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July 9, 2024 | 
Aditya Mishra
In a disturbing development sweeping across India, cyber fraud is indiscriminately targeting individuals, from those with limited digital know-how in rural settings to the technologically adept in urban locales. The tales of Lakshman Kumar (name changed) from Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, and Vipin Thakur (name changed) from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, serve as stark reminders of the vulnerabilities inherent in our digital engagements.
Lakshman Kumar, a 27-year-old student, became ensnared in a web of deceit when he received a call from a fraudster posing as a bank official, offering to increase his credit card limit. The seemingly benign interaction quickly escalated into a financial nightmare as Lakshman Kumar was tricked into submitting his details on a fraudulent website, resulting in an unauthorized deduction of INR 30,000 from his account. However, Lakshman Kumar’s prompt response, guided by advice from the ‘digital ambassador’ (or cybersecurity expert) trained by nasscom foundation and subsequent action taken by reaching out to the National Helpline for financial cyber frauds, culminated in the successful recovery of his funds. His story is a testament to the critical importance of awareness and the efficacy of institutional support mechanisms in mitigating the impacts of cyber scams.
Conversely, Vipin Thakur’s encounter with cyber fraud illustrates the allure and pitfalls of online investment schemes. At 40 years old, the teacher from Chamba was drawn into a Facebook group promising lucrative returns on investments. Initial successes with small amounts led him to invest INR 12,000, only to find himself abandoned by the scammer with no recourse to recover his lost funds. Despite reporting the incident through the appropriate cyber helpline number 1930, Vipin’s case remains unresolved, highlighting the challenges that victims face in seeking justice and the imperative for more robust protective measures.
A study by a start-up incubated at IIT Kanpur revealed a worrying trend: from January 2020 to June 2023, financial scams have overwhelmingly dominated cybercrime in India, accounting for more than 75% of incidents, with UPI and internet banking frauds making up nearly half. This research indicates that 77.41% of cybercrimes involve online financial deceit, including debit/credit card fraud, business email compromise, and notably, UPI fraud, which constitutes 47.25% of the cases. Alarmingly, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’s 1930 helpline logged 700,000 online fraud complaints in April 2023 alone, with Uttar Pradesh contributing nearly 100,000 of these reports. Meanwhile, India’s IT sector faces its own unique challenge: a critical shortage of cybersecurity experts.
This gap is not exclusive to India, as countries like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia are similarly grappling with this scarcity. According to a report by TeamLease Digital, there were about 40,000 cybersecurity job vacancies in India as of May 2023. Despite attractive salaries and strong demand, the cybersecurity field is expected to experience a demand-supply mismatch of nearly 30% by the end of the year, highlighting a pressing need for skilled professionals who excel in cybersecurity and can help people navigate in digital space more cautiously.
Nevertheless, a significant portion of rural India is grappling with the challenges of cybersecurity, primarily due to insufficient digital literacy. Internet use has surged across India, reaching 646 million people over two years old, with 352 million users in rural areas. This marks a 20% greater internet user base in villages compared to urban areas, according to the Bharat 2.0 Internet Study by Nielsen. The study highlights a significant gender disparity in growth rates, with female internet usage increasing by 61% compared to males at 24%. Predictions suggest the total internet users in India could reach 900 million by 2025, driven by rural adoption, which has also led to an increase in cyber frauds.
Cybersecurity is crucial in India’s digital era, driven by its swift digital transformation and the increasing reliance on technology across all sectors. The country’s ambitious projects, like Digital India, aim to revolutionize government operations and public services through digital means, significantly enhancing efficiency but also exposing vital systems to cyber threats. Protecting these assets is essential not only for the smooth operation of digital services but also for safeguarding citizens’ data. Moreover, as India’s economy leans heavily on the IT and ITES sectors, securing these from cyberattacks is pivotal for economic stability and growth, highlighting the intertwined relationship between cybersecurity and national prosperity.
The surge in digital finance and e-commerce, alongside India’s push towards a cashless economy, further elevates the importance of cybersecurity. This shift demands robust measures to prevent financial fraud, protect personal information, and instil confidence in digital transactions. Furthermore, with the global nature of cyber threats, India’s focus on cybersecurity is also a step towards complying with international data protection standards, essential for global partnerships and maintaining its competitive edge in the IT domain. Cybersecurity, therefore, emerges not just as a defense mechanism but as a foundational pillar supporting India’s vision of a digital future, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and proactive approach to secure its digital frontier.
In an effort to extend the reach of technology to the aspirational districts of India, nasscom foundation has initiated the establishment of Digital Resource Centers (DRCs), where ‘digital ambassadors’ trained by the tech experts inform people about cyber-attacks and how to safeguard oneself from such attacks. These centers aim to enlighten communities about the benefits and safe use of technology, covering crucial aspects like tech skilling, digital transactions, and access to government welfare schemes. Despite the rapid adoption of technology across the country, a significant gap in digital literacy and security awareness persists, making vulnerable groups such as the elderly, adolescents, and women easy targets for online frauds.
Recognizing the critical role of digital empowerment, these centers focus on nurturing ‘digital ambassadors’, who are chosen and trained from within the communities. These ambassadors from the community, equipped with knowledge on ‘TechForGood,’ are tasked with spreading awareness about the importance of digital security. The initiative places a special emphasis on the youth, aiming to guide them towards positive use of their tech skills and prevent them from veering into cybercrime, a path some might unwittingly follow without understanding the legal consequences.
The training provided at these centers encompasses basic digital skills, such as making UPI payments, protecting personal information like Aadhaar numbers, and securely accessing government services and scholarships. This not only aids in protecting individuals from financial fraud but also contributes to the broader goal of economic stability by preventing economic losses due to scams. Through these efforts, nasscom foundation’s Digital Literacy Program is paving the way for a digitally literate and secure rural India, ensuring technology serves as a tool for empowerment and progress rather than a source of vulnerability.
The alarming 44% Compound Annual Growth Rate of cybercrime in India, as reported by the NITI Aayog, underscores the critical necessity of raising awareness among the most vulnerable segments of our society. It is imperative that individuals are educated about the risks associated with dubious phone calls, messages, and websites to shield them from the clutches of today’s cybercriminals. Furthermore, programs akin to those implemented by nasscom foundation serve as a vital defense, ensuring that the public does not become easy targets for these digital age buccaneers. As we move forward, the collective effort to bolster cybersecurity measures and public awareness will be paramount in safeguarding the digital frontier.
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