Have you ever received a call approving higher credit limits? Or add-on accounts for not extra cost at all? Basic details are always asked and at that moment, it seems harmless. Name, age and address are nothing that could unlock your bank’s password. But what happens during such calls, is accessing your phone’s data through remote operators. To educate the public on this precise new way, among many others to defraud online, “Cyber Safe Mission,” was held on Thursday at Anant University.
The symposium, inaugurated by state Home minister Harsh Sanghavi, is a joint undertaking between the varsity and Ahmedabad Police aimed at a mutually beneficial partnership. While the university will assist with its state-of-the-art laboratories (Futureshift and Makerspace) in providing technical expertise to the police, the students in turn, will graduate equipped with practical hands-on training. Also planned is an aggressive campaign to educate the public on cybercrime and its various modus operandi. The AI facility intends to equip students with the potential to identify challenges and mitigate cybercrime with futuristic technologies.
“Our forte lies in learning and experimenting with IR 4.0 technologies such as AI, AR and Analytics. Cyber crime is a relatively new discipline and unethical hacking on the rise. As such, cyber-policing is fast emerging a competitive career option,” shared Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost, Anant National University.
Significantly, cybercrime complaints have increased 368% post-pandemic, from 17,237 cases in 2021 to 80,681 cases in 2022. The increase has been attributed to a 530% rise in cases of online financial fraud, from 11,131 cases in 2021 to 70,183 cases in 2022.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the university and Ahmedabad police. The event also saw announcement of the Cyber Safe Hackathon and the launch of a new lab at AnantU-Earthlink 2372, earmarked specifically for AI technology and hyper-visualisation.
Also present on the occasion was city police commissioner Sanjay Srivastava. He elaborated on the connect between educational institutions, law enforcement agencies and industry. “We look at schools and colleges to foster cyber awareness. This partnership will work towards giving students the opportunity to intern with the police. We eagerly await the first batch of graduates, ready with technical expertise and forensics study,” he stated.
Praising the initiative, Harsh Sanghavi, noted: “This is the first-ever MoU that Ahmedabad Police has signed with any university. Programmes like Hackathon are essential to develop awareness among masses. We look forward to learning takeaways from this practical session. Gujarat Police has been consistent with its efforts to change crime checks as and when the nature of crime has changed. For instance, the police control room this year plans to monitor the Jagannath yatra using AI expertise,” he added. Watch the full video here:
Also Read: BCI’s Opening Up To Foreign Law Firms To Boost Legal Profession, Opportunities
