India-UK Joint Tech Security Initiative
Overview of the India-UK Joint Tech Security Initiative
India and the UK have been deepening their technological and security ties through various initiatives and agreements. One of the key developments in this partnership is the India-UK Joint Tech Security Initiative, which focuses on enhancing collaboration in areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI),telecommunications, and critical technologies. Building upon the bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030, which seeks to bolster cooperation across various sectors, including trade, climate change, antidefense, the UK and India launched the Joint Tech Security Initiative (TSI) on July 24, 2024. This initiative will priorities collaboration in critical and emerging technologies across priority sectors. Coordinating with the national security agencies of both countries, the TSI will set priority areas and identify interdependencies for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies. This, in turn, will help build meaningful technology value chain partnerships between India & the UK.
The TSI will be coordinated by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of both countries through existing and new dialogues. The NSAswill set priority areas and identify interdependencies for cooperation on critical and emerging tech, helping build meaningful technology value chain partnerships between the two countries. Progress made on the initiative will be reviewed on a half-yearly basis at the Deputy NSA level. A bilateral mechanism will be established led by India's Ministry of External Affairs and the UK government for promotion of trade in critical and emerging technologies, including resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues. Both countries view this TSI as a platform and a strong signal of intent to build and grow sustainable and tangible partnerships across priority tech sectors. They will explore how to build a deeper strategic partnership between UK and Indian research and technology centres and Incubators, enhance cooperation across UK and India tech and innovation ecosystems, and create a channel for industry and academia to help shape the TSI.
The UK and India are launching new bilateral initiatives to expand and deepen their technology security partnership. These initiatives will focus on various domains, including telecoms, critical minerals, semiconductors, and energy security.
In telecoms, the UK and India will build a new Future Telecoms Partnership, focusing on joint research on future telecoms, open RAN systems, testbed linkups, telecoms security, spectrum innovation, software and systems architecture. This will include collaboration between UK's SONIC Labs, India's Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and Dot's Telecoms Startup Mission.
In critical minerals, the UK and India will expand their collaboration on critical minerals, working together to improve supply chain resilience, explore possible research and development and technology partnerships along the complete critical minerals value chain, and share best practices on ESG standards. They will establish a roadmap for cooperation and establish a UK-India ‘critical minerals’ community of academics, innovators, and industry.
Key Areas of Collaboration:
- Strengthening cybersecurity defense and enhancing resilience through joint cybersecurity exercises and information-sharing and developing common standards and best practices while collaborating with their respective organisations, ie, CERT-In and NCSC.
- Promotion of ethical AI development and deployment with AI ethics guidelines and frameworks, and efforts encouraging academic collaborations. Support for new partnerships between UK and Indian research organizations alongside existing joint programmes using AI to tackle global challenges.
- Building secure and resilient telecom infrastructure with a focus on security and exchange of expertise and regulatory cooperation. Collaboration on Open Radio Access Networks tech to name as an example.
- Critical and emerging technologies development by advancing research and innovation in the quantum, semiconductors and biotechnology niches. Promoting and investing in tech startups and innovation ecosystems. Engaging in policy dialogues on tech governance and standards.
- Digital economy and trade facilitation to promote economic growth by enhancing frameworks and agreements for it. Collaborating on digital payment systems and fintech solutions and most importantly promoting data protection and privacy standards.
Outlook and Impact on the Industry
The initiative sets out a new approach for how the UK and India work together on the defining technologies of this decade. These include areas such as telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/biotechnology, advanced materials and semiconductors. While the initiative looks promising, several challenges need to be addressed such as the need to put robust regulatory frameworks in place, and develop a balanced approach for data privacy and information exchange in the cross-border data flows. It is imperative to install mechanisms that ensure that intellectual property is protected while the facilitation of technology transfer is not hampered. Above all, geopolitical risks need to be navigated in a manner that the tensions are reduced and a stable partnership grows. The Initiative builds on a series of partnerships between India and the UK, as well as between industry and academia. Abilateral mechanism, led by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the UK government, will promote trade in critical and emerging technologies, including the resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues.
