TGCSB recovers ₹246 crores in 2025
HYDERABAD: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) reported significant enforcement actions, enhanced victim support, and major technological advancements in combating digital crime in 2025, according to the annual report released by Telangana DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy.
The data show a multi-pronged strategy that has produced substantial results under the aegis of TGCSB Director Shikha Goel, from recovering hundreds of crores for defrauded citizens to achieving the highest rate of converting cyber complaints into formal investigations in the country.
A cornerstone of the Bureau’s work has been victim support. The report highlights a 23% increase in recovered defrauded amounts, rising from Rs 200.98 Crore in 2024 to Rs 246.22 Crore in 2025. Direct efforts through Lok Adalats and courts facilitated the refund of Rs 159.65 Crore to 24,498 victims across the state.
Telangana leads India in cybercrime FIR conversion
Telangana stands out for its rigorous cybercrime investigations, achieving a 24% FIR conversion rate in 2025 compared to the national average of 2%. This efficiency resulted in 371 arrests linked to 509 cases in Telangana and 2,857 cases nationwide. The Bureau dismantled two illegal SIM box operations with support from the Department of Telecommunications and proactively monitored 77 habitual offenders. The Preventive Detention Act was invoked in Nizamabad against a repeat offender.
The TGCSB expanded its wings by inaugurating a dedicated Child Protection Unit on February 18, 2025. Its efforts have been immediate and impactful. The unit processed 97,556 cyber tip lines, generated 1,635 suspect profiles, registered 854 FIRs, and made 376 arrests related to online child sexual exploitation material.
Primarily, prevention remained a key theme, with the TGCSB conducting 31,397 cybercrime awareness campaigns statewide. The flagship “Fraud ka Full Stop” campaign was launched by the Director General of Police and ran for six weeks. Cyber Hygiene guidelines have also been implemented on 8,570 computers across the Telangana Police force.
More significantly, TGCSB invested in cybersecurity infrastructure and partnerships. It hosted the SHIELD 2025 Cybersecurity Conclave at HICC, conducted vulnerability assessments and penetration testing on 14 government web and mobile applications, and performed network testing for critical infrastructure, including venues for the Miss World event.
Furthermore, its Threat Intelligence Unit identified 2,491 malicious URLs (taking down 1,311), and blocked 8,979 SIMs and 8,856 device IMEIs. A state-of-the-art Security Operations Centre (SOC) is now operational. Strategic Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with Google, NALSAR, and IIIT Hyderabad to bolster expertise and collaboration.
