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Introduction

The CID of Jharkhand Police has uncovered a network of around 8000 bank accounts engaged in cyber fraud across the state, with a focus on Deoghar district, revealing a surprising 25% concentration of fraudulent accounts. In a recent meeting with bank officials, the CID shared compiled data, with 20% of the identified accounts traced to State Bank of India branches. This revelation, surpassing even Jamtara's cyber fraud reputation, prompts questions about the extent of cybercrime in Jharkhand. Under Director General Anurag Gupta's leadership, the CID has registered 90 cases, apprehended 468 individuals, and seized 1635 SIM cards and 1107 mobile phones through the Prakharna portal to combat cybercrime. 

This shocking revelation by, Jharkhand Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has built a comprehensive database comprising information on about 8000 bank accounts tied to cyber fraud operations in the state. This vital information has aided in the launch of investigations to identify the account holders implicated in these illegal actions. Furthermore, the CID shared this information with bank officials at a meeting on January 12 to speed up the identification process.

Background of the Investigation

The CID shared the collated material with bank officials in a meeting on 12 January 2024 to expedite the identification process. A stunning 2000 of the 8000 bank accounts under investigation are in the Deoghar district alone, with 20 per cent of these accounts connected to various State Bank of India branches. The discovery of 8000 bank accounts related to cybercrime in Jharkhand is shocking and disturbing. Surprisingly, Deoghar district has exceeded even Jamtara, which was famous for cybercrime, accounting for around 25% of the discovered bogus accounts in the state.

As per the information provided by the CID Crime Branch, it has been found that most of the accounts were opened in banks, are currently under investigation and around 2000 have been blocked by the investigating agencies.

Recovery Process

During the investigation, it was found out that most of these accounts were running on rent, the cyber criminals opened them by taking fake phone numbers along with Aadhar cards and identity cards from people in return these people(account holders) will get a fixed amount every month. 

The CID has been unrelenting in its pursuit of cybercriminals. Police have recorded 90 cases and captured 468 people involved in cyber fraud using the Prakharna site. 1635 SIM Cards and 1107 mobile phones were confiscated by police officials during raids in various cities.

The Crime Branch has revealed the names of the cities where accounts are opened

1. Deoghar 2500
2. Dhanbad 1183
3. Ranchi 959
4. Bokaro 716
5. Giridih 707
6. Jamshedpur 584
7. Hazaribagh 526
8. Dumka 475
9. Jamtara 443

Impact on the Financial Institutions and Individuals

These cyber scams significantly influence financial organisations and individuals; let us investigate the implications.

• Victims: Cybercrime victims have significant financial setbacks, which can lead to long-term financial insecurity. In addition, people frequently suffer mental pain as a result of the breach of personal information, which causes worry, fear, and a lack of faith in the digital financial system. One of the most difficult problems for victims is the recovery process, which includes retrieving lost cash and repairing the harm caused by the cyberattack. Individuals will find this approach time-consuming and difficult, in a lot of cases people are unaware of where and when to approach and seek help. Hence, awareness about cybercrimes and a reporting mechanism are necessary to guide victims through the recovery process, aiding them in retrieving lost assets and repairing the harm inflicted by cyberattacks.

• Financial Institutions: Financial institutions face direct consequences when they incur significant losses due to cyber financial fraud. Unauthorised account access, fraudulent transactions, and the compromise of client data result in immediate cash losses and costs associated with investigating and mitigating the breach's impact. Such assaults degrade the reputation of financial organisations, undermine trust, erode customer confidence, and result in the loss of potential clients. 

• Future Implications and Solutions: Recently, the CID discovered a sophisticated cyber fraud network in Jharkhand. As a result, it is critical to assess the possible long-term repercussions of such discoveries and propose proactive ways to improve cybersecurity. The CID's findings are expected to increase awareness of the ongoing threat of cyber fraud to both people and organisations. Given the current state of cyber dangers, it is critical to implement rigorous safeguards and impose heavy punishments on cyber offenders. Government organisations and regulatory bodies should also adapt their present cybersecurity strategies to address the problems posed by modern cybercrime.

