#FactCheck - Old Video Misleadingly Claimed as Footage of Iranian President Before Crash

Introduction

India & Bangladesh have adopted proactive approaches, focusing on advancing cyber capacity building in the region. Bangladeshi and Indian cybersecurity experts have emphasised the importance of continuous technology training to protect the digital space from growing cyber-attacks and threats. They call for greater collaboration to share knowledge and expertise in cyber resilience, network vulnerability, and cyber risk assessment. The Cyber-Maitree 2023 event held in Dhaka aimed to enrich and build capacity to counter cyber-attacks and threats. The senior director of India's Computer Emergency Response Team acknowledged the growing dependence on cyberspace and the need for increased preparedness as critical infrastructures, energy systems, banks, and utilities are connected to the internet. Recently, Bangladesh Cyber ​​Security Summit 2024, organised by Grameenphone, was held in Dhaka on March 5th, 2024. Such collaborative dialogues between the countries serve as a shining example of cooperation between the governments of Bangladesh and India, serving as a platform for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and international cooperation in cyber security.

Cyber Maitree held in 2023

In 2023, India and Bangladesh held  'Cyber Maitree 2023', an initiative hosted by the ICT Division of the Bangladeshi Government, to address cybersecurity challenges in a rapidly globalising world characterised by digitisation. The event, which translates to "Cyber Friendship," was an interface for cybersecurity experts and aspirants from both nations, creating an avenue for extensive training, practical exercises, and a dynamic exchange of information. We need to emphasise the importance of bolstering digital safety as both nations grapple with the rapid digitisation of the world.

India-Bangladesh joint efforts aim to fortify cyber resilience, pinpoint potential network vulnerabilities, bolster rigorous risk assessments, and illuminate the landscape of cyber threats. It encompasses various sectors, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, ICT, and IT-driven human resource expansion. The growing camaraderie between India and Bangladesh has been evident through strategic engagements, such as the India-Bangladesh Startup Bridge and the establishment of 12 High Tech Parks in Bangladesh.

Highlights of the India-Bangladesh MoUs for Cyber Security Cooperation

In 2017, India and Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on cyber security cooperation. 

In 2022, Both nations crafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), highlighting collaboration in spheres such as e-governance, e-public service delivery, research, and development. A separate agreement was also inked focusing on mutual information sharing pertaining to cyber-attacks and incidents. The first MoU aims to provide a framework for training Bangladesh Railway employees at Indian Railways' training institutes, including field visits. The Indian Railways will coordinate with officials from the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh to improve training facilities in Bangladesh. The second MoU focuses on collaboration in IT systems, for the Bangladesh Railway. The Ministry of Railway, Government of India, will offer IT solutions for passenger ticketing, freight operations, train inquiry systems, asset management digitisation, HR and finance infrastructure. The MoUs aim to strengthen the friendship bond between India and Bangladesh and promote friendly cooperation in the railway sector.

Way Ahead

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Posts, Telecom and ICT, Bangladesh, has announced that Bangladesh and India will collaborate to ensure the safety of the cyber world. The two countries are expected to sign a final agreement within the next three to six months. He stressed the importance of attracting investments in the postal, telecommunication, and IT sectors. He also highlighted the strong ties between Bangladesh and India. He also announced that 12 high-tech parks will be constructed in Bangladesh with an Indian Line of Credit, starting operation by 2025. He further referred to the Indian Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT), and said "We are very much enthusiastic in fighting against the cyber attacks and crimes as the team is now working with us". 

Bangladesh Cyber ​​Security Summit 2024

The Bangladesh Cyber Security Summit 2024, organised by Grameenphone, was held in Dhaka on 5th March 2024, focusing on cybersecurity issues and opportunities, fostering collaboration between government, private organisations, industry experts, and sponsors investing in Bangladesh's digital future.

Conclusion 

India and Bangladesh share a common vision for a secure digital future, focusing on cybersecurity collaboration to safeguard shared aspirations and empower nations to thrive in the digital age. We must emphasise the need to fortify digital defenses, leveraging expertise, innovation, and collaboration to secure interconnected futures. Collaborative relations in Information and Communication Technology and Cyber Security will strengthen digital defense and establish cyber resilience. 

References:

• https://caribbeannewsglobal.com/bangladesh-and-india-call-for-more-cyber-security-training/?amp=1
• https://www.indianewsnetwork.com/en/20231005/bangladesh-and-india-strengthen-ties-through-cyber-maitree-2023
• https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/150763
• https://digibanglatech.news/english/bangladesh-english/125439/
• https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/LegalTreatiesDoc/BG17B3024.pdf
• https://digibanglatech.news/english/bangladesh-english/125439/
• https://www.tbsnews.net/tech/ict/bangladesh-india-work-together-cyber-security-palak-712182

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Executive Summary

A misleading  advertisement circulating in social media providing attractive offers like iPhone15, AirPods and Smartwatches from the Indian e-commerce platform ‘Myntra’. This “Myntra - Festival Gifts” scam aims to attract the unsuspecting users into a series of redirects and fake interactions to compromise their personal information and devices. It is important to stay vigilant to protect ourselves from misleading attractive offers. Through this report, the Research Wing of CyberPeace explains about a series of processes that happens when the link gets clicked. Through this knowledge, we aim to provide awareness and empower the users to guard themselves and not fall into deceptive offers that aim to scam them.   

