#SafeInCyberia: A telethon was organised today to discuss with experts how can we keep our teens and young adults safe in an increasingly online world
Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director, The Dialogue joined the telethon and explained how the internet has changed in the last three decades
Manoj Abraham, Nodal Officer, Kerala Police Cyberdome at the telethon explained what exactly is cybercrime and what all falls under it
Ramaguru Radhakrishnan from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham stressed on the importance of responsible sharing of information online, said it is the key
Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India highlighted the importance of online privacy
Srinivas Kodali, Researcher on the #SafeInCyberia telethon said there is a need to teach responsible online behaviour to youngsters
How to keep yourself safe online should be a part of school curriculum in India, said Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research
Ritesh Bhatia, Cybercrime Investigator and Cybersecurity Consultant at the telethon spoke about cyberbullying and the importance of talking about it
Debarati Halder & Anubha Srivastava discussed how can parents, teachers come together to create a protected digital environment for youngsters
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the surge in people using the internet has also led to more of their data being available online and so the crimes have also increased.Kazim RizviFounding Director, The Dialogue- The internet is a dangerous neighbourhood for everybody, our children and adults. But children are more vulnerable.Manoj AbrahamNodal Officer, Kerala Police Cyberdome
- In order to make the online world safer, we need India to work on a policy change. How to keep yourself safe online should be a part of school curriculum. Ranjana KumariDirector, Centre for Social Research
- Mindful sharing is important, this way you can restrict the amount of information that is going out. Ramaguru RadhakrishnanAssistant Professor, TIFAC-CORE in Cyber Security, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
- Privacy is a fundamental right and there is a need for some legislation to deploy the same. Rama VedashreeCEO, Data Security Council of India
Physical spaces have been replaced by virtual playgrounds. Face-to-face meetings now mean emojis. If you like someone you send them a gif and not a gift. Student research is done on google and not in a physical library. There is an app to track and manage literally every aspect of our lives. For the shoppers, aisles have been replaced by pages. Our wallets are no longer made of leather.
In short, we are living our lives in "Cyberia "and this was before the pandemic. The pandemic has changed the way we interact with and consume data.
Digital environment that the pandemic created has further taken over practically every aspect of our lives. All our needs are being met online. Young adults, especially those in schools, are consuming and interacting with data like never before. But we are not just getting from the online world, we are also giving out something vital - information. About us. Without even knowing it.
Cybercrime, which includes everything from theft and embezzlement to data hacking and identity theft, was up 600% as a result of the pandemic. But the vast majority of the teens and young adults are not aware of the perils of the online world.
Issues of data security and privacy are not widely known. The frequent use of digital tools to lure young people into dangerous and compromising situations is not known. The infinite possibilities and types of cybercrime are not known.
Awareness
There is a need to create Awareness, Learning, Understanding (ALU) amongst teens and young adults. How can they play an active role in keeping themselves safe in an increasingly online world?
Sensitisation
Sensitisation is the need of an hour. It is needed from a very early phase, since children are now using phones more than ever and from an earlier stage.
Digital Safety
Digital Safety Programmes need to be made a part of school and college curriculums. It is a must in today's life.
Conversations
Regular conversations around data security, privacy and cybercrime, a structured approach through the curriculum, along with building a stronger set of value systems in the younger generation.
Understanding
Equally, we need to understand how the whole ecosystem of parents, teachers, media, banks, networks, peer influence, and also the government, can come together to create a safer, more protected digital environment for our young.