Solution and Preventive Measures

Several solutions can help combat the growing nature of cybercrime. The first and foremost step is to enhance cybersecurity education at all levels, including:

• Individual Level: To improve cybersecurity for individuals, raising awareness across all age groups is crucial. This can only be done by knowing the potential threats by following the best online practices, following cyber hygiene, and educating people to safeguard themselves against financial frauds such as phishing, smishing etc.
• Multi-Layered Authentication: Encouraging individuals to enable MFA for their online accounts adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification beyond passwords. 
• Continuous monitoring and incident Response:  By continuously monitoring their financial transactions and regularly reviewing the online statements and transaction history, ensure that everyday transactions are aligned with your expenditures, and set up the accounts alert for transactions exceeding a specified amount for usual activity.   
• Report Suspicious Activity: If you see any fraudulent transactions or activity, contact your bank or financial institution immediately; they will lead you through investigating and resolving the problem. The victim must supply the necessary paperwork to support your claim.

How to reduce the risks

• Freeze compromised accounts: If you think that some of your accounts have been compromised, call the bank immediately and request that the account be frozen or temporarily suspended, preventing further unauthorised truncations

• Update passwords: Update and change your passwords for all the financial accounts, emails, and online banking accounts regularly, if you suspect any unauthorised access, report it immediately  and always enable MFA that adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts.

Conclusion

The CID's finding of a cyber fraud network in Jharkhand is a stark reminder of the ever-changing nature of cybersecurity threats. Cyber security measures are necessary to prevent such activities and protect individuals and institutions from being targeted against cyber fraud. As the digital ecosystem continues to grow, it is really important to stay vigilant and alert as an individual and society as a whole. We should actively participate in more awareness activities to update and upgrade ourselves.  

References 

• https://avenuemail.in/cid-uncovers-alarming-cyber-fraud-network-8000-bank-accounts-in-jharkhand-involved/
• https://www.the420.in/jharkhand-cid-cyber-fraud-crackdown-8000-bank-accounts-involved/
• https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/story-cyber-fraudsters-in-jharkhand-opened-more-than-8000-bank-accounts-cid-freezes-2000-accounts-investigating-9203292.html

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Introduction

A new dawn in the realm of cyber security and criminal justice is on the horizon. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has recently announced the advent of the country's most sophisticated cyber lab—a bastion against the dark arts of cybercrime. This announcement, made with the gravitas befitting a statesman, was not merely a bureaucratic note; it was a clarion call to a future where technology and law converge to create a safer society.

The cyber lab, poised to be the largest and most modern of its kind, is not just a facility—it is a symbol of the state's commitment to harnessing the power of technology in the ceaseless battle against crime. Fadnavis, who also holds the state's home portfolio, underscored the significance of this initiative during a function where he also emphasised the need for the Maharashtra police to brace themselves for the enforcement of three transformative criminal laws set to take effect from the first of July 2024.

In compliance with the New Laws

These laws—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharat Sakshya Act—They are not mere statutory texts; they are the architects of a new edifice of criminal justice, designed with the mortar of modern electronic and technical evidence to buttress the conviction rates and fortify the legal system.

At the inauguration of the Evidence Management Centre (EMC) and the Evidence Dispatch Van (EDV) in Navi Mumbai, Fadnavis spoke with an air of prescience about the radical shifts these new acts will engender. The EMC, a paragon of innovation with its no-human-intervention ethos, is set to revolutionise the procedure of handling evidence, thereby amplifying the likelihood of securing convictions in an era increasingly marred by cyber frauds and hacking escapades.

Recent Trend

The Deputy Chief Minister's vision extends beyond the present, into a realm where blockchain technology becomes an ally of law enforcement, rendering evidence tampering an obsolete concern. Under the new legislative framework, expert collection of evidence is mandated for crimes with sentences exceeding seven years, a move that underscores the gravity with which digital and electronic evidence is now regarded.

The Cyber Lab

The Navi Mumbai police Commissionerate stands as the vanguard of this new legal era, being the first in the country to align with the upcoming laws. As digital transactions burgeon, so too does the evil of cybercrime. Fadnavis assures us that the cyberlaw, a veritable nexus of modernity, will bring together banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and social media platforms on a unified platform to detect and thwart crimes with alacrity.

