Alterations in Personal Data Protection Bill

Introduction

Google.org is committed to stepping ahead to enhance Internet safety and responsible online behaviour. ‘Google for INDIA 2023’, an innovative conclave, took place on 19th October 2023. Google.org has embarked on its vision for a safer Internet and combating misinformation, financial frauds and other threats that come from bad actors. Alphabet Big Tech is committed to leading this charter and engaging with all stakeholders, including government agencies. Google.org has partnered with CyberPeace Foundation to foster a safer online environment and empower users on informed decisions on the Internet. CyberPeace will run a nationwide awareness and capacity-building Initiative equipping more than 40 Million Indian netizens with fact-checking techniques, tools, SoPs, and guidance for responsible and safe online behaviour. The campaign will be deployed in 15 Indian regional languages as a comprehensive learning outcome for the whole nation. Together, Google.org and CyberPeace Foundation aim to make the Internet safer for everyone and work in a direction to ensure that progress for everyone is built on a strong foundation of trusted information available on the Internet and pursuing the true spirit of “Technology for Good”.

Google.org and CyberPeace together for enhanced online safety

A new $4 million grant to CyberPeace Foundation will support a nationwide awareness-building program and comprehensive multilingual digital resource hub with content available in up to 15 Indian languages to empower nearly 40 million underserved people across the country in building resilience against misinformation and practice responsible online behaviour.  Together, Google.org and CyberPeace are on their way to creating a strong pathway of trusted Internet and a safer digital environment. The said campaign will be undertaken for a duration of 3 years, and the following key components will run at the core of the same: 

• CyberPeace Corps Volunteers: This will be a pan India volunteer engagement initiative to create a community of 9 million CyberPeace Ambassadors/First Responders/Volunteers to fight misinformation and promote responsible online behaviour going far into the rural, marginalised and most vulnerable strata of society. 
• Digital Resource Hub: In pursuance of the campaign, CyberPeace is developing a cutting-edge platform offering a wealth of resources on media literacy, responsible content creation, and cyber hygiene translated into 15 Indian regional languages for a widespread impact on the ground. 
• Public Sensitisation: CyberPeace will be conducting an organic series of online and offline events focusing on empowering netizens to discern fact from fiction. These sensitisation drives will be taken on by start master trainers from different regions of India to ensure all states and UTs are impacted. 
• CyberPeace Quick Reaction Team: A specialised team of tech enthusiasts that will work closely with platforms to rapidly address new-age cyber threats and misinformation campaigns in real-time and establish best practices and SoPs for the diverse elements in the industries. 
• Engaging Multimedia Content: With CyberPeace’s immense expertise in E-Course and digital content, the campaign will produce a range of multilingual multimedia resources, including informative videos, posters, games, contests, infographics, and more.
• Fact-check unit: Fact-check units will play a crucial role in monitoring, identifying, and doing fact analysis of the suspected information and overall busting the growing incidents of misinformation. Fake news or misinformation has negative consequences on society at large. The fact-check units play a significant role in controlling the widespread of misinformation. 

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Fight Against Misinformation 

Misinformation is rampant all across the world and requires attention. With the increasing penetration of social media and the internet, this remains a global issue. Google.org has taken up the initiative to address this issue in India and, in collaboration with CyberPeace Foundation taken a proactive step to multiple avenues for mass-scale awareness and upskilling campaigns have been piloted to make an impact on the ground with the vision of upskilling over 40 Million people in the country and building resilience against misinformation and practicing responsible online behavior. 

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Maj Vineet Kumar, Founder of CyberPeace, said,

"In an era in which digital is deeply intertwined with our lives, knowing how to discern, act on, and share the credible from the wealth of information available online is critical to our well-being, and of our families and communities. Through this initiative, we’re committing to help Internet users across India become informed, empowered and responsible netizens leading through conversations and actions. Whether it’s in fact-checking information before sharing it, or refraining from sharing unverified news, we all play an important role in building a web that is a safe and inclusive space for everyone, and we are extremely grateful to Google.org for propelling us forward in this mission with their grant support.”

