LUCKNOW: In an effort to tighten noose around cyber criminals, the district police recently organised a slide-show presentation in which a private software firm displayed biometric technology tools to control this growing menace. Around 150 cyber cafe owners were also present at the presentation.
Titled 'Cyber Cafe Monitoring System (CCMS)', the technology comprises of a biometric system for recording fingerprints of persons who use a workstation. This potent system has some other features like facility to take live snapshots, public IP address and MAC address (used to keep record of computer systems used in a crime).
According to the firm's director Anuj Kacker, who displayed the technology in front of cyber cafe owners, it will have a US-made thumb scanner device for recording fingerprints of a user. The software will also record photographs along with the name and others details of the user.
However, in a survey of some cyber cafes in the city it came to light that small owners were apprehensive of the technology. Talking to TOI, Rajendra, a cyber cafe owner in Aliganj, said, "if we use this technology we will be under constant watch of the cops as the main server of the system will be connected to that of the cops."
A Hazratganj cyber cafe owner was bold enough to admit that since most of the people who visit his cafe surf pornographic websites, adopting the technology will hit his business and "intrude into the privacy of the user".
Allaying fears, Anuj told TOI that the technology will not record the content of the website or an email. "It will only record the public IP address. The police will only intervene if it comes to light that a crime has been committed on a particular IP," he added.
Anuj added that since cyber cafe owners were not aware about the technology and its use, the firm was planning to conduct regular such presentations. According to Anuj, the software is designed in such a manner that the data base will be recorded for a period of two months. In case a cyber crime is committed using a particular computer system, and it comes to the knowledge of cops, a tracker will be put on the user's name and if on any later date the culprit again uses any other computer system attached to the CCMS main server with the police, his identity will be revealed.
Talking to TOI, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Akhil Kumar said, "it is solely at the discretion of the cyber cafe owners to use this technology or use close-circuit television cameras for maintaining a record. The technology is in no way being endorsed by the district police but it is a good system that will help in controlling cyber crime in a big way." The SSP also assured that if a cyber cafe owner adopts CCMS, police will only intervene in case of complaint lodged for a crime.
The news system will alert police officials of a particular area where a cafe is situated within seconds of any violation and display a status column which will define whether a particular computer system is being used or not by the culprit.
The technology will cost Rs 6,800 along with an additional charge of Rs 200 for the services. According to the technology providers, the cost is less when compared to installing close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) which cost around Rs 14,000 per unit.
So far six cyber cafes out of a total of 3,000 in the city have installed the system and according to Anuj, another 35 proposals are in the pipeline
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