This announcement was made in the presence of Maharashtra's Director General of Police, Rashmi Shukla, and Navi Mumbai's police commissioner, Milind Bharambe, both of whom are key figures in the conception of this project. Their attendance shows the collective resolve of Maharashtra's law enforcement to elevate its capabilities in cybercrime prevention.

Conclusion

The establishment of this cyber lab is a vivid thread woven with the intent to protect the digital integrity of its citizens. It is a testament to the state's foresight and its unwavering commitment to staying abreast of the evolving landscape of crime and technology. As we stand on the cusp of this new era, we are reminded that the fight against crime is perennial, but with such pioneering initiatives, victory is not just a possibility—it is an inevitability.

References

• https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/navi-mumbai-cyber-lab-criminal-laws-fadnavis-9206801/
• https://www.the420.in/why-maharashtras-new-cyber-lab-could-be-a-game-changer-for-national-security/
• https://apacnewsnetwork.com/2024/03/navi-mumbai-to-host-indias-most-advanced-crime-busting-lab-boosting-conviction-rates-maharashtra-deputy-cm-fadnavis-announces/

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Introduction

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With the advent of cloud computing, new information and asset delivery avenues have become possible, including Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service. With this change, the conventional paradigm of "computer as a product" is replaced with "computing as a service," which is provided to customers via the internet by big data warehouses or the cloud. Additionally, it has brought about an essential shift in how organisations function, allowing them to access computer tools and services online instead of needing to construct and manage their IT systems. As a result, organizations are now more agile, scalable, and efficient and can react swiftly to shifting consumer demands and market situations.

The Growth of Remote and Hybrid Workspaces

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Hybrid and remote workplaces are becoming more popular post-pandemic era. Many businesses have used regional workplace solutions to manage a more scattered workforce. IT departments are put in a difficult position since they have to make sure that branch office staff and remote workers can access the information they require safely and dependably. VPNs and Direct Internet Access links are becoming more and more popular, thus IT professionals are coming up with innovative ways for connecting distant locations to the main office while protecting the confidentiality of information.

User Portability

‍The widespread use of mobile devices for work, along with the growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture, has significantly contributed to the rise of remote work and flexible work environments. Employees can now connect to corporate systems using either personal or company-issued devices through secure methods such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or cloud-based platforms. This has made teleworking, work-from-home setups, and flexible work hours increasingly common and practical, allowing for greater productivity and work-life balance.

Growing Volume of Traffic

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Professionals in the modern workplace must have access to private apps stored in a data centre or a multi-cloud setup. Nevertheless, these programs might not always be easily accessible from branch offices or by remote workers and staff members might not have instant support for IT. Organizations must discover solutions to this problem so that remote workers may consistently and dependably access company resources while also making the most of their current assets. It is important to note that employees need reliable and secure ways to access their work tools from anywhere, just like they would in the office.

Battling Networking and Security Issues in a Post-Pandemic Setting

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While many businesses have successfully adopted a cloud-first approach for new system implementations or have deployed specific Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, many are still struggling to fully reap the benefits of moving most or all of their business software to the cloud.

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• Conventional IT frameworks allowed for the creation of the present company applications. Because of this, these applications are frequently inflexible and configured for fixed capacity across a limited number of data facilities. Certain organizations could lack the elements required to oversee an entire cloud migration. This could be the result of things like an affinity for on-premises systems, aversion to alteration, or a lack of experience with cloud systems. 
• Although cloud computing might be a cost-effective solution for some workloads, it might not be the best choice overall. Running certain applications in a combination of cloud services or on-premises may be more cost-effective. 
• Particularly if they are regionally distributed, workloads requiring high connection speeds or low latency may not be ideal for cloud computing.
• If a corporation lacks authority over the servers in the cloud, it may be concerned about the integrity of its data stored there. Consequently, they would rather keep it inside their data facilities.
• Firms may be restricted in their ability to migrate some types of information to the cloud by legal or compliance regulations. 

Networking and Cybersecurity Consolidation: Handling Present Risks

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In the past, protecting a network required establishing boundaries and keeping an eye on communication between recognized devices. However, it is now required for a network's components to work together as a cohesive system due to shifting expectations. To do this, flexible network pieces must be able to communicate with one another while also protecting workflows, apps, and payments that move across different devices. The current problem is to effortlessly combine security with network capabilities and connection so that data can flow between constantly moving devices while being inspected, encrypted, and subject to regulation.

