TN police to involve IT students in investigation of cyber crimes

CHENNAI: The Coimbatore police is all set to join hands with students of Information Technology who are specialising in Artificial Intelligence and ethical hacking for investigation of cyber crimes.

A senior officer told IANS that this was a move intended to seek advice from students who have sound knowledge of cyber crimes and to get their support in preventing such offences.

The Coimbatore police have also started a cyber crime awareness initiative among students, especially college students, who are active on social media and other applications that are prone to such crimes.

A senior officer said: "Students who are studying IT, software courses, and application development courses will have knowledge about cyber crimes and will be able to advise the police on how to identify those involved in these crimes."

The sleuths have a full-fledged cyber crime cell but senior officers feel that engaging bright young minds with sound knowledge of the latest trends in software and IT technologies, would be an added advantage for the department.

The police have also planned to establish a 'Cyber Club' that comprises two staff conveners and students from every college in the city. These 'Cyber Clubs' will be used to create cyber awareness among students and common people and how to stay away from modern cyber crimes involving financial misappropriation, misuse of photographs, morphed photos, and spurious calls like payment of online bills and thereby swindling money from bank accounts.

This initiative is being monitored by the Tamil Nadu Police Cyber Crime wing and if the association with the students proves to be helpful, the project will be extended across the state.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Cyber Cell told IANS: "After monitoring the project of Coimbatore Police, if the students we engage are delivering proper results, we are planning to extended this across the state."