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Annie Lewin, Senior Director of Global Advocacy and Head of Asia Pacific, Google.org said:

“We have a longstanding commitment to supporting changemakers using technology to solve humanity's biggest challenges. And, the innovation and zeal of Indian nonprofit organisations has inspired us to deepen our commitment in India. With the new grant to CyberPeace Foundation, we are proud to support solutions that speak directly to Google’s DNA, helping first-time internet users chart their path in a digital world with confidence. Such solutions give us pride and hope that each step, built on a strong foundation of trusted information, will translate into progress for all.”

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Conclusion

Google.org has partnered with government agencies and other Indian organisations with the vision of future-proof India for digital public infrastructure and staying a step ahead for Internet safety, keeping the citizens safe online. Google.org is taking its largest step yet towards online safety in India. There is widespread misinformative content and information in the digital media space or on the internet. This proactive initiative of Google.org in collaboration with CyberPeace is a commendable step to prevent the spread of misinformation and empower users to act responsibly while sharing any information and making informed decisions while using the Internet, hence creating a safe digital environment for everyone.

‍References:

• https://www.youtube.com/live/-b4lTVjOsXY?feature=shared
• https://blog.google/intl/en-in/products/google-for-india-2023-product-announcements/
• https://blog.google/intl/en-in/partnering-indias-success-in-a-new-digital-paradigm/
• https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/google-to-debut-credit-in-india-announces-a-slew-of-ai-powered-launches/104547623
• https://theprint.in/economy/google-for-india-2023-tech-giant-says-it-removed-2-million-violative-videos-in-q2-2023/1810201/

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Introduction

The CID of Jharkhand Police has uncovered a network of around 8000 bank accounts engaged in cyber fraud across the state, with a focus on Deoghar district, revealing a surprising 25% concentration of fraudulent accounts. In a recent meeting with bank officials, the CID shared compiled data, with 20% of the identified accounts traced to State Bank of India branches. This revelation, surpassing even Jamtara's cyber fraud reputation, prompts questions about the extent of cybercrime in Jharkhand. Under Director General Anurag Gupta's leadership, the CID has registered 90 cases, apprehended 468 individuals, and seized 1635 SIM cards and 1107 mobile phones through the Prakharna portal to combat cybercrime. 

This shocking revelation by, Jharkhand Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has built a comprehensive database comprising information on about 8000 bank accounts tied to cyber fraud operations in the state. This vital information has aided in the launch of investigations to identify the account holders implicated in these illegal actions. Furthermore, the CID shared this information with bank officials at a meeting on January 12 to speed up the identification process.

Background of the Investigation

The CID shared the collated material with bank officials in a meeting on 12 January 2024 to expedite the identification process. A stunning 2000 of the 8000 bank accounts under investigation are in the Deoghar district alone, with 20 per cent of these accounts connected to various State Bank of India branches. The discovery of 8000 bank accounts related to cybercrime in Jharkhand is shocking and disturbing. Surprisingly, Deoghar district has exceeded even Jamtara, which was famous for cybercrime, accounting for around 25% of the discovered bogus accounts in the state.

As per the information provided by the CID Crime Branch, it has been found that most of the accounts were opened in banks, are currently under investigation and around 2000 have been blocked by the investigating agencies.

Recovery Process

During the investigation, it was found out that most of these accounts were running on rent, the cyber criminals opened them by taking fake phone numbers along with Aadhar cards and identity cards from people in return these people(account holders) will get a fixed amount every month. 

The CID has been unrelenting in its pursuit of cybercriminals. Police have recorded 90 cases and captured 468 people involved in cyber fraud using the Prakharna site. 1635 SIM Cards and 1107 mobile phones were confiscated by police officials during raids in various cities.

The Crime Branch has revealed the names of the cities where accounts are opened

1. Deoghar 2500
2. Dhanbad 1183
3. Ranchi 959
4. Bokaro 716
5. Giridih 707
6. Jamshedpur 584
7. Hazaribagh 526
8. Dumka 475
9. Jamtara 443

Impact on the Financial Institutions and Individuals

These cyber scams significantly influence financial organisations and individuals; let us investigate the implications.

