to the digital world but is also a crucial aspect of national security.” In fact, he added, without cybersecurity, national security is not possible.
“I want to speak more about the Suspect Registry. In a nation like ours, states have suspects in silos. Since states have their own jurisdictional areas, if each state creates its own suspect registry, it will also be limited to that jurisdiction. Therefore, this registry should be at the national level,” the minister said.
The minister also urged I4C to use artificial intelligence to identify the modus operandi of cyber fraudsters from the data in the Suspect Registry.
“Today, the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre has been inaugurated,” he said. “Financial institutions, telecom companies, international service providers, and police agencies will now have a single platform to enhance cybersecurity.”
The CFMC has been established at I4C in New Delhi, with representatives from major banks, financial intermediaries, payment aggregators, telecom service providers, IT intermediaries, and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in states and union territories. They will collaborate for immediate action and seamless cooperation to address online financial crimes. The CFMC will serve as an example of “cooperative federalism” in law enforcement.
The ministry has decided to train 5,000 Cyber Commandos over the next five years, a programme first discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This initiative will establish a special wing of trained Cyber Commandos in states/UTs and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) to counter cyber threats in the country. Trained Cyber Commandos will assist states, UTs, and central agencies in securing the digital space.
Amit Shah also launched the Samanvaya Platform (Joint Cybercrime Investigation Facilitation System), a web-based module designed as a one-stop portal for data repository of cybercrime, data sharing, crime mapping, data analytics, and a cooperation and coordination platform for law enforcement agencies across the country.
