What is Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)?

About Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C):

• I4C has been established under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deal with cybercrime in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. 
• The I4C focuses on tackling issues related to cybercrime for citizens, including improving coordination between various Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and stakeholders.
• The centre is located in New Delhi.
• Functions:
  • To act as a nodal point in the fight against cybercrime.
  • Identify the research problems and needs of LEAs and take up R&D activities in developing new technologies and forensic tools in collaboration with academia/research institutes within India and abroad.
  • To prevent misuse of cyberspace for furthering the cause of extremist and terrorist groups.
  • Suggest amendments, if required, in cyber laws to keep pace with fast changing technologies and international cooperation.
  • To coordinate all activities related to the implementation of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) with other countries related to cybercrimes in consultation with the concerned nodal authority in MHA.
• Components of I4C: 
  • National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (TAU): For reporting threats pertaining to cybercrimes at regular intervals.
  • National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP): To report various cybercrime complaints by citizens at all India levels on a common platform on a 24x7 basis from “anywhere, anytime”.
  • National Cybercrime Training Centre (NCTC): To impart training to government officials, especially state law enforcement agencies.
  • National Cybercrime Research and Innovation Centre: To carry out research for the development of indigenous tools for the prevention of cybercrimes.
  • Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team: For coordination, sharing of modus operandi of cybercrimes, data/information among states/UTs LEAs.
  • Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit: For creating mass awareness in cyber hygiene for prevention of cybercrimes.
  • National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory (Investigation) Ecosystem: For helping LEAs in cyber forensics investigation.
• I4C brings together academia, industry, public and government in the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes.
• I4C has envisaged the Cyber Crime Volunteers Program to bring together citizens with passion to serve the nation on a single platform and contribute in fight against cybercrime in the country.
• Other Initiatives:
  • Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System: For immediate reporting of financial cyber frauds and preventing the siphoning of funds by cyber criminals on a near-real-time basis.
  • National Toll-Free Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to provide citizen assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
  • CyberDost handle on various social media platforms to generate cyber awareness among citizens.

Q1: What is the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty?

It is a mechanism whereby countries cooperate with one another to provide and obtain formal assistance in the prevention, suppression, investigation and prosecution of crime to ensure that the criminals do not escape or sabotage the due process of law for want of evidence available in different countries. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the Central Authority of India for dealing with requests for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) explains the reciprocal arrangements to be made by the Central Government with the Foreign Governments with regard to the service of summons/warrants/judicial processes.

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