AP to roll out cyber guard to crackdown cybercrimes

Vijayawada: The state govt is set to roll out an integrated cyber security framework titled “AP Cyber Guard” to crack down on rising cyber crimes across the state. Reviewing the action plan prepared by the police department at the Secretariat on Friday, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to implement a zero FIR system for cybercrime complaints and ensure immediate response to victims. The chief minister said the moment a complaint is received at the cyber war room, a zero FIR should be registered, and banks should be alerted within the “golden hour” to prevent fraudulent transfer of money from victims’ accounts. Stressing the need for coordination between banks, police, APS and finance departments, Naidu said cyber criminals should develop fear that committing offences in the state would lead to swift arrest and strict punishment. The proposed AP cyber guard system will function on a six-pillar model covering cyber war room operations, 1930 helpline dashboard integration, technology and AI tools, capacity building, three-tier cyber architecture and public awareness campaigns. DGP Harish Kumar Gupta explained that a state-level cyber war room with 11 specialised divisions would be established at Prabhala Tech Park in Mangalagiri within 30 days. The DGP said the state would create cyber units in all 28 districts along with four regional hubs. A mechanism is also being developed to contact banks within 10 minutes of receiving complaints and freeze suspicious accounts. The police department is planning to introduce MuleHunter.AI in coordination with the RBI and leading banks to detect fraudulent transactions. Naidu stressed that “digital arrest” frauds were trapping even educated citizens and called for massive awareness drives, particularly among retired employees. He directed police to conduct cyber patrolling and large-scale campaigns to prevent crimes before they occur, making Andhra Pradesh a model state in cybercrime prevention. CID DGP Dr Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, Eagle chief Ake Ravikrishna, chief secretary G Sai Prasad, and special chief secretary Vijayanand were also present.