A large majority of cybercrime investigations hit a dead end whenever the digital footprints leave India's borders, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has said, bringing to the fore the difficulty in obtaining information from other countries.
Almost 69% of the requests for information on cross-border cybercrimes remain pending. "It's sheer luck that we get information from the law-enforcement organisations of another country. Foreign entities do not easily share information such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, profile identities and bank account details of suspects. Sometimes they refuse to share information citing the absence of relevant agreements between India and that country," said M Chandra Shekar, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Economic Offences, CID.
During an interaction with members of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), he stressed the importance of "cyber hygiene" while transacting online. The members had queries about cybercrimes in the wake of demonetisation and GST. They expressed apprehensions about cyber security as more and more medium-scale industries were choosing digital or online transactions.
Chandrashekar said almost 60% of cybercrimes were an inside job. He recommended having a strong password and not sharing user IDs and passwords with anyone even within the office or with a colleague or friend.
Database on cybercriminals soon
The CID is in the process of preparing a database on cybercriminals and their modus operandi so as to decipher their pattern of crimes. The offenders will then be put on the police radar. "A large number of cybercriminals operate from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar," Chandrashekar said.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks