GUWAHATI:
True Caller and Cyber Peace Foundation in collaboration with Assam Police and with the support of Arunachal Police, Meghalaya Police and the information technology (IT) department at Royal Global University (RGU) launched the nationwide ‘True Cyber Safe’ at on May 6.
The campaign that focuses on prevention of cybercrime and internet safety was initiated first time from the Northeast at RGU, wherein experts deliberated on the ways and means to stop crimes happening in the virtual world.
Speaking at the event, Guwahati commissioner of police (COP) Harmeet Singh mentioned that cybercrime in Assam has gone up to 30% compared with previous years, and therefore the public must have to be vigilant to stop cyber-espionage activities.
“With rapid innovations in technology, there is also a corresponding rise in cyber threats and online harassment. India has seen a five-fold jump in cyber fraud cases between 2018 and 2021. As we continue our march towards technology, these negative externalities will also continue to grow,” Singh said.
He said that the first step to raising awareness about digital safety is by making people aware about reporting any kind of cybercrime that they encounter in their day-to-day activities.
Likewise, state’s principal secretary for the information technology (IT) department, Anurag Goel in his address said that vulnerabilities in cyberspace which became more evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, can be tackled by making people aware of not falling in trap to the attackers.
Thanking True Caller for initiating such an exercise, he said that the Assam government has taken several measures in the past to prevent such activities, including, including organising a month-long cyber awareness drive and issuing a one-stop guidebook on how to stay safe online.
Stating that the world revolves around internet these days, Pragya Misra Mehrishi, director of public affairs, True Caller said that the company wants to ensure that the internet and the cyber space remains space where all kinds of activities take place, and most of the world is hooked to it.
“To build on this mission, we are conducting our first set of training in Assam as part of our national campaign called True Cyber Safe. We are excited to partner with the Assam Police and receive support from the principal secretary of Assam to encourage digital users to learn how to stay safe online, take steps to report cybercrimes and aid them in nurturing the faculties of critical thinking and empathy. We are certain that this program will play an instrumental role in raising awareness and making digital communication safer for all,” Mehrishi said.
Speaking about the “Cyber Peace-The Need of the hour” Major Vineet Kumar, global president and founder, of Cyber Peace Foundation said, “Since the past two decades Cyber Peace Foundation has emphasised online safety and the issues that might be faced in the upcoming days. Post the onset of a pandemic, we did see a rise in online fraud and hence we have constantly collaborated with organisations across the globe to ensure that the netizens stay cyber aware and cyber alert and they know the mechanism to report and raise their voices.”