• Victims: Cybercrime victims have significant financial setbacks, which can lead to long-term financial insecurity. In addition, people frequently suffer mental pain as a result of the breach of personal information, which causes worry, fear, and a lack of faith in the digital financial system. One of the most difficult problems for victims is the recovery process, which includes retrieving lost cash and repairing the harm caused by the cyberattack. Individuals will find this approach time-consuming and difficult, in a lot of cases people are unaware of where and when to approach and seek help. Hence, awareness about cybercrimes and a reporting mechanism are necessary to guide victims through the recovery process, aiding them in retrieving lost assets and repairing the harm inflicted by cyberattacks.

• Financial Institutions: Financial institutions face direct consequences when they incur significant losses due to cyber financial fraud. Unauthorised account access, fraudulent transactions, and the compromise of client data result in immediate cash losses and costs associated with investigating and mitigating the breach's impact. Such assaults degrade the reputation of financial organisations, undermine trust, erode customer confidence, and result in the loss of potential clients. 

• Future Implications and Solutions: Recently, the CID discovered a sophisticated cyber fraud network in Jharkhand. As a result, it is critical to assess the possible long-term repercussions of such discoveries and propose proactive ways to improve cybersecurity. The CID's findings are expected to increase awareness of the ongoing threat of cyber fraud to both people and organisations. Given the current state of cyber dangers, it is critical to implement rigorous safeguards and impose heavy punishments on cyber offenders. Government organisations and regulatory bodies should also adapt their present cybersecurity strategies to address the problems posed by modern cybercrime.

Solution and Preventive Measures

Several solutions can help combat the growing nature of cybercrime. The first and foremost step is to enhance cybersecurity education at all levels, including:

• Individual Level: To improve cybersecurity for individuals, raising awareness across all age groups is crucial. This can only be done by knowing the potential threats by following the best online practices, following cyber hygiene, and educating people to safeguard themselves against financial frauds such as phishing, smishing etc.
• Multi-Layered Authentication: Encouraging individuals to enable MFA for their online accounts adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification beyond passwords. 
• Continuous monitoring and incident Response:  By continuously monitoring their financial transactions and regularly reviewing the online statements and transaction history, ensure that everyday transactions are aligned with your expenditures, and set up the accounts alert for transactions exceeding a specified amount for usual activity.   
• Report Suspicious Activity: If you see any fraudulent transactions or activity, contact your bank or financial institution immediately; they will lead you through investigating and resolving the problem. The victim must supply the necessary paperwork to support your claim.

How to reduce the risks

• Freeze compromised accounts: If you think that some of your accounts have been compromised, call the bank immediately and request that the account be frozen or temporarily suspended, preventing further unauthorised truncations

• Update passwords: Update and change your passwords for all the financial accounts, emails, and online banking accounts regularly, if you suspect any unauthorised access, report it immediately  and always enable MFA that adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts.

Conclusion

The CID's finding of a cyber fraud network in Jharkhand is a stark reminder of the ever-changing nature of cybersecurity threats. Cyber security measures are necessary to prevent such activities and protect individuals and institutions from being targeted against cyber fraud. As the digital ecosystem continues to grow, it is really important to stay vigilant and alert as an individual and society as a whole. We should actively participate in more awareness activities to update and upgrade ourselves.  

References 

• https://avenuemail.in/cid-uncovers-alarming-cyber-fraud-network-8000-bank-accounts-in-jharkhand-involved/
• https://www.the420.in/jharkhand-cid-cyber-fraud-crackdown-8000-bank-accounts-involved/
• https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/story-cyber-fraudsters-in-jharkhand-opened-more-than-8000-bank-accounts-cid-freezes-2000-accounts-investigating-9203292.html

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Introduction 

The geographical world has physical boundaries, but the digital one has a different architecture and institutions are underprepared when it comes to addressing cybersecurity breaches. Cybercrime, which may lead to economic losses, privacy violations, national security threats and have psycho-social consequences,  is forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029, reaching an estimated cost of at least 6.4 trillion U.S. dollars (Statista). As cyber threats become persistent and ubiquitous, they are becoming a critical governance challenge. Lawmakers around the world need to collaborate on addressing this emerging issue.

