The recent worldwide cyberattack has yet again underlined two bitter truths. Firstly, we are overdependent on highly vulnerable computer systems. Secondly, our cyberlaw enforcement agencies are not fully equipped to deal with crimes of such magnitude.
Ripples of the attack which started recently are still being felt across the globe. It has caused damage to computer systems in at least 45 countries including India. The worst affected has been UK's healthcare system where even emergency services had to be postponed because doctors could not assess the health records of the patients. Many individuals and organisations, could access files on their computers only after paying ransom to the criminals. As the attack is not completely over, its magnitude and extent of damage cannot be fully quantified for now.
Before discussing our capabilities to deal with cybercrimes of this scale it will be worth knowing the enemy. The recent attack has been carried out using a malicious software known as Ransomware. This malware simply encrypts all the files on hard disk of the target computers. The victim cannot access his files unless he pays ransom to the hackers and get a passkey for decryption. Developed in 1996, the malware was perfected by a Russian hacker Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev in 2013 as Crypto-locker. Using Crypto-locker and his other malwares like Zeus, GOZ etc., Bogachev is believed to have robbed 100 million dollars from individuals, companies and banks in more than two dozen countries.
Other than this, Bogachev has made a huge amount of money by creating and selling malwares to other criminals. This merchant of malwares has never been arrested. The FBI has been able to make just one breakthrough in his case. Now they know his real name and have his photographs! Before this, he was just known by his virtual name Slavik. The FBI has declared a reward of $3 million for his arrest. In spite of his virtual footprints in large number of serious cybercrimes no one knows where he actually stays. The only information available on the FBI website is that he loves boating along locations near the Black Sea during his free time.
Cybercrime, like any other crime, can be controlled in two ways: prevention and detection. For prevention, the makers and users of computer systems need to make efforts. The computers and networking systems have to be more secure and technically superior. Users of computers and applications, especially those connected to the Internet, need to be aware of the safety measures required. In view of the ever-increasing threats, computer manufacturers are now working on security measures. A lot of investments and efforts go into creating firewalls and secured networks. But no measures are sufficient if the user is ignorant.
The awareness of users is a critical but neglected aspect. But if a cybercrime takes place despite all the security systems, the only way left is to detect it and punish the guilty. Police, the first responder to crimes, are supposed to investigate them, arrest the accused and put them before courts. The question is whether our police is equipped for the job? When we think of Bogachev and his ilk the answer is a big no. Forget about investigating recent worldwide cyberattacks, we may not be good enough in dealing with much smaller and home grown cybercriminals.
A major part of this problem lies with the selection of manpower in police. For ages, police officers have been recruited to deal with law and order situations which demand a lot of physical strength. The recruitment process has also focussed on good physical strength.
New age crimes like cyber and financial offences are a different ball game altogether. To deal with them, one needs more brains than physical strength. In this anonymity friendly virtual world of internet, identifying and tracing the criminals is more challenging than actually catching them. The fact that cybercrimes recognise no geographical boundaries makes things more complicated. In spite of the combined efforts of major security agencies of the world, the perpetrators of the latest cyberattacks have not been identified as yet.
The kind of experts needed to deal with highly skilled hackers like Bogachev are just not available with most of the law enforcement agencies in India. Police should actually recruit the best brains in the field of IT as officers to deal with cyber-crimes. Picking up talented young men and women in campus placements would have been the ideal situation. But instead of this most police agencies first recruit the officers in the traditional manner and then train some of them to be cyber experts. This does not work. Such officers often cannot handle complicated cases as efficiently. The physical fitness of the investigators is not of much relevance in dealing with such crimes. What is needed is an aptitude for IT and strong base in it. To make up for this deficiency in many states police have now engaged outside IT experts as part-time consultants.
Any recruitment process must take into account the need of the job in hand. Police recruitments have to take into consideration the fast changes occurring in the world of crime. While most police jobs still demand high level of physical fitness, a few like cyber and financial crime investigation certainly need different kind of human resources.
Given the lucrative options available elsewhere in IT and financial sectors, these jobs will also require higher pay packages. Only by spotting and attracting talented persons for such highly skilled jobs can police live up to the challenge. The recent cyberattack has sounded warning bells yet again. Upgrading human and other resources for tackling cybercrime is no more an option for police. It is a necessity and that too an urgent one.
Arun Bothra
A serving IPS officer
Follow him on Twitter @arunbothra