Punjab Police opens cyber kiosk for malware analysis in Mohali

Chandigarh, Jul 21 (PTI) In a step towards enhancing cybersecurity, Punjab Police on Monday inaugurated a cyber kiosk for malware analysis of mobile devices at the state cybercrime office in Mohali.

The self-service kiosk is designed to scan and sanitise Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as USB drives and external storage, from malicious, banned, or unsafe applications and files.

Inaugurating the cyber kiosk, Special DSP (cybercrime) V Neeraja said, “This is a public initiative for the citizens which has been set up at four places -- in Mohali and CP (commissioner of police) offices in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. Similar cyber kiosks will be set up in other districts as well." Addressing representatives from public welfare and industry associations, Neeraja emphasised that the kiosk provides a quick, secure and free 24x7 service, with each scan taking just 2-5 minutes.

"There is no risk of data leakage – citizens can safely check their devices for malware and remove threats instantly," she said.

The officer also urged people to remain vigilant against cybercrimes and stressed the importance of immediate reporting via the cybercrime helpline – 1930 – or the 'Cyber-Mittar' chatbot on the portal cybercrime.punjabpolice.gov.in.

Jashandeep Singh Gill, SP (cybercrime), said the kiosk identifies IMEI details, SIM information and performs quick and deep scans of applications and internal storage.

"Users can uninstall infected apps, delete harmful files, and generate scan reports instantly. The report can be sent to the user's email or stored on a USB device. The system is user-friendly, secure, and operates through a touch screen interface," he said.

An official statement said that developed by the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in collaboration with Arishti Info Labs, the kiosk brings malware analysis directly to the public domain without the need for advanced technical skills.

The cyber kiosk in Mohali has been set up in collaboration with real estate company Omaxe as part of its corporate social responsibility facility, it said. PTI SUN ARI