Cybersecurity Governance and its Structural Elements

Cybersecurity governance refers to the strategies, policies, laws, and institutional frameworks that guide national and international preparedness and responses to cyber threats to governments, private entities, and individuals. Effective cybersecurity governance ensures that digital risks are managed proactively while balancing security with fundamental rights like privacy and internet freedom. It includes, but is not limited to :

1. Policies and Legal Frameworks: Laws that define the scope of cybercrime, cybersecurity responsibilities, and mechanisms for data protection. Eg: India’s National Cybersecurity Policy (NCSP) of 2013, Information Technology Act, 2000, and Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, EU’s Cybersecurity Act (2019), Cyber Resilience Act (2024), Cyber Solidarity Act (2025), and NIS2 Directive (2022), South Africa’s Cyber Crimes Act (2021), etc.
2. Regulatory Bodies: Government agencies such as data protection authorities, cybersecurity task forces, and other sector-specific bodies. Eg: India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Europe’s  European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), and others.
3. Public-Private Knowledge Sharing: The sharing of the private sector’s expertise and the government’s resources plays a crucial role in improving enforcement and securing critical infrastructure. This model of collaboration is followed in the EU, Japan, Turkey, and the USA. 
4. Research and Development: Apart from the technical, the cyber domain also includes military, politics, economy, law, culture, society, and other elements. Robust, multi-sectoral research is necessary for formulating international and regional frameworks on cybersecurity. 

Challenges to Cybersecurity Governance 

Governments face several challenges in securing cyberspace and protecting critical assets and individuals despite the growing focus on cybersecurity. This is because so far the focus has been on cybersecurity management, which, considering the scale of attacks in the recent past, is not enough. Stakeholders must start deliberating on the aspect of governance in cyberspace while ensuring that this process is multi-consultative. (Savaş & Karataş 2022). Prominent challenges which need to be addressed are: 

• Dynamic Threat Landscape: The threat landscape in cyberspace is ever-evolving.  Bad actors are constantly coming up with new ways to carry out attacks, using elements of surprise, adaptability, and asymmetry aided by AI and quantum computing. While cybersecurity measures help mitigate risks and minimize damage, they can’t always provide definitive solutions. E.g., the pace of malware development is much faster than that of legal norms, legislation, and security strategies for the protection of information technology (IT). (Efe and Bensghir 2019).
• Regulatory Fragmentation and Compliance Challenges: Different countries, industries, or jurisdictions may enforce varying or conflicting cybersecurity laws and standards, which are still evolving and require rapid upgrades. This makes it harder for businesses to comply with regulations, increases compliance costs, and jeopardizes the security posture of the organization. 
• Trans-National Enforcement Challenges: Cybercriminals operate across jurisdictions, making threat intelligence collection, incident response, evidence-gathering, and prosecution difficult.  Without cross-border agreements between law enforcement agencies and standardized compliance frameworks for organizations, bad actors have an advantage in getting away with attacks. 
• Balancing Security with Digital Rights: Striking a balance between cybersecurity laws and privacy concerns (e.g., surveillance laws vs. data protection) remains a profound challenge,  especially in areas of CSAM prevention and identifying terrorist activities. Without a system of checks and balances, it is difficult to prevent government overreach into domains like journalism, which are necessary for a healthy democracy, and Big Tech’s invasion of user privacy. 

The Road Ahead: Strengthening Cybersecurity Governance 

All domains of human life- economy, culture, politics, and society- occur in digital and cyber environments now. It follows naturally, that governance in the physical world translates into governance in cyberspace. It must be underpinned by features consistent with the principles of openness, transparency, participation, and accountability, while also protecting human rights. In cyberspace, the world is stateless and threats are rapidly evolving with innovations in modern computing. Thus, cybersecurity governance requires a global, multi-sectoral approach utilizing the rules of international law, to chart out problems, and solutions, and carry out detailed risk analyses. (Savaş & Karataş 2022). 

References

• https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1280009/cost-cybercrime-worldwide#statisticContainer
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1365/s43439-021-00045-4#citeas 
• https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/cybersecurity-policies#ecl-inpage-cybersecurity-strategy 

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