Infrastructure and security personnel must update their methods and equipment to better meet these constraints to deliver reliable, efficient, and trustworthy access across users, apps, and regions within an enterprise. Inevitably, networking and safety will eventually merge for improved organizational alignment.

Businesses may stay ahead of the competition in attracting top people in an increasingly diverse and cost-effective workplace by integrating a virtual and physical workforce. The future of security solutions lies in consolidation and platformisation; a cloud-centric Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) the capacity offering paired with network edge capabilities like secured Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) can improve and automate the safety measures of the company while also cutting down on the complexity and expense of managing disparate point remedies.

Safe Networking: Moving Towards This Phenomenon and Concentration of Cybersecurity

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Companies relying on conventional networking models often face challenges in securing modern elements, such as cloud-based applications, remote users, mobile devices, and distributed locations, because traditional networks were not designed with these factors in mind. A robust networking strategy integrates both safety and networking into one system to get around these problems. It enhances security posture and network performance. It improves the user's experience and lessens the complexities of management. It is important to combine point product providers into a risk management platform rather than implementing safety measures one at a time. Tighter cooperation, greater efficiency, and a quicker, better-coordinated reaction to network threats are made possible by this.

SASE: A Coordinated Method

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Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-based architecture that offers security and networking solutions as needed and unites all edges into a single logical connection.

SASE drivers

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Conventional safety measures are ill-suited to deal with the more dispersed and complicated IT environment brought about by the advent of the Internet of Things, edge computing, and telecommuting. Using SASE, security and network services may be accessed from the cloud, eliminating the need to backhaul traffic to a single data centre for safety assessment.

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• Distant user traffic assessment and blind spots presented difficulties for companies.
• Full oversight over hybrid network operations is provided by SASE technology, which provides network services including FWaaS, SWG, DLP, and CASB.
• Issues around abnormal port usage and policy violations have arisen as more customers access SaaS apps from different gadgets and regions.
• SASE technology reduces the cost of hiring IT staff by combining safe access to resources from one supplier.
• SASE technology consolidates secure accessibility capabilities from one vendor, hence lowering the cost of hiring IT workers.
• One major benefit of SASE technology is its ease of administration. Even when overseeing multiple offices inside a corporate network, the IT department's job is minimized because a single cloud-based administrator manages the entire system.

Recommendations

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• For high-risk use cases, consider utilizing Zero Trust Network Access to supplement or replace the outdated VPN for distant users.
• Take inventory of the gear and agreements in order to progressively replace the branch and perimeter hardware on-site over a few years in favour of delivering SASE functionalities via the cloud.
• Simplify and cut expenses by grouping suppliers when VPN, CASB, and encrypted web portal agreements are up for renewal. Profit from a market that has come together and integrated these security edge services.
• Limit SASE products to a couple of partnering companies.
• Irrespective of location, integrate Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and methods of authorization (such as MFA) for every client, including those in the workplace or branch.
• To meet security and regulatory requirements, select SASE products that provide you control over where inspection takes place, how traffic is directed, what is recorded, and where records are kept.

Conclusion

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The development of cloud technology, the rise of offsite and hybrid workplaces, and the increased challenges in communication and privacy following the pandemic highlight the necessity for a comprehensive and integrated strategy. By adopting SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), a cloud-centric framework that enables secure connectivity across diverse environments, businesses can enhance cybersecurity, streamline operations, and adapt to the evolving needs of modern workplaces. This approach ultimately contributes to a safer and more efficient future for information architecture.

References

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• https://www.dsci.in/files/content/knowledge-centre/2023/DSCI-Fortinet%20POV%20Paper.pdf
• https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/cloud/cloud-trends-and-cybersecurity-challenges-navigating-future
• https://banagevikas.medium.com/cybersecurity-trends-2024-navigating-the-future-10383ec10efe

Authors:

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Soumya Gangele (Intern - Tech & Policy), CyberPeace

Neeraj Soni (Sr. Researcher), CyberPeace

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