India: 5th Rank in Cyber Crime Affected Countries

Bangalore: A report by the Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) and McAfee claims, India is among the top five countries in the world which are most affected by cyber crime.  

The report says the premium on internet privacy in the country is quite low. SDA which is based in Brussels spoke to security experts from across the globe to ensure that the findings would offer useful recommendations and actions. It is said in the report that “Much of the vulnerability is explained by widespread computer illiteracy and easily pirated machines.” This is one of the reasons  for phishing and scams.

In the report, Cherian Samuel, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi has said “In India, we went straight from no telephones to the latest in mobile technology. It is the same with internet-connected computers. They came in all of a sudden and no one was taught even the basic facts about cyber security.” Some of the respondents in the study have spoken about the importance of the basic understanding of cyber safety. “People in India have to understand basic security like PIN numbers and passwords,” said Kamlesh Bajaj, Data Security Council of India (DSCI).

At the Cyber Security Summit which was held in Bangalore, the National Security Advisory Committee officials said the government will first look at capacity building and later work on the national cyber security policy which is under discussion. The report says that India understands the implication of cyber crime on the country’s reputation as a destination for foreign investors who have been investing on cyber security. The report also raises concerns over the lack of a single operator to control Internet, telecom and power sectors.

The experts claim that it is very important for India to train and equip the law enforcement agencies and judiciary, particularly outside big cities like New Delhi and Mumbai