AP to set up cyber cells, social media labs to curb cybercrime

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government would set up modern cyber cells and social media labs in all districts to check cybercrime in the state soon.

DGP Goutam Sawang said on Monday that one each cyber cell and social media lab will be set up in districts with cybercrime investigation tools, disk forensic tools, mobile forensic tools, password recovery tools, CDR analysis tools, image enhancement tools, OSINT tools, proxy server identity tools, email tools, social media tools etc to help check acts of miscreants duping the people.

The DG inaugurated the first online training session for cops  from state police headquarters on Monday. He said that in the first phase, 100 each personnel at the police training centre (PTC) in Vizianagaram, PTC Ongole and PTC Anantapur would be trained.

“We would train nearly 20,000 personnel in ways to control cybercrime and other crime on social media platforms.

Software tools would help cops identify the culprits by collecting digital evidence and social media post identity and other details.”

“We would deploy one B.Tech qualified SI and five PCs for each of these labs in addition to appointing cyber legal advisors and cyber experts,” he added.

The DGP said the police have identified 1,551 people involved in cybercrime in the state. Cops would maintain a close tab on their movement by opening cyberbully-sheets on them.

Crimes related to lottery mails, transactions on mobile phones, OTP cheating, false claims to provide government welfare schemes, targeting women with indecent language, BITCoin, Covid vaccination and others will be closely tracked and culprits arrested, he said.