Kolkata, 16 December 2023: The Indian Chamber of Commerce hosted a Cyber-terrorism and Data Siege Conclave on Friday, 15^th December 2023 at The Park, Kolkata. The primary focus of the event was to delve into the fundamentals of cybersecurity, governance and raising awareness about cybercrimes. The conclave featured informative sessions covering topics such as Data Protection, Operation Technology (OT) Security and incident response. Distinguished guests, including Mr. Hari Kishore Kusumakar, IPS, ADG & IGP-Cyber Cell, West Bengal Police; Mr. Sanjay Kumar Das, WBCS (Exec.), Additional Secretary, IT & Department & State Information, Security Officer, Government of West Bengal; Ms. Manoshi Roychowdhury, Co-Chairperson, Techno India Group; and Mr. Alok Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director & Advisor, Indian Chamber of Commerce, shared their expert opinions, thereby enhancing the significance of the conclave.

Addressing the Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness in Institutions, Ms. Manoshi Roychowdhury, Co-Chairperson, Techno India Group, stated, “Our educational institution plays a pivotal role in propagating awareness about cybersecurity and its impact amongst the students. In the era of digital media, we are becoming increasingly dependent on the internet but it does have cons as well. It exposes us to unprecedented risks, which is not only a matter of concern but a responsibility to safeguard the fabric of our society. We must understand that the impact of an attack on any educational institution is an attack on society. It must be our collective effort to safeguard ourselves from malicious damage. In order to face these challenges, educational institutions must deploy state-of-the-art cyber security measures. Firewalls or encryption software are some of the crucial components of digital security. We must learn from each other and coordinate accordingly to fight against such threats. Establishing strong cyber security policies are important. We must encourage research in cyber security. This will not only foster a culture of awareness but also help us prevent malicious activities. It is not only a technological issue but a fundamental requirement.”

Sharing insights on Cyber-terrorism and Cyber Security, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Das, WBCS (Exec.), Additional Secretary, IT & Department & State Information, Security Officer, Government of West Bengal, said, “Cybersecurity and cyberterrorism are two distinctive concepts faced by today’s society. Knowingly or unknowingly, we face such threats. Cyber terrorism is far and beyond cybersecurity. Cyber terrorism is a force that we need to withstand. The recent attack on the Parliament is an example of a simple methodology used to breach security. However, the greatest threat is lack of knowledge. Cyber threat or terrorism can be fought with deep-skilling. It is high time we must skill ourselves. Also , there are courses available on LinkedIn that one can refer to regarding awareness on cyber security. Secondly, there are certain benchmarks we should adhere to in terms of cyber terrorism. The 2013 strategy on cyber security talks about the need for best practices. In 2023, the West Bengal government has formulated state cybersecurity and data privacy guidelines. All government organisations must have data protection officers and associates appointed. Over 30,000 people are accessing the financial accounts of the Government of West Bengal. All these accounts of the state government are connected through numerous hybrid or inorganic platforms. The greatest challenge is lack of system integration. Vulnerability creeps in at any moment. It is time we think about securing our data. The state is coming up with Security Operations Centres (SOC) and Network Operations Centres (NOC) to safeguard data. Nonetheless, there are a lot of opportunities in this field. We are collaborating with universities too.”

Speaking on the theme and the role of Cyber Cell Department, Mr. Hari Kishore Kusumakar, IPS, ADG & IGP-Cyber Cell, West Bengal Police, said, “Many people don’t know about the nitty gritties of cyber terrorism and data siege. We are still in the evolution stage. Cops always face the dilemma of finding digital links to prove a case in the court. Currently, there is one cybersecurity cell in every police station. However, we need to equip ourselves in a better manner. We are expanding our pre-emptive measures on the digital front. Deep Fake and AI generated voice is a rising challenge for us as it has become easy to create and superimpose faces and voices. Moreover, our reliance on the web for information poses challenges too. Any information taken from the net needs to be verified  as the virtual world is boundaryless. Awareness therefore is the best way forward.”

Setting the tone for the conclave, Alok Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director and Advisor, Indian Chamber of Commerce, said, “Cybercrime is a rising menace in today’s world. According to a study, financial fraud accounted for 75% of cybercrime cases between January and June 2023. It is high time that we started talking about such threats and raise awareness among the masses. While we are completely dependent on the internet for various reasons, we must be aware of the consequences we face regarding the same.’’