Jalandhar: The National Information Protection Centre (NIPC) will be fully operational in a year for detection and prevention of cyber crimes, including attempt to destroy Government's vital data relating to the country's internal and external security, Director of Intelligence Bureau K P Singh said in Jalandhar today (May 26, 2004).

Singh, while delivering the valedictory speech on the All India Police Science Congress on its concluding day, said the major objective of NIPC is to prevent the enemy from stealing or tampering the vital database of various Government departments, including those related to the internal and external security system of the country.

The NIPC would also detect any attempt by the enemy to insert virus in the most valuable database, he said.

Stressing the need to combat cyber crime because of its capability to take dangerous dimensions, which could even threaten the national security, Singh said the NIPC has been envisaged on the pattern of a similar centre in the USA.

"We will also import hardware and software from the USA which would be self-sufficient to thwart any attempt made by aliens to have an access to the vital database of the country.

Not only the national security even our sovereignty can be under threat in the face of increasing trend of cyber crime," the top sleuth said.

Every new technology is available with the criminals and only systematic and serious efforts with greater networking would help contain cyber crimes, he said adding cyber security against unlawful intrusion is a very challenging task before the police.