Handling cybercrimes through public-private partnership model

The rise of cybercrime has affected law enforcement agencies globally and India is no exception. Police forces are facing significant challenges as they grapple with the evolving nature of cyber threats and the increasing complexity of investigating and preventing cybercrimes. The sheer volume of cybercrimes in India, as recorded in the recent NCRB’s Crime in India, is overwhelming.

In recent years, cybercrimes have skyrocketed, becoming one of the most pressing challenges for governments, organisations, and individuals worldwide. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime is projected to cost the global economy a staggering $10.5 trillion annually by the end of 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015. This exponential rise is fuelled by the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, ranging from ransomware and data breaches to phishing and identity theft.

The rise of cybercrime has affected law enforcement agencies globally and India is no exception. Police forces are facing significant challenges as they grapple with the evolving nature of cyber threats and the increasing complexity of investigating and preventing cybercrimes. The sheer volume of cybercrimes in India, as recorded in the recent NCRB’s Crime in India, is overwhelming.

Fraud, hacking, identity theft, online harassment, digital arrest, investment app frauds and child exploitation are just a few of the types of cybercrimes that law enforcement agencies must contend with. Each crime presents its unique challenges and requires specialised knowledge and tools. The complex nature of cybercrimes adds layers of intricacy to investigations, often involving multiple jurisdictions, encryption, anonymization, and sophisticated attack vectors.

Government and Police cannot alone contain the growing menace of cybercrimes and the IT industry also cannot handle it alone. Hence the solution is to ensure the collaboration of the Government with the private sector and academia to conform with the rapidly-changing technological world. A collaborative strategy like the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential to address the growing complexities of cybercrime. The National Cyber Security Policy of India also affirms in developing effective PPP models.

The PPP model allows for the pooling of resources, expertise, and technologies, enabling faster detection, response, and prevention of cyberattacks. By working together, stakeholders can share real-time threat intelligence, enhance cybersecurity infrastructure, and foster a unified approach to creating a resilient digital environment.

To put in place an institutionalized structure for an effective capacity building of cybercrime investigations, the CID Karnataka, in collaboration with Infosys Foundation and Data Security Council of India (DSCI), set up the Centre for Cybercrime Investigation Training & Research (CCITR) at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, Bengaluru, in 2019. CCITR is one of its kind of public-private partnership aimed at improving the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime cases. As part of this collaboration, DSCI plays the role of knowledge partner and Infosys Foundation as the funding partner.

This centre has been instrumental in combatting cybercrimes through training, research, and collaboration. The Centre continue to contribute significantly to the Karnataka Police’s efforts to train police, prosecution, judiciary and other departments in handling technology investigations and create standard operating procedures (SOPs) in cybercrime investigations.