Cyber crime biggest challenge for police in coming decade: IPS officer

Senior IPS officer Dhruva Kant Thakur has said cyber crime will be the biggest challenge for the country over the next decade. The 1994-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, who recently received the President's Medal for Distinguished Service, said a multifaceted approach is needed to tackle the evolving threat, as traditional security models are bypassed.

Mr Thakur told The Hindu that scammers are weaponising digital arrests along with AI voice and video spoofing. He urged individuals to independently verify suspicious calls by contacting police and bank helplines rather than responding to unknown numbers. He described cyber crime as a comprehensive hybrid scam network operating at a transnational level through organised syndicates.

The officer also said the Jantar Mantar protest showed that law enforcement needs a more people-friendly approach to build trust with citizens. He emphasised promoting awareness about law enforcement in schools, colleges, and residential welfare associations using local-language posters, radio, and social media videos.