Delhi Police are acquiring technology to hack cloud storage systems
After the controversy over the Center's 'snooping order', the Delhi Police are gearing up to acquire new technology that will enable cops to hack into cloud-based storage systems and extract suspects' data for analysis. Reportedly, the technology will be used by the Special Cell's cyber unit and the economic offences wing during investigations. Here are the details.
Delhi Police's current technology has fallen behind the times
As it stands, the Delhi Police only have the ability to extract data from hard disks of suspects' computers and laptops - the software makes a mirror image of the hard disk which is then sent for forensic analysis. However, with people increasingly storing data on cloud-based storage to escape surveillance, the current technology Delhi Police posses have fallen behind the times.
Which cloud storage systems can the program hack?
The new technology which the Delhi Police are trying to acquire will allow them to extract data from Google Drive as well as Apple's iCloud, when investigations require such measures to be taken. Police are also hoping that the software program will allow them access to other cloud-based storage services like Dropbox, Flickr, SkyDive, OneDrive etc.
What kind of data can the program access?
The program, reportedly will work for both computers and mobile devices. It will allow police to detect files in the form of text, music, videos, pictures, and compressed files. The program will also be able to scan through a range of email clients, browsers, MS Office files, and peer-to-peer chat platforms including uncommon ones like Text Plus, Textie, Tango, Telegram etc.
Delhi Police have denied that it'll be used for snooping
Given the recent controversy about government snooping, the question of whether the objective of the software is to snoop on people has understandably arisen. However, Delhi Police have vehemently denied it, saying that the use of the software will only be restricted to devices and accounts related to a particular investigation. It will not be used to hack into accounts randomly for surveillance.