False Claim

The widely shared WhatsApp message claims that Myntra  is offering a wide range of high-valued prizes including the latest iPhone 15, AirPods, various smartwatches among all as a Festival Gift promotion. The campaign invites the users to click on the link provided and take a short quiz to be eligible for the prize.

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The Deceptive Scheme

• The link in the social media post is tailored to work only on mobile devices, users are taken through a chain of redirects.
• Users are greeted with the Myntra's "Big Fashion Festival" branding accompanied by Myntra’s logo once they reach the landing page, which gives an impression of authenticity.
• Next, a simple quiz asks basic questions about the user's shopping experience with Myntra, their age, and gender.
• On the bottom of the quiz, there is a comment section that shows the comments from users who are supposedly provided with the prizes to look real,  
• After the completion of the quiz, users are presented with a Spin-to-Win mechanism, to win the prize. 
• After winning, a congratulatory message is displayed which says that the user has won an iPhone 15.
• The final step requires the user to share the campaign over WhatsApp in order to claim the prize.

 Analyzing the Fraudulent Campaign 

• The use of Myntra's branding and the promise of exclusive, high-value prizes are designed to attract  users' interest.
• The fake comments and social proof elements aim to create a false sense of legitimacy and widespread participation, making the offer seem more credible.
• The series of redirects, quizzes, and Spin-to-Win mechanics are tactics to keep users engaged and increase the likelihood of them falling for the scam.
• The final step of sharing the post on WhatsApp is a way for the scammers to further spread the campaign and compromise more victims. Through sharing the link over WhatsApp, users become unaware accomplices that are simply assisting the scammers to reach an even bigger audience and hence their popularity.

• The primary objectives of such scams are to gather users' personal information and potentially gain access to their devices. By luring users with the promise of exclusive gifts and creating a false sense of legitimacy, the scammers aim to exploit user trust and compromise their data, leading to potential identity theft, financial fraud, or the installation of potentially unwanted softwares.
• We have also cross-checked and as of now there is no well established and credible source or any official notification that has confirmed such an offer advertised by Myntra.
• Domain Analysis: If we closely look at the viral message, it is clearly visible that the scammers mentioned myntra.com in the url. However, the actual url takes the user to a different domain as the campaign is hosted on a third party domain instead of the official Website of Myntra, this raised suspicion. This is the common way to deceive users into falling for a Phishing scam. Whois information reveals that the domain has been registered not long ago i.e on 8th April 2024, just a few days back. Cybercriminals used Cloudflare technology to mask the actual IP address of the fraudulent website.

• Domain Name: MYTNRA.CYOU
• Registry Domain ID: D445770144-CNIC
• Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.hkdns.hk
• Registrar URL: http://www.hkdns.hk
• Updated Date: 2024-04-08T03:27:58.0Z
• Creation Date: 2024-04-08T02:58:14.0Z
• Registry Expiry Date: 2025-04-08T23:59:59.0Z
• Registrar: West263 International Limited
• Registrant State/Province: Delhi
• Registrant Country: IN
• Name Server: NORMAN.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
• Name Server: PAM.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM

‍CyberPeace Advisory and Best Practices‍

• Do not open those messages received from social platforms in which you think that such messages are suspicious or unsolicited. In the beginning, your own discretion can become your best weapon.
• Falling prey to such scams could compromise your entire system, potentially granting unauthorized access to your microphone, camera, text messages, contacts, pictures, videos, banking applications, and more. Keep your cyber world safe against any attacks.
• Never, in any case, reveal such sensitive data as your login credentials and banking details to entities you haven't validated as reliable ones.
• Before sharing any content or clicking on links within messages, always verify the legitimacy of the source. Protect not only yourself but also those in your digital circle.
• For the sake of the truthfulness of offers and messages, find the official sources and companies directly. Verify the authenticity of alluring offers before taking any action.

Conclusion:

The “Myntra - Festival Gift” scam is a kind of manipulation in which the fraudsters exploit the trust of the users and take advantage of a popular e-commerce website. It is equally crucial to equip the users by imparting them knowledge on fraudulent behavior tactics like impersonating brands, creating fake social proof and application of different engagement strategies. We are required to remain alert and stand firm against cyber attacks. Be careful, make sure that information is verified and share awareness to help make a safe online environment for all users.

