Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras’s Pravartak Technologies Foundation has launched a new training program to create ‘Cyber Commandos’ among law enforcement officers across India. An initiative of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’, the ‘Cyber Commandos’ program is a critical step in bolstering India’s cyber defence capabilities.
This new specialised team will take the lead in protecting the nation from cyberattacks, safeguarding sensitive information, and ensuring digital security.
The Cyber Commandos will enhance existing cybercrime units, which primarily respond to incidents. In contrast, the commandos will adopt a proactive approach. Officers from law enforcement will be trained as cyber commandos, covering advanced topics such as systems forensics, preventing unauthorised access, and detecting cybercrimes.
Inauguration Of The Program
On October 3, 2024, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, officially opened the Training Program in the presence of several dignitaries, including Sandeep Mittal, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime Wing, Tamil Nadu; Col. Arvind Kumar, Director of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C); Mayank Ghildiyal, Deputy Director of the I4C; and MJ Shankar Raman, CEO of the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation.
IITM Director's Address
Addressing the inaugural program, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “On a daily basis, the cyber threat landscape is increasing. We are getting more and more devices into our day-to-day life as digitization increases. Data is very important now. Processing of both structured and non-structured day is also vital.”
Prof. Kamakoti added, “We need to arrive at a proactive way to prevent cyber threats. We need to have a deep understanding. The next six months will deal with how to proactively detect cyber attacks and use forensic technologies to develop defenses. This effect is going to be very important, and I thank the Ministry of Home Affairs for supporting this program.”
This program intends to provide law enforcement officers with improved abilities to successfully address cyber issues, in light of the growing sophistication of cyber attacks. State and central police officers will become cyber experts through intense training, able to investigate intricate digital crimes, track down fraudsters, and safeguard vital infrastructure.
With cutting-edge knowledge and tools, they will be at the front of both detecting and averting cyberattacks.
Speaking on ‘Future Cyber Challenges in Indian Context’, Dr. Sandeep Mittal, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime Wing, Tamil Nadu, said, “The Cyber domain is extremely attractive for malicious actors because it is highly dynamic, faceless and boundaryless domain capable of throwing surprises with rapidity. It is a very low-cost effort with asymmetric results. The risks are the opportunities, and the opportunities are the risks. The discovery of Stuxnet in 2010 heralded into an era of weaponization of software code. This was only the beginning, as it was followed by many things.”
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Dr. Sandeep Mittal added, “By 2024, there will be 50 billion Internet connected devices, such as refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines and so on. Critical infrastructure, especially operational systems, needs to be well-protected. Cybersecurity needs an understanding of international conventions on cybercrimes as the cybercriminals are mostly abroad.”
The growing frequency and intensity of cyber threats India faces highlights the need for this endeavor. The digital world has many threats, ranging from critical infrastructure attacks to financial theft and data breaches. To guarantee that India is suitably equipped to fend off these dangers and safeguard its people and economy in the digital era, the Cyber Commandos program is vital.