Cybercrime gaining foothold: Speakers

Visakhapatnam: With the cybercrime is on the rise across the country, Visakhapatnam in particular, the need for vigilance in the cyber sphere has been highlighted by speakers at a seminar on ‘Cyber Crime: Security, Threats, Prevention and Solutions’ organised  by the Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF) here on Wednesday.   

Speaking at the seminar, AR Damodar, DCP (Crime), said that the mistake that one makes is responding to fictitious e mails, SMSes and calls and disclosing their personal bank details.  

In most of the debit/credit frauds, it is seen that the fraudsters call up posing as bank officials and get their personal details, including the OTP (One Time Password).  One should remember that banks never seek OTP details, the DCP said.  

To create awareness, police launched initiatives by showing slides in cinema theatres, circulating pamphlets and booklets, conducting workshops in schools and colleges, asking bank official to alert customers through SMSs and by hosting radio programmes. The recent opening of Cybercrime Police Station with a forensic lab in the city is another feather in the cap and much-needed boost to tackle cybercrime, Damodar said.

Welcoming the participants, Pydah Krishna Prasad, Chairman of APCCIF, Visakhapatnam zone, said due to computerisation coupled with internet penetration, the cybercrime is gaining foothold in nook and corner despite preventive measures.  

Dr Kumar Raja, Vice-President, APCCIF, said from offline robbery, murder, smuggling to online cybercrimes is the new phenomenon. Despite Information and Technology Act is in place, cybercrime is posing a grave challenge to law enforcement agencies, Raja said.                                             
Creating awareness among the participants, Sudhir Mulagada, Vice-Chairman, APCCIF, Visakhapatnam zone, said online and OTP frauds are becoming the reality in the contemporary world. He also added that lack of user awareness about the Internet, cyber laws and risks pose a big challenge in the country.  

Dr Harish Ramani, CEO, Tevel Cyber Corps, said that data theft and identity theft have become common due to ignorance of the cybercrime. The need of the hour is to understand the necessity of cybersecurity and its practical difficulties. Humans take a great pride in owning a health or life insurance policy. However, it is also important at this juncture to have a cyber insurance policy for individuals and organisations for a safer digital world. 

Experts from the insurance, IT and banking sectors deliberated on the challenges and way forward for the onslaught against cybercrimes. The seminar witnessed the participation of more than 100 senior executives from diverse sectors and clarified their doubts with domain experts in cyber crime.