SPEECH OF HON’BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF CYBER SAFETY & NATIONAL SECURITY ‘CYBER APRADH SE AZADI – AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV’ AT TAGORE THEATRE, SECTOR 18, CHANDIGARH ON JUNE 13, 2022

Good Evening Everybody!

I am happy to participate in this function today. As we all are celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Nationwide we need to realize that “ Cyber Apradh Se Azadi” is a very important aspect of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Government of India wants to ensure bothCyber Security and National Security of the citizens of India. Functions are being organised at various locations pan India to promote ‘Cyber Hygiene’ and for the prevention for Cyber Crimes.

The Government of India through the Indian Cyber Crime coordination Centre 14 C has enabled the State and Union Territories to lay special focus on cyber crime. Chandigarh is an active participant of 14 C and is the member of Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Organising programme to promote Cyber Hygiene is a timely step considering that the prevalence of cyber crime has gone up with the increased use of internet all over the world, particularly in India.

Friends,

India has the second largest number of internet users in the world after China. The total number of internet users in our Country is more than 825 million. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team reported about 2 lac cyber crime incidents in 2018; about 4 lac in 2019; nearly 11 lac cases in 2020 and around 14 lac cases in 2021;

So, the Cyber crime has leapt multifold in the last couple of years.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

India's economic growth story has been primarily fuelled by Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES). Indian organizations are using IT in large measure, to help in increasing their business. Indian enterprises are also focused on enhancing their IT security operations capabilities. Therefore, the Indian market for cyber security infrastructure and services is expected to grow from 4.3 billion US $ to 7.6 billion US $ this year and around 13.6 billion US $ by 2025, according to a report Data of Security Council of India.

In a bid to combat cyber terrorism, India passed the Information Technology Act 2000. The Act has sections that deal specifically with hacking and unauthorized access to computer, computer systems, and computer networks.

However, we still keep hearing of breaches occurring in different places like e-commerce websites, banks, manufacturing set ups etc. In other words any organization having an online presence is vulnerable to cyber breaches resulting in attacks and thefts of data.

Cyber crimes threaten a Nation's Security and Financial Health. Issues surrounding these types of crimes can disrupt the functioning of critical information systems. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted.

With the internet maturing day by day, threats are increasing and cyber criminals are making news on a daily basis. Every other day, we hear news of cyber criminals hacking into banks, online sites, companies etc. Recently, many of us came across incident where hackers posed as a high profile officers on whatsapp and sought money from their contacts. So, it is very obvious that something has to be done to secure our cyber space. But how does one do it? How does one start? One answer that comes to mind is education, awareness and training. It is absolutely necessary to inform people what is needed to secure their systems.

Starting from the Stone Age, it has always been human psyche to protect itself from external threats. The ideas, tricks and the methodology of protection from evil and intruding threat factors have evolved over the time. Initially we, the humans, had to guard ourselves from physical threats like invaders and the looters. Nowadays, with the rising popularity of cyber connectivity and worldwide interlinking, the evil has evolved in the form of breach of cyber security. It is a virtual world that we have created, and we have to be well prepared to protect and sustain our virtual world from the virtual invaders.

To tackle cybercrime efficiently, it is essential to establish active partnerships and cooperation between the Government and the Nodal bodies such as security agencies, law enforcing bodies, private sector, information security organizations, financial institutions and public institutions investigating cyber crime and supervising financial market transactions and enforcing laws.

Without efficient private-public cooperation, cybercrime cannot be tackled effectively. The synergization of intent and efforts is absolutely imperative to curb this menace.

National Cyber Safety and Security Standards has declared IT Security as the Fourth revolution after the IT revolution, and are making all efforts to protect individual and corporate privacy.

The need of the hour is to educate the masses about the steps to be taken to counter cyber crime unitedly .

Friends,

Awareness is the tested mean to prevent Cyber crime. It is heartening to know that Chandigarh has started Cyber Swacchta Mission in which Academia, Industry and Police have collaborated and are working together in Mission Mode.

I have been told that the first batch of 300 students have completed their internship and are leading the City Beautiful to inculcate Cyber Hygiene among other students and citizens. About 110 schools and colleges have been covered and nearly 25000 students have been made cyber aware.

I congratulate the first batch of Cyber Soldiers who have successfully completed 6 months of Internship.

I believe Cyber Swachhta Mission has become a successful cyber ecosystem with the coordination from Panjab University, Punjab Engineering Collage, Mehar Chand Mahajan Dayanand Vidayalaya and Infosys.

I gather, Chandigarh Police has signed one more Memorandum of Understanding with MCM DAV College. Also, our Cyber Swachhta Mission now enters the next phase, by starting the 2nd Batch of Internship.

I am sure these cyber ambassadors will make the city beautiful a ‘cyber crime free city’.

I would like to share that Chandigarh is soon going to have its own Cyber Centre of Excellence which will not only cater to Chandigarh but other member states of JCCT (V).

Also the cyber desks are now fully functional at all the police stations ensuring both capacity building and for public convenience. I take this opportunity to announce that a cyber police station will be notified very soon . Cyber police station will ensure optimum functioning of cyber cell. It will enable an updated Modus Operandi Branch and quick registration of FIRs.

Further I congratulate both Police and Punjab Engineering College for launch of the specialized courses in cyber security and forensics which will be starting from July to enhance capabilities of the police officials and promote research work in cyber security.

Before I conclude, I request all the citizens present today to take cyber pledge and follow the important precautions.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.