Tamil Nadu unveils TN-S4C: New 24×7 command centre to fight cybercrime and digital fraud
Tamil Nadu government has converted the headquarters of its existing Cyber Crime Wing in Chennai into the Tamil Nadu State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, or TN-S4C. The new 24×7 facility is intended to provide a state-level mechanism for coordinating responses to increasingly complex cyber offences.
The initiative follows the Union Home Ministry’s framework for state cyber crime coordination centres as well as Supreme Court directions concerning cyber fraud and digital arrest cases.
TN-S4C will operate as a round-the-clock centre and work with district cybercrime units, banks, financial institutions, telecom companies, internet service providers, CERT-In, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and other agencies.
Its main operational divisions will be the State Cyber Command Centre and the State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre. The government has approved 172 police positions for the two units, with 76 allocated to the command centre and 91 to the investigation centre. Five additional senior officers will oversee the broader structure.
The command centre will run the 1930 cybercrime helpline, monitor e-Zero FIRs and assist with blocking SIM cards and IMEI numbers associated with suspected cyber offences. It will also conduct cyber patrols, open-source and social-media intelligence activities, as well as monitoring of the dark web.
The investigation centre will focus on complicated cases involving organised cybercrime groups, ransomware, cryptocurrency-related offences, major financial fraud and cases requiring coordination across states or countries.
A central dashboard will be used to monitor complaints, financial-fraud interventions, investigations, arrests, recoveries, seizures and convictions. The centre will also develop databases on cyber threats and study emerging patterns to support future technological and policy measures.
Tamil Nadu has opted for a combination of police personnel and outside specialists. Six experts have been empanelled for areas such as dark-web investigations, threat intelligence, digital and mobile forensics, malware analysis, log analysis and vulnerability assessment.
The government has allocated Rs 8.88 crore to expand the 1930 helpline call centre. The funding covers 15 outsourced seats for three years. A legal adviser will also be engaged on a contractual basis.