CS calls for tougher cybersecurity measures

Chandigarh, December 14

Aimed at combating the escalating tide of cybercrime, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal today stressed the urgent requirement of the ongoing awareness programmes. He emphasised their role in equipping the public with essential knowledge to thwart irregular deposit schemes, similar scams and other deceptive practices.

Chairing the State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) meeting by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) here today, Kaushal pointed out various strategies used by cybercriminals and the concerning number of complaints against them. He said more than 1.50 lakh complaints had been received from January 1 to November 30 with over 51,000 already resolved and efforts on to resolve the rest.

Kaushal said 2,354 cases were registered, of which 647 have already been disposed of. As many as 409 of these were serious cases exceeding Rs 5 lakh. In addition, 79 cases were registered and suo motu cognisance taken, leading to the arrest of 1,707 accused. A sum of Rs 66.92 crore was successfully recovered.

It was disclosed at the meeting that as many as 55,865 mobile numbers linked to cybercrime had been reported on the NCRP portal, with 52,591 already blocked.

Haryana ranks second in the country for platform utilisation in this regard. Additionally, a total of 5,777 mobile numbers were blocked directly through the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Furthermore, as many as 1,11,998 bank accounts were frozen.