MoS urges youths to be ‘cyber peace ambassadors’
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Monday urged the youths to be prepared as ‘cyber peace ambassadors' to educate people about cybersecurity and help curb online financial fraud. Addressing a seminar organised on the occasion of National Youth Day on the theme 'National AI Cyber Suraksha: Strengthening Digital Safety for Traders, MSMEs and Youth', Seth said cyber fraud posed a major challenge, with criminals using increasingly sophisticated methods.
“People are being trapped through newer techniques, including digital arrests via video calls. With artificial intelligence (AI) also being misused, the situation has become more complicated,” he said. He added, “We need to prepare the youth as ‘cyber peace ambassadors’ to protect people from cyber fraud, and this seminar is being organised precisely for this purpose, as incidents of cyber fraud through digital arrest are increasing rapidly.” He said that cyber peace ambassadors, with the help of social organisations, will educate self-help groups, citizens and students about how to stay safe from cybercriminals while using technology. Major Vineet Kumar, founder and global president of Cyber Peace, said, “We are living in an era of technological advancement, but at the same time, AI tools intertwined with the internet are emerging as major threats before us. People are using generative AI tools daily. Traders, businessmen, and MSMEs are the most vulnerable to cyber threats while using these tools.”
He said small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which always face budget constraints in dealing with cyber-related attacks, are being increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. Major Kumar added that the seminar aimed to empower people through skill enhancement in AI and cybersecurity, raising awareness about the pros and cons of using such technologies and guiding victims on reporting digital fraud incidents.
