Nagpur: The state government has embarked on a journey of opening around 45 cyber police stations by converting the existing laboratories at a cost of around Rs 1,000 crore.

The state government has also completed designing regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to fight lakhs of cyber attacks per minute from hostile nations, besides monitoring the lethal 'dark webs' which have been offering dubious services including hiring of mercenaries, and supplying arms and ammunitions to various types of contraband substances.

Sanctioning a budgetary allocation of Rs 867 crore and additional Rs 150 crore on miscellaneous expenses, the government has already started implementing a plan of converting the 44 district-based cyber laboratories into police stations. Around 37 such laboratories have already been converted into police stations. Altogether 35 such police stations are operational currently, barring Nagpur city and some other units due to manpower shortage.

The state government, under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who also holds the home portfolio, inaugurated modern and sophisticated cyber cell laboratories across the state in almost 42 units on August 15 last year, ensuring one such unit in every district.

Brijesh Singh, IG state cyber security and also the chief information security officer (CISO), an said these police stations will tackle cases pertaining to cyber crimes and threats. "Around 170 personnel have been trained by a separate unit dedicated to grooming such manpower. The wing of cyber forensic has been bolstered in an unprecedented manner by the government," he said.

Following instructions from CERT under the ministry of electronics and information technology, the government has reached the tendering process to open a regional chapter of the existing body for enhancing cyber security. "The existing cyber security concern will be shared with the stakeholders, who will also be the end users of the system having similar infrastructure and threat perception," said Singh.

About the 'dark webs', he said, "We are working on them and trying to ascertain them with specific information regarding the body corporate, institutions, organizations or individuals against online payments."

The state government now has a cyber crime investigation team for tackling serious online frauds and offences. "We are collaborating with IIT Powai, Gujarat Cyber University and other private researchers for gaining incisive expertise into the intricate fields of cyber crimes," said Singh, who is also heading the state's information dissemination wing.

He said the digital crime unit of the state has been developed into a premier anti-piracy and investigation agency. "We are now working in tandem with motion pictures producers' guild and other bodies affected by piracy," he added.