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A Foray into the Digital Labyrinth

In our digital age, the silhouette of truth is often obfuscated by a fog of technological prowess and cunning deception. With each passing moment, the digital expanse sprawls wider, and within it, synthetic media, known most infamously as 'deepfakes', emerge like phantoms from the machine. These adept forgeries, melding authenticity with fabrication, represent a new frontier in the malleable narrative of understood reality. Grappling with the specter of such virtual deceit, social media behemoths Facebook and YouTube have embarked on a prodigious quest. Their mission? To formulate robust bulwarks around the sanctity of fact and fiction, all the while fostering seamless communication across channels that billions consider an inextricable part of their daily lives.

In an exploration of this digital fortress besieged by illusion, we unpeel the layers of strategy that Facebook and YouTube have unfurled in their bid to stymie the proliferation of these insidious technical marvels. Though each platform approaches the issue through markedly different prisms, a shared undercurrent of necessity and urgency harmonizes their efforts.

The Detailing of Facebook's Strategic

Facebook's encampment against these modern-day chimaeras teems with algorithmic sentinels and human overseers alike—a union of steel and soul. The company’s layer upon layer of sophisticated artificial intelligence is designed to scrupulously survey, identify, and flag potential deepfake content with a precision that borders on the prophetic. Employing advanced AI systems, Facebook endeavours to preempt the chaos sown by manipulated media by detecting even the slightest signs of digital tampering.  

However, in an expression of profound acumen, Facebook also serves reminder of AI's fallibility by entwining human discernment into its fabric. Each flagged video wages its battle for existence within the realm of these custodians of reality—individuals entrusted with the hefty responsibility of parsing truth from technologically enabled fiction.

Facebook does not rest on the laurels of established defense mechanisms. The platform is in a perpetual state of flux, with policies and AI models adapting to the serpentine nature of the digital threat landscape. By fostering its cyclical metamorphosis, Facebook not only sharpens its detection tools but also weaves a more resilient protective web, one capable of absorbing the shockwaves of an evolving battlefield.

YouTube’s Overture of Transparency and the Exposition of AI

Turning to the amphitheatre of YouTube, the stage is set for an overt commitment to candour. Against the stark backdrop of deepfake dilemmas, YouTube demands the unveiling of the strings that guide the puppets, insisting on full disclosure whenever AI's invisible hands sculpt the content that engages its diverse viewership.

YouTube's doctrine is straightforward: creators must lift the curtains and reveal any artificial manipulation's role behind the scenes. With clarity as its vanguard, this requirement is not just procedural but an ethical invocation to showcase veracity—a beacon to guide viewers through the murky waters of potential deceit.

The iron fist within the velvet glove of YouTube's policy manifests through a graded punitive protocol. Should a creator falter in disclosing the machine's influence, repercussions follow, ensuring that the ecosystem remains vigilant against hidden manipulation.

But YouTube's policy is one that distinguishes between malevolence and benign use. Artistic endeavours, satirical commentary, and other legitimate expositions are spared the policy's wrath, provided they adhere to the overarching principle of transparency.

The Symbiosis of Technology and Policy in a Morphing Domain

YouTube's commitment to refining its coordination between human insight and computerized examination is unwavering. As AI's role in both the generation and moderation of content deepens, YouTube—which, like a skilled cartographer, must redraw its policies increasingly—traverses this ever-mutating landscape with a proactive stance.

In a Comparative Light: Tracing the Convergence of Giants

Although Facebook and YouTube choreograph their steps to different rhythms, together they compose an intricate dance aimed at nurturing trust and authenticity. Facebook leans into the proactive might of their AI algorithms, reinforced by updates and human interjection, while YouTube wields the virtue of transparency as its sword, cutting through masquerades and empowering its users to partake in storylines that are continually rewritten.

Together on the Stage of Our Digital Epoch

The sum of Facebook and YouTube's policies is integral to the pastiche of our digital experience, a multifarious quilt shielding the sanctum of factuality from the interloping specters of deception. As humanity treads the line between the veracious and the fantastic, these platforms stand as vigilant sentinels, guiding us in our pursuit of an old-age treasure within our novel digital bazaar—the treasure of truth. In this labyrinthine quest, it is not merely about unmasking deceivers but nurturing a wisdom that appreciates the shimmering possibilities—and inherent risks—of our evolving connection with the machine. 

Conclusion 

The struggle against deepfakes is a complex, many-headed challenge that will necessitate a united front spanning technologists, lawmakers, and the public. In this digital epoch, where the veneer of authenticity is perilously thin, the valiant endeavours of these tech goliaths serve as a lighthouse in a storm-tossed sea. These efforts echo the importance of evergreen vigilance in discerning truth from artfully crafted deception. 

References 

• https://about.fb.com/news/2020/01/enforcing-against-manipulated-media/
• https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/google-sheds-light-on-how-its-fighting-deep-fakes-and-ai-generated-misinformation-in-india-9047211/
• https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/14/youtube-adapts-its-policies-for-the-coming-surge-of-ai-videos/
• https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/youtube-twitter-hunt-down-deepfakes