While cyber-crime is increasing in India rapidly, there is an acute shortage of trained professionals. At the current rate India needs about 20,000 trained professionals to solve crime related to the Internet and mobile phones.To address this shortage, Agape India - providing services in cyber forensic law, biometrics solutions and storage consultant - today announced the launch of National Institute of e-Forensics (NIeF). A unit of E-forensic, with an aim to provide advanced specialised computer and mobile forensic training programs. The company also announced a toll-free number as an extension to circumvent e-crimes.The company will be investing close to Rs 200 crore by March 2008 in setting up five training laboratories, of which two would be for two state governments. "Presently, we have one lab operational in Mumbai. We plan to set up similar training labs in Delhi, Kolkatta and Chennai. These will be for private usage while the labs with the state government will be to work with them on case to case basis. We will be raising these funds through foreign investment," said Sachin Pandey, CEO & president, NIeF. The company will also enter into tie-ups with law enforcement agencies to train and advise officials on handling such cases.Each of these labs will be set up with an investment of Rs 15-20 crore.The company has introduced 10 courses with fees in the range of Rs 15,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. It is expecting to enrol 100 students per quarter. "The course will be certified by Oregon University, US. The demand for such professionals is very high. We ourselves will absorb around 200 students who pass out from the centres," said Pandey.Pandey feels that the current scenario in India makes it necessary for such training as most of the time evidence in cyber related crimes are destroyed by the law enforcement agencies themselves. More so in mobile related crime.With India becoming the fastest growing mobile market, mobile related crime are also rising rapidly. While the company does not take direct complaints, it does provide investigation services to corporates and individuals. Pandey says, "On a monthly basis we get 25-30 complaints. Of which 60-65% are committed through mobile phones while the rest are from the PC segment."Pandey believes that NIeF will be able to generate Rs 2 to 2.5 crore as revenue in the first year of operations. Agape has been in the Indian market for the last seven years. It has been marketing high-end forensic products from players like Paraben, Wetstone, HP, X-Ways, Steganos and others.Globally, 6,70,000 cyber crime related complaints have been registered. As on December 31, 2006 the total reported loss was around $1.1 billion. According to Indian Computer response team (CERT IN), hackers broke into over 2,340 websites up to the end of May this year.
