Hyderabad : A Cyber Lab here was on Aug 29 inaugurated to train police officers in tackling rising cyber crimes.

An initiative by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) and Data Security Council of India (DSCI), the cyber lab has been sponsored by Andhra Bank.

Inaugurating the lab, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police R.R. Girish Kumar said it was aimed at building the capacity of the criminal justice system and upgrade the skills of the investigating officers dealing with the cyber crime.

The skills of the investigating officers will be upgraded with required technical inputs and investigation techniques, he said. He said the lab would meet a long felt critical gap in functioning of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

He noted that along with cyber lab, a digital investigation lab and a cyber police station have also come up in the same premises. 'Technology related crime relating to mobile phones, Internet and e-mail proving a great challenge to law enforcement agencies in tackling terrorism, organized crime and several other offences, Girish Kumar said.

Member companies of Nasscom will support the initiative and the Cyber Lab also can leverage the expertise of the Cyber Cell in the CID. The lab will act as nodal centre in Andhra Pradesh to conduct awareness programmes and upgrade the skills of, not only the police officers, but also of officers from prosecution, judiciary and other government departments, apart from industry personnel.

Pratap Reddy, director, cyber security, Nasscom said it was the seventh cyber lab in the country. He said the lab would also work to create awareness across state about growing menace of cyber crime and how to take precautions to handle crime.