What’s the news: West Bengal has 14 emerging cybercrime hotspots, as per a whitepaper released by the Future Crime Research Foundation, a non-profit startup incubated at IIT Kanpur. The “A Deep Dive into Cybercrime Trends Impacting India” report provides insights on cybercrime distribution and trends in India based on analysis of crime data from January 2020 to June 2023. Based on these trends, the report lists emerging cybercrime hotspots in regions “where various forms of digital criminal activity are on the rise,” catching law enforcement agencies and the public off-guard. Accordingly, it listed the following regions: West Bengal: Purba Bardhaman, Dhulchandria, Bhadral, Dakshin Dinajpur, Birbhum, Paschim Bardhaman, Burnpur, Barchaman, Howrah, Kolkata, Malda, Baharampur, Nadia, Nekra Mahuli (Paschim) Uttar Pradesh: Bulandshahar, Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Domakhas Maharajganj, Mathura, Sitapur, Mathura, Jevar, Gautam Budh Nagar Delhi: Ashok Nagar, Uttam Nagar (West), New Ashok Nagar, Shakkur Pur (East), Harkesh Nagar Okhla (South East), Dasrath Puri, RK Puram (South West), Azadpur (North West) Bihar: Banka, Begusarai, Jamui, Nalanda, Patna, Sasaram, Sheikhpura Jharkhand: Latehar, Dhanbad, Santhal Pargana, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Narayanpur, Ranchi Haryana: Bhiwani, Nuh, Hatangoan, Manota, Hasanpur, Palwal Rajasthan: Bidarka, Alwar, Barmer, Bharatpur, Dungarpur, Jaipur Assam: Barpeta, Dhubri, Golpara, Morigaon, Nagaon Odisha: Balasore, Dhenkanal, Jajapur, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj Other emerging regions may be viewed here. Why it matters: Indian law enforcement agencies have taken various measures in recent years to address crime-related issues. For example, the telecommunications department uses ASTR, and Tamil Nadu police use facial recognition for addressing crime. Understanding the distribution and type of cybercrimes in India…
