Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, organised the annual Zonal Security Conference for the West Zone at Cavelossim, South Goa, today, 3rd September 2025. The conference, held on the theme “Sashakt Sanchar, Abhinav Suraksha” discussed emerging security concerns, growing significance of telecom network intelligence and effective use of telecom and cyber coordination platforms by law enforcement and security agencies.
Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) & Chairman of Digital Communication Commission, in his key note address at the inaugural session, said that the conference was meant to discuss and analyze the misuse of telecom resources which has grown exponentially along with the infrastructural and technological developments in the sector.
“DoT has taken concrete steps to improve the cyber security posture of the country. We have used crowd sourcing very effectively through Sanchar Sasthi portal, which empowers the citizens to join the fight against fraudsters,” he said and added that over 14 crore users have been benefitted so far due to the initiative.
DoT has disconnected more than four crore connections in the last two years found involved in fraudulent or suspicious activities. Around six lakh mobile handsets have been recovered by State police departments in the last two years, Mittal said. He also talked about Financial Fraud Risk Indicators (FRI) launched by the DoT in May 2025 to flag mobile numbers associated with financial frauds.
The FRI provides real time intelligence to banks and financial institutions enabling them to take preventive measures like suspicious transactions or issuing alerts to customers about the potential risks of likely fraudulent transactions.
Alok Kumar, IPS, Director General of Police for Goa, said that in recent months, Goa Police, in close coordination with telecom service providers and DoT, had taken targeted initiatives to stop several fraudulent activities. “We have made extensive use of the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal to retain telecom integrity. Cybercrimes usually piggyback on two main sectors – telecom and banking. Adopting latest technology, providing training to those involved in the fight against cybercrimes and inter-agency collaborations can effectively fight the crimes in the field,” he said.
Earlier, R K Goyal, Special Director General, Maharashtra LSA, welcomed the gathering. Sunita Chandra, Director General (Telecom); Shubha Bhambhani, Additional Director General (Telecom); Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Security), DoT; and Anand Khare, Advisor (Operations), DoT, also addressed the inaugural session.
Over 100 representatives from Central Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and officers of Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) from the West Zone States and Union Territories as well as financial institutes and telecom service providers attended the conference.
The conference included various sessions on crucial topics such as telecom supply chain security, cyber crime, utilization and curbing of misuse of telecom resources.
