Delhi cops to get 'one touch' internet monitoring system

Before the year is out, Delhi Police will be armed with "one touch" technology to enable it to better monitor the internet, track social media platforms that are being increasingly used to propagate terror activities and also help plug gaps in cyber security.

A day after the vulnerability of social media accounts came under the spotlight with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account being hacked and vulgar messages posted on it, sources said Delhi Police's Special Cell would be getting the technology within the month.

Soon, with just one touch, the police will be able to gather information from various platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. The technology will allow police officials to set a duration period so there is no overlap in terms of data and dates. Investigators will see only the information they seek in the particular time-frame they want.

Information won't overlap with previous days. They will only have to enter a time duration and the key word for the information from the open source is available to them, an official explained.

The move comes at a time when the government is pushing its Digital India initiative. But A Digital India, aimed at empowering the people, also poses a threat as information shared in the digital world can also be seen by others and misused or passed on.

"Digital can't be divorced from cyber security. Digital world without security is like a pyramid without foundation which can collapse like a house of cards," said cyber law expert Pavan Duggal, adding that digital is the present and the future and we can't run away from it.

He added that the digital world is also misused for cyber terror and radicalization and the duties of service providers need to be revisited. Cyber law, cyber crime and cyber security go hand in hand. "There is also need for international cyber law so that a person who is sitting in country X and preaching people in country Y can't just get away as different countries have different laws. Also effective legal remedies need to given to victims of cyber crimes as well.

Officials point out that social media platforms have been used for radicalization with terror groups using them for interaction and banned outfits uploading videos.

"These days, everyone is on social media on various websites. When they come in contact with people who are sharing thoughts on a specific issue, they tend to get inclined towards them. Later, their followers or friends also start doing the same and the channel of communication continues," said a police officer.

Congress on cyber security

"Brazen hacking attempts also raise serious questions on the digital safety and privacy of millions of Indians, who use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram etc. as not only conversational platforms but also for exchange of ideas and dissemination of information," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.

The party has filed a case with the cyber cell of the Delhi Police regarding Rahul Gandhi's verified Twitter account being hacked. The Twitter accounts are linked to e-mail IDs as well. Even in this case many people had the password of the official account.

Demanding that the Modi government revisit the issue of digital safety, Surjewala said, "Another important question being asked by every Indian is if conversational platforms like twitter can be hacked so unabashedly by hackers, what is the safety of entire digital payment network? Does it not prove the inherent cyber security risks that exist for all electronic transactions and payment gateways?"