Conclusion
This initiative, at its core, will drive forward a bilateral partnership that is framed on boosting economic growth and deepening cooperation across key issues including trade, technology, education, culture and climate. By combining their strengths, the UK and India are poised to create a robust framework for technological innovation and security that could serve as a model for international cooperation in tech.
References
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-uk-launch-joint-tech-security-initiative-101721876539784.html
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-india-technology-security-initiative-factsheet/uk-india-technology-security-initiative-factsheet
- https://www.business-standard.com/economy/news/india-uk-unveil-futuristic-technology-security-initiative-to-seal-fta-soon-124072500014_1.htm
- https://bharatshakti.in/india-uk-technology-security-initiative/
Related Blogs
Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a varied range of services and continues to catch intrigue and experimentation. It has altered how we create and consume content. Specific prompts can now be used to create desired images enhancing experiences of storytelling and even education. However, as this content can influence public perception, its potential to cause misinformation must be noted as well. The realistic nature of the images can make it hard to discern as artificially generated by the untrained eye. As AI operates by analysing the data it was trained on previously to deliver, the lack of contextual knowledge and human biases (while framing prompts) also come into play. The stakes are higher whilst dabbling with subjects such as history, as there is a fine line between the creation of content with the intent of mere entertainment and the spread of misinformation owing to biases and lack of veracity left unchecked. AI-generated images enhance storytelling but can also spread misinformation, especially in historical contexts. For instance, an AI-generated image of London during the Black Death might include inaccurate details, misleading viewers about the past.
The Rise of AI-Generated Historical Images as Entertainment
Recently, generated images and videos of various historical instances along with the point of view of the people present have been floating all over the internet. Some of them include the streets of London during the Black Death in the 1300s in England, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii etc. Hogne and Dan, two creators who operate accounts named POV Lab and Time Traveller POV on TikTok state that they create such videos as they feel that seeing the past through a first-person perspective is an interesting way to bring history back to life while highlighting the cool parts, helping the audience learn something new. Mostly sensationalised for visual impact and storytelling, such content has been called out by historians for inconsistencies with respect to details particular of the time. Presently, artists admit to their creations being inaccurate, reasoning them to be more of an artistic interpretation than fact-checked documentaries.
It is important to note that AI models may inaccurately depict objects (issues with lateral inversion), people(anatomical implausibilities), or scenes due to "present-ist" bias. As noted by Lauren Tilton, an associate professor of digital humanities at the University of Richmond, many AI models primarily rely on data from the last 15 years, making them prone to modern-day distortions especially when analysing and creating historical content. The idea is to spark interest rather than replace genuine historical facts while it is assumed that engagement with these images and videos is partly a product of the fascination with upcoming AI tools. Apart from this, there are also chatbots like Hello History and Charater.ai which enable simulations of interacting with historical figures that have piqued curiosity.
Although it makes for an interesting perspective, one cannot ignore that our inherent biases play a role in how we perceive the information presented. Dangerous consequences include feeding into conspiracy theories and the erasure of facts as information is geared particularly toward garnering attention and providing entertainment. Furthermore, exposure of such content to an impressionable audience with a lesser attention span increases the gravity of the matter. In such cases, information regarding the sources used for creation becomes an important factor.
Acknowledging the risks posed by AI-generated images and their susceptibility to create misinformation, the Government of Spain has taken a step in regulating the AI content created. It has passed a bill (for regulating AI-Generated content) that mandates the labelling of AI-generated images and failure to do so would warrant massive fines (up to $38 million or 7% of turnover on companies). The idea is to ensure that content creators label their content which would help to spot images that are artificially created from those that are not.
