GUWAHATI, July 29 - A pool of ethical hackers would soon be put into action to keep a track on militant leaders and forces inimical to India on the cyberspace, with the Assam Police deciding to have an exclusive �Cyber Dome� as part of its biggest ever cyber security initiative.
It will also act as a repository of digitised database of militant organisations, its leaders and antisocial elements active on social media.
Necessitated by spiralling online crime rate, the ambitious Cyber Dome project, envisaged as a high-tech centre for cyber security and innovations, was given the nod by the home department recently and the search is on for a project management consultant, which will execute the project.
The ambitious project of the Assam Police will facilitate gathering of �open source information� of individuals and forces inimical to India without being hassled by man-made international boundaries and thereby aiding prevention of evil designs.
�Ethical hackers have become a potent tool in the emerging crime scenario. Assam, too, would either raise or hire such ethical hackers like a few other states have done already. There are ethical hackers who even volunteer their expertise,� sources privy to the developments told
The Assam Tribune.
While the Cyber Dome will be set up in Guwahati, it would, however, work in tandem with specialised cyber cells in all the districts. �Further, it would strengthen the preventive security mechanism of critical infrastructure like airports and banks, which are heavily dependent on cyberspace,� sources pointed out.
The cost of the ambitious project is estimated to be nearly Rs 30 crore.
A similar project is already operational in South India and ethical hackers are doing a good job. However, there are apprehensions whether the Assam Police can develop a technologically competent force to run the high-tech set-up efficiently like Kerala.
�Lapses in the online banking system as a result of cyber attacks, which have become so common these days, could be prevented effectively once the cyber dome comes into being,� a top Assam Police official said.
�The cyber dome will enable sleuths to secure vital leads in cyber-related offences, and, at the same time, monitor terror activities, automated threat intelligence, TweetAlongs, Facebook and WhatsApp and crimes related to social media,� he added.
The dome is expected to function under the Assam Police�s Special Branch at Kahilipara here.
