Cyber crime bleeds India: CBI director

Thursday, 13 March 2003, 20:30 IST
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GUWAHATI: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director P. C. Sharma has said cyber crime and organised corruption had assumed serious proportions, but pledged to combat the twin threats firmly. "Cyber crimes like hacking, e-mail fraud and other information security breaches linked to computers are turning out to be very serious problems," Sharma told journalists during a visit to Assam. Computer crimes mainly involve illegal access, data alteration and destruction and theft of intellectual property. Fears have been expressed that a new breed of criminals could damage telecommunications or rail links, disrupt power supplies and harm other important parts of India's infrastructure using cyber tools. The CBI has launched a massive drive to tackle the threat, honing the skills of its elite officers and modernising the agency's computer network. "We are going for the latest investigating techniques, sending out our officers for training abroad, besides inviting specialised agencies for improving the skills of our workforce for better results in tackling cyber crimes," said Sharma, who is also the head Interpol, India. Experts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visited India last year and trained policemen in dealing with cyber offences. Indian Parliament had passed a law dealing with computer crimes, but experts say police and security agencies need to be more proactive in dealing with the growing threat. "Unfortunately we are not getting the complete picture and support on such offences from various state police agencies," the CBI chief said. Although the CBI has registered a number of cases relating to cyber crime, there has been only one conviction so far.
Source: IANS
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