MHA Forms High-Powered Committee to Combat Cybercrimes from Southeast Asia

Strategic Initiative Against Regional Cyber Threats

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of India, on May 16, 2024, announced the formation of an inter-ministerial committee aimed at addressing the surge in organized cybercrimes emanating from Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos PDR. This decision comes in response to these regions accounting for approximately 45% of cyber financial frauds affecting India.

Committee Composition and Leadership

• Chairperson: The committee is led by VSK Kaumudi, Special Secretary (internal security) at the MHA.
• Diverse Membership: The committee includes representatives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Department of Financial Services, various banks, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Department of Telecommunication (DoT), and representatives from financial technology companies.

Mandate and Actions of the Committee

• Coordination and Strategy: The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), under MHA’s Cyber and Information Security Division, is tasked with orchestrating a coordinated and comprehensive response to the rising tide of cybercrimes in India.
• Recent Measures and Successes:
  • Account Actions: Approximately 3.25 lakh “mule” accounts, used for laundering funds from cybercrimes, have been frozen in the last four months.
  • Digital Clean-Up: Since July 2023, over 3000 URLs and 595 mobile apps have been removed, alongside the deactivation of 5.3 lakh SIM cards and 80,848 IMEI numbers.
  • Financial Losses: An estimated Rs 7000 crore has been reported lost to cybercrimes in recent months.
  • Complaints: About 4600 complaints related to digital impersonation of government officials have been registered from January to April 2024.

About Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C)

• Establishment: The I4C was approved on October 5, 2018, and officially launched on January 10, 2020, in New Delhi. It serves as a national hub for all cybercrime-related intelligence to aid in synchronized and strategic law enforcement response.
• CEO: The current Chief Executive Officer is Rajesh Kumar.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Overview

• Union Minister: Amit Shah, representing the Gandhinagar, Gujarat constituency in Lok Sabha.

This committee’s establishment underlines a significant stride towards bolstering India’s defenses against international cyber threats, enhancing both preventive measures and responsive strategies to safeguard national security in the digital domain.