Mysuru: India needs more police stations and security staff to deal with cyber fraud and other sophisticated crimes, Dr. A M Sudhakara, System Manager and Head, Computer Centre, the University of Mysore said.

He was delivering a keynote address on the subject “E-Security” during a one-day workshop on “Safe and Effective Utilization of Information and Communication Technology” organised by the Department of Electronics, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), at its seminar hall here on Saturday, July 28.

“We need 3 lakh people for cybersecurity but we are producing just 20,000 people every year to safeguard our data. In days to come, the central government under its various schemes will initiate cybersafety education and awareness programmes across the country”, Dr. Sudhakara said.

According to the Information Technology Act, sending a mail without the permission of the email account holder is a punishable offence, he cautioned.

Dr. Sudhakara said, “People are using Information Technology (IT) without adequate knowledge of the cyber laws and IT Act. In this scenario, who are the contributors to cyber crime? It is we who are the contributors. People share photos on Facebook, it’s fine! But they should share with their respective groups and not everyone in the world. Apart from this, people also share their contact number in a Facebook post which is very harmful. These small things lead to cyber crime. During the Last six years, there is a tremendous growth in digital technologies but the awareness among the people about the do’s and don’ts is lacking. Without appropriate knowledge, cyber crime continues to grow unabated. All who use technology contribute to the cyber crime.”

He also called upon the people to not give any confidential bank details including account number to anyone who asks for it over the phone or by any other means. Instead, he said, people should directly call the respective bank office and managers on their official number.

In his two-hour-long speech, Sudhakara briefed about how people could take precautions for protecting their private data. More than 50 percent of the material found on the internet is fake and hence, he cautioned people to be very careful while using the internet for information. As an example, he cited the recent incident of internet fraud wherein the vice chancellor of Gadag University was duped to the tune of Rs 69,000.

‘Lax in implementation of IT Act giving rise to cybercrime’

Dr. Sudhakara said, “Due to lack of implementation of the Information Technology Act, there has been a rise in the number of cyber crimes not only across India but also across the world. Just less than one percent of cybercriminals get punished. There should be some fear of the law. Only then people will think twice before committing a crime. Even though many multinational companies are victims of cyber crimes, they rarely report these incidents to the police. To be on the safer side, installing an antivirus programme on computers and phones is a must.”

He advised people to report any credit or debit card fraud to the bank without delay. “If bank authorities fail to help, one can approach the ombudsmen concerned after a month”, he said.

The workshop was aimed at enabling the fresh students of UG programme to employ the tools of technology innovatively and to enhance ICT literacy. The workshop also provided hands-on experience on different ICT tools wherein the participants enhanced their information literacy, internet research skills and presentation skills.

Director of AIISH Dr. S R Savithri and HOD of Electronics department Manohar N were present.