Q. Is there any data available on cyber-crimes in India in recent years? Any effective measures that government has taken to deal with cyber-crimes?

Replied by Anurag Sharma

With the growth in the usage of cellular/mobile phone and internet connectivity, there has been a rise in cyber-crimes. As per data presented by the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology—Sanjay Dhotre in Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Parliament), on 10 February 2021, around 44,546 cyber-crime cases were registered as compared to 27,248 in 2018. On 09 March 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs—G Kishan Reddy informed the Lok Sabha that in last 18 months, around 3,17,439 cyber-crimes and 5,771 FIRs (First Information Reports) were registered online through a centralised portal.

To deal with cyber-crimes, government of India has taken following measures:

- Enactment of the Information Technology Act, 2000 with provisions to deal with cyber-crimes.

- Establishment of the CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), a nodal agency to deal with cyber-security threats, and issues advisories regarding vulnerabilities.

- The National Cyber Crime Portal (NCCP)- www.cybercrime.gov.in [1], launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), enables public to online report complaints pertaining to all forms of cyber-crimes, with special focus on cyber-crime against women and children.

- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched a program—Information Security Education & Awareness (ISEA) which has been creating awareness among users highlighting the importance of following the cyber-ethics while using Internet. www.infosecawareness.in [2]

Reference/recommended reading:

- Government of India—Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. “Cyber Crimes”, Lok Sabha- Unstarred Question no. 1419, 10 February 2021, Available from: http://164.100.24.220/loksabhaquestions/annex/175/AU1419.pdf [3]

- PTI. “3.17 lakh cyber-crimes in India in just 18 months, says government”, The Times of India, 09 March 2021, Available from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/3-17-lakh-cyber-crimes-in-india-in-just-18-months-says-government/articleshow/81414259.cms [4]

- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s ISEA, www.infosecawareness.in [2]

- The National Cyber Crime Portal (NCCP), Ministry of Home Affairs. www.cybercrime.gov.in [1]

Date : 18/03/2021