The Way Forward: Navigating AI and Misinformation
While AI-generated images make for exciting possibilities for storytelling and enabling intrigue, their potential to spread misinformation should not be overlooked. To address these challenges, certain measures should be encouraged.
- Media Literacy and Awareness – In this day and age critical thinking and media literacy among consumers of content is imperative. Awareness, understanding, and access to tools that aid in detecting AI-generated content can prove to be helpful.
- AI Transparency and Labeling – Implementing regulations similar to Spain’s bill on labelling content could be a guiding crutch for people who have yet to learn to tell apart AI-generated content from others.
- Ethical AI Development – AI developers must prioritize ethical considerations in training using diverse and historically accurate datasets and sources which would minimise biases.
As AI continues to evolve, balancing innovation with responsibility is essential. By taking proactive measures in the early stages, we can harness AI's potential while safeguarding the integrity and trust of the sources while generating images.
References:
- https://www.npr.org/2023/06/07/1180768459/how-to-identify-ai-generated-deepfake-images
- https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-image-misinformation-surged-google-research-finds-rcna154333
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy87076pdw3o
- https://newskarnataka.com/technology/government-releases-guide-to-help-citizens-identify-ai-generated-images/21052024/
- https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/11/1071104/ai-helping-historians-analyze-past/
- https://www.psypost.org/ai-models-struggle-with-expert-level-global-history-knowledge/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M65IYIWlqes&t=2597s
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/people-are-creating-records-of-fake-historical-events-using-ai/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/spain-impose-massive-fines-not-labelling-ai-generated-content-2025-03-11/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/13/documentary-ai-guidelines?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Introduction
Netflix is no stranger to its subscribers being targeted by SMS and email-led phishing campaigns. But the most recent campaign has been deployed at a global scale, affecting paid users in as many as 23 countries according to cybersecurity firm Bitdefender. In this particular campaign, attackers are using the carrot-and-stick tactic of either creating a false sense of urgency or promising rewards to steal financial information and Netflix credentials. For example, users may be contacted via SMS and told that their account is being suspended due to payment failures. A fake website may be shared through a link, encouraging the individual to share sensitive information to restore their account. Once this information has been input, it is now accessible to the attackers. This can create significant stress and even financial loss for its users. Thus, they are encouraged to develop the necessary skills to recognize and respond to these threats effectively.
How The Netflix Scam Works
Users are typically contacted through SMS. Bitdefender reports that these messages may look something like this:
"NETFLIX: There was an issue processing your payment. To keep your services active, please sign in and confirm your details at: https://account-details[.]com"
On clicking the link, the victim is directed to a website designed to mimic an authentic user experience interface, containing Netflix’s logo, color scheme, and grammatically-correct text. The website uses this interface to encourage the victim to divulge sensitive personal information, such as account credentials and payment details. Since this is a phishing website, the user’s personal information becomes accessible to the attacker as soon as it is entered. This information is then sold individually or in bundles on the dark web.
Practical Steps to Stay Safe
- Know Netflix’s Customer Interface: According to Netflix, it will never ask users to share personal information including credit or debit card numbers, bank account details, and Netflix passwords. It will also never ask for payment through a third-party vendor or website.
- Verify Authenticity: Do not open links from unknown sources sent by email or sms. If unsure, access Netflix directly by typing the URL into the browser instead of clicking on links in emails or texts. If the link has been opened, do not enter any information.
- Use Netflix’s Official Support Channels: Confirm any suspicious communication through Netflix’s verified help page or app. Write to phishing@netflix.com with any complaints about such an issue.
- Contact Your Financial Institution: If you have entered your personal information into a phishing website, you should immediately reach out to your bank to block your card and change your Netflix password. Contact the authorities via www.cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the helpline at 1930 in case of loss of funds.
- Use Strong Passwords and Enable MFA/2FA: Users are advised to use a unique, strong password with multiple characters. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication or Two Factor Authentication to your accounts, if available, to add an extra level of security.
