Chennai, Aug 16 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has converted the Cyber Crime Wing headquarters in Chennai into a state-level command centre to strengthen its response to increasingly complex cyber offences.

Named the Tamil Nadu State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (TN-S4C), the facility will operate from the Police Training College complex in Ashok Nagar.

The Home Department issued the government order on July 28, and the notification was published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette on August 12. The TN-S4C will function as the state’s nodal agency for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. It will work under the overall supervision of the Director-General of Police and the direct administrative control of the DGP or Additional DGP heading the Cyber Crime Wing.

Designed as a round-the-clock operational hub, the centre will coordinate immediate action against online financial fraud, monitor cyber threats and undertake cyber patrolling.

It will work closely with banks, telecom operators, Internet service providers, CERT-In and Central and state agencies. The centre will also handle cases requiring inter-state or international coordination, including organised cybercrime, ransomware attacks, cryptocurrency-related offences and large-scale financial fraud.

Its operations will be divided among six verticals: the State Cyber Command Centre, State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre, Cyber Arangam, Advanced Cyber Forensic Unit, Administration Division and Cyber Security Division.

The command centre will operate the 1930 cybercrime helpline, supervise e-Zero FIRs and coordinate the blocking of SIM cards, mobile devices and unlawful online content. It will also conduct social media intelligence and dark-web surveillance. The investigation centre will probe technologically sophisticated crimes spanning multiple jurisdictions. It will function as an e-police station for e-Zero FIRs in cases involving financial losses exceeding Rs 1 lakh.

The government has sanctioned 172 police posts for the core command and investigation units. Another 28 personnel will be deputed to Cyber Arangam, while 25 ministerial staff members will support administrative operations.

Cyber Arangam will conduct public-awareness programmes, police training, student internships, hackathons and digital-literacy initiatives.

The forensic unit will manage the state cyber laboratory and introduce advanced investigative technologies.

Six external experts have also been empanelled in specialised areas, including dark-web investigation, malware analysis, threat intelligence and digital forensics.

The government has allocated Rs 8.88 crore to expand the 1930 helpline with 15 outsourced seats for three years. A state dashboard will monitor complaints, arrests, recoveries, seizures and convictions, while the centre’s performance will undergo monthly and quarterly reviews.

–IANS

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