A N Roy, IPS
Commissioner of Police, Mumbai
Cyber crime is the new challenge for the Indian society, industry and the law enforcement. The anonymous nature of the Internet makes it an attractive medium to commit crimes and frauds. A crucial aspect of cyber crime is that it is not confined to any national boundary. Accordingly, it is that much more difficult to control the extent of criminal activity.

Though cyber crime is on the rise and it is becoming a great matter of concern, there is still lack of awareness among the general public. Individuals are not coming forward to report such crimes either due to a lack of awareness or their perception that such crimes would not be given due importance. Organisations also hesitate in reporting such crimes as they are afraid of losing reputation in the market.

However recognising this increasing problem, a dedicated Cyber Crime cell has been set up by the Mumbai Police. The current trends and evidence suggests that cyber crime is likely to grow in extent and complexity as more and more people are using net services for various purposes. It is desirable that industry, law enforcement agencies and supporting groups come forward to empower and protect individuals and organisations from cyber crime and other online threats.

Kiran Karnik
President, NASSCOM
Information Technology is one of the fastest growing industries in India today and is making an important contribution towards the economic development of the country. Projections made by NASSCOM indicate that it will continue to grow rapidly and become a large and important part of the national economy, as it creates large-scale direct and indirect employment. It is already India’s biggest export sector and has become an integral part of the operations of many companies and key sectors.

The increasing use of IT, however, brings with it new challenges and threats. Amongst the most significant is the security threat, including data theft, piracy, hacking, identity theft, violation of intellectual property rights, etc. Such cyber crimes are on the rise around the world, and India is no exception. Given the importance and potential of IT in India, there is a need for special efforts to fight these illegal activities. An important first step taken by the government was the first cyber law, Information Technology Act 2000, which not only provides the legal infrastructure for e-commerce in India but also at the same time, gives enforcement authorities the legal powers to investigate cyber crimes. However, the proper legal framework is only one step to ensure the safe use of the Internet. The key to the rule of law in cyber space is effective enforcement against cyber crimes. This is where skill-building of the law enforcement officers comes in. NASSCOM has been working jointly with the concerned agencies to promote this. As more and more transactions are taking place online, it is imperative that coordinated efforts are made by the industry, representative bodies and government to tackle the menace created by cyber crime.

It is in this context that NASSCOM initiated the India Cyber Cop Awards, to recognise and showcase the good work done by dedicated police officials. In order to share such work and best practices, NASSCOM is bringing out this compilation of the nominations received for the Awards. It will also give more visibility to the efforts to promote understanding of cyber security. We hope this will be of use to police officers, fraud management professionals and those interested in knowing about trends in cyber crimes in India.

Pradeep Udhas
Executive Director, KPMG
Cyber security is vital to success at this crucial juncture in modern human history. Many business models and the way we live, interact with each other and transact business will change dramatically, if people feel “safe” in the cyber world. For example; on-line banking is slowing down in the US as people still feel “unsafe” to do banking on the net. This initiative by NASSCOM and Mumbai Police is raising awareness about cyber crime among users of the net, the enforcement agencies (Police) and the judiciary. This book of case studies will provide practical insights on how the cyber crime gets committed and the guilty get punished. This is one of the pioneering examples of the industry, industry association, police and business advisors like KPMG working together so that we do not miss the tryst with the destiny for much more efficient and effective world of businesses, banks, academics institutions, government and citizens.

Deepankar Sanwalka
Executive Director, KPMG Forensic
Modern organisations are significantly relying on Information Technology to conduct business. With globalisation and the world turning into one huge market the internet is one of the major sources of information as well as communication. However, the very qualities that make digital technology such a powerful business tool – its ability to capture and manipulate vast amounts of data and the way it allows so many processes to be automated – are what make it vulnerable also.

Identity theft, mis-use of credit cards, hacking, leaking of critical information and frauds are some of the issues which are being faced by the industry today. Increasingly organisations are falling victims to cyber crime. Fraud and misconduct have a strong bearing on the viability and profitability of every organisation. Lack of fraud management practices can threaten the existence of an organisation. Going ahead it is important that today industry takes a proactive role in fighting cyber crime by putting in stringent processes in place.

As laid out in the publication, NASSCOM, Mumbai Police and KPMG came together to recognise the best-investigated cyber crimes in the country for encouraging police professionals involved in the investigation.

Nandkumar Saravade
Director, Cyber Security and Compliance, NASSCOM
NASSCOM has been working with Mumbai Police over the last two years to improve the cyber crime investigation capabilities of the senior as well as police station officers, through awareness campaigns and specific trainings. A Cyber Safety Week has been organised thrice since 2003. The objective of this event is to highlight various issues relating to the various user groups in cyber space and their security concerns. Presentations have been given in schools about the risks of cyber space and e-security clubs have been formed in colleges.

This initiative is planned to be taken further by extending it across the country, wherever IT/ITeS sectors form a significant part of the local economy and cover other components of the criminal justice system, viz. the judiciary and the prosecutors.