KOCHI: People’s increased dependency on the internet due to the Covid outbreak has also led to a spike in cybercrimes in Kerala. Experts say with more people – from schoolchildren to the elderly – accessing internet on their mobile phones, cybercrimes in the state will only increase in future. For, more people will be vulnerable to such illegal acts.
As per the data with Kerala Police, 481 cognizable cybercrime cases were reported in Kerala between January and July. This is already higher than the 426 cases reported in the entirety of 2020 and it is estimated the number will double by the time 2021 ends.
“Cybercrimes of all nature are seeing a spike,” said an official with the cyber police station here. Another added that more cases are also being reported as there are dedicated cyber police stations in all the districts. “Crimes like cyberbullying, financial fraud, pornography and even sophisticated hacking have gone up. This year, numerous cases of cyberterrorism were registered,” said the officer.
For the police, limited manpower to handle such cases is a problem. “Around 10 to 12 complaints are received at cyber police stations daily. The investigation is carried out by officers having expertise in cyberspace. We also require cooperation from various cyber platforms. Often, response is slow from such online agencies which delays the probe leading to backlog of cases,” said the officer.
As per the data of National Crime Records Bureau, cases of cybercrimes have been increasing by 11 to 12 per cent for the past couple of years across the country, said Nandakishore Harikumar, CEO of cybersecurity startup Technisanct.
“Only incidents in which FIRs are registered get recorded in police data. The actual number of cybercrimes will be at least 10 times higher,” he said. Nandakishore said there has been a sea change in the nature of cybercrimes reported in the past couple of years.
Advocate Jiyas Jamal, a cyber law expert, said victims of online crimes hesitate to lodge complaints. “Our legal system has to be enhanced to deal with cybercrime cases effectively. Current provisions have limitations to convict a person indulging in such crimes. Often, an FIR is registered but the accused is neither identified nor arrested,” Jamal said. He said a mass awareness campaign is the only way to control cybercrimes.