Open House What needs to be done to check the rising cybercrime in city & district?

Use antivirus and strong passwords

It is a sad story when the ‘most advanced city’ of the state becomes unsafe for children and women, besides getting a tag of having most juvenile criminals. It is an unfortunate reality that in addition to being unsafe, Ludhiana is also the Punjab city most prone to cybercrimes. Not a single day passes without someone being targeted and some money or sensitive information being stolen. These cyber criminals primarily target wealthy individuals or organisations with large sums of money. Sadly, it is difficult to catch cyber criminals because they mask their identities and funnel their activities through different locations to avoid detection. This begs the question: Why is cybercrime on the rise? The increasing reliance on the Internet, working remotely, and storing data online via cloud computing are just a few of the factors that facilitate cyber criminals in their activities. Given the surge in cybercrime, you’re probably wondering how to avoid becoming its victim. To start with, keep your software and operating system up to date. Use anti-virus software and very strong passwords for your devices. Above all, never share an OTP with anyone and immediately report any unusual transactions to your bank.

Novin christopher

Committed to safety and security

We are committed to ensure safety and security of each and every section of the society at all costs. A proactive crime prevention, detection and deterrent strategy has been put in place to weed out the criminals from Ludhiana. — Kuldeep Singh Chahal, CP

Govt should provide concrete solutions

Hackers are minting money by blocking or stealing data from your computer or phone. They pose a big threat to individuals and the nation in general. We may curb cybercrime by not opening suspicious documents sent by mail, and not giving personal information to people one doesn’t know. People need to be made aware of how to identify cybercrime. One should protect one’s computers with a firewall, instal computer antivirus software like McAfee, Norton, or any other genuine antivirus programmes. One should never share information about one’s credit or debit cards with strangers, especially OTPs! Furthermore, one should keep changing passwords related to banks and other financial institutions.

Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Timely Reporting of cybercrime pivotal

The rising graph of crime in Ludhiana is a matter of grave concern. Recent incidents of police encounters with gangsters in Ludhiana suggest that the illegal weapons are being smuggled into the district. If police are able to check the inflow of such arms, crime cases in Ludhiana can be curbed. Till now, the police’s attitude towards the grave crime situation has been lackadaisical, which makes the people of the city feel insecure. The Ludhiana police should focus on controlling the crime and instilling a sense of security and safety in residents. Crime can be contained and prevented by ensuring sustained cooperation between the police and the public. Emphasis should be laid on community policing in all police station limits. Surveillance should be increased and anti-drug drives should be intensified. SHOs should be made accountable for any illegal activity in their jurisdictions. CCTV cameras should be installed at all key points in the city. To prevent crime during night, the DCP (Traffic) should introduce more PCR motorcycles to patrol the city areas, with focus on crime-prone areas. To curb the incidents of cybercrime, the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate has launched a round-the-clock cybercrime helpline as timely reporting of cyber frauds is of utmost importance. The helpdesk will help the victims in lodging their complaints with the national cybercrime reporting portal, which can immediately block and freeze their accounts to provent unauthorised transactions.

RS Sembhi

Precaution and protection

Serious problems related to social media and cybercrime are being faced by the citizens of Ludhiana, let aside other districts of Punjab — and, indeed, the whole country. Cybercrime is, of course, is the most grave problem one faces online. One must try one’s utmost to adopt foolproof practices to avoid becoming a victime of cybercrime. One must use strong passwords on one’s accounts, using both letters and numerals, so that they canot be guessed. One may always keep a backup of oen’s data to protect it from virus attacks. One must also make sure that one’s computers are configured securely. And one must review one’s bank and credit card statements regularly. Don’t respond to email messages that seek personal information. Avoid using enticing offers of free software. It may be impossible to eliminate cybercrime, but one must take steps regarding precautions, prevention, and protection.

Farzana khan

Awareness for safe virtual environment

Ludhiana has long been unsafe for children and women, besides earning the dubious distinction of having the most juvenile criminals in the state. Ludhiana has also turned out to be the most vulnerable to cybercrime, if the rampant rise in virtual offences is any indication.To curb the rising trend in cybercrime, the administration should take necessary steps immediately. The administration should make the people aware about how they can use digital technologies safely. The Information Technology Act, 2000, has provisions of various punishments to curb cybercrime. People should contact the cybercrime cell in case of suspected cyber fraud.

Always remember not to share OTPs with unknown persons. Avoid opening links on unknown sites. There is a need to create cyber-awareness so that people can safely use digital devices.

Adish sood

Govt and it companies should collaborate

The National Crime Records Bureau has highlighted various kinds of crime cases against various sections of the society in Punjab. Ludhiana district has earned a dubious distinction in crimes against women, fatalities in road accidents, drug peddlers and users, and crimes by juveniles. Besides, Ludhiana has also earned notoriety for a high cybercrime rate. Cybercrime involves stealing of personal or business data, cyber terrorism, malicious software use, and hacking. The situation is really grave. Usually, reports in this regard indicate the magnitude of this menace. Although this is a national problem but in Punjab, Ludhiana district is suffering more than other districts. Ludhiana is known as the Manchester of Punjab, the state’s business hub. More and more transactions are being made online, attrcting cyber criminals. The government, information technology companies and other private companies should act in a concerted manner to weed out this menace. People should use strong passwords, use antivirus and antitheft software, keep social media private, protect their storage data and identities, change passwords frequently, and, if in trouble, seek help from the designated police department. Exemplary punishment must be ensured to hackers and other cyber criminals. Government agencies should educate the general public about cybercrime prevention. Organisations must appoint ombudsman to respond to people’s concerns.

Sukhdev sharma

QUESTION

The illegal weapons have been made in different parts of Madhya Pradesh for decades and those involved in this trade have been doing it for generations, albeit local police action, which is no deterrent for this illicit trade. What should be done to check such illegal trade?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to [email protected] by Thursday (December 21)

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