Conclusion
Phishing campaigns which are designed to gather customer data through fraudulent means often involve sending links to as many users as possible, with the aim of monetizing stolen information. Attackers exploit user trust in online platforms to steal sensitive personal information, making such campaigns more sophisticated as highlighted above. This underscores the need for users of online platforms to practice good cyber hygiene by verifying information, learning to detect suspicious information and ignoring it, and staying aware of the types of online fraud they may be exposed to.
Sources
- https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/blog/hotforsecurity/netflix-scam-stay-safe
- https://help.netflix.com/en/node/65674
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/netflix-users-beware-this-netflix-subscription-scam-is-active-in-23-countries-how-to-spot-one-and-stay-safe/articleshow/115820070.cms
Introduction
In the age of social media, the news can spread like wildfire. A recent viral claim contained that police have started a nationwide scheme of free travel service for women at night. It stated that any woman who is alone and cannot find a vehicle to go home between 10 PM and 06 AM can contact the provided numbers and request a free vehicle. The viral message further contained the request to share and forward this information to everyone to get the women to know about the free vehicle service offered by police at night. However, upon fact check the claim was found to be misleading.
Social Impact of Misleading Information
The fact that such misleading information gets viral at a fast speed is because of its ability to impact and influence people through emotional resonance. Especially during a time when women's safety is a topic discussed in media sensationalism due to recently highlighted rape or sexual violence incidents, such fake viral claims often spark widespread public concern, causing emotional resonance to people and they unknowingly share or forward such messages in the spike of emotional and sensational appeal contained in such messages. The emotional nature of these viral texts often overrides scepticism, leading to immediate sharing without verification.
Such nature of viral messages often tends to bring people to protest, raise awareness and create support networks, but in spite of emotional resonance people get targeted by misinformation and become the unintended superspreaders of fake news fueled by emotional and social media-driven reactions. Women’s safety in society is a sensitive topic and when people discover such viral claims to be misleading and fake, it often hurts the sentiments of society leading to significant social impacts, including distrust in social media, unnecessary panic and confusion.
CyberPeace Policy Vertical Advisory for Social Media Users
- Think before Sharing: All netizens must practice caution while sharing anything and double-check its authenticity before sharing/forwarding or reposting it on your social media stories.
- Don't be unintended superspreaders of Misinformation: Misinformation with emotional resonance and widespread sharing by netizens can lead to them becoming "superspreaders of misinformation" and making it viral quickly. Hence you must avoid such unintended consequences by following the best practices of being vigilant and informed by reliable sources.
- Exercise vigilance and scepticism: It is important that netizens exercise vigilance and they build cognitive abilities to recognise the red flags of misleading information. You can do so by following the official communication channels, looking for any discrepancy in the content of susceptible information and double-checking its authenticity before sharing it with anyone.
- Verify the information from official sources: Follow the official communication channels of concerned authorities for any kind of information, circulars, notifications etc. In case of finding any piece of information to be susceptible or misleading, intimate it to the relevant authority and the fact-checking organizations.
- Stay in touch with expert organizations: Cybersecurity experts and civil society organisations possess the unique blend of large-scale impact potential and technical expertise. Netizens can stay updated about recent developments in the tech-policy sphere and learn about internet best practices, and measures to counter misinformation through methods such as prebunking, debunking and more.
Connect with CyberPeace
As an expert organisation, we have the ability to educate and empower huge numbers, along with the skills and policy acumen needed to be able to not just make people aware of the problem but also teach them how to solve it for themselves. At CyberPeace we regularly produce fact-check reports, blogs & advisories, and insights on prebunking & debunking measures and capacity-building programs with the aim of empowering netizens at the heart of our initiatives. CyberPeace has established the largest network of CyberPeace Corps volunteers globally. These volunteers play a crucial role in assisting victims, raising awareness, and promoting proactive measures.
References:
