Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-
(a) the objectives of ‘Cyber Swachhta Kendra’,
(b) the manner in which work is accomplished by the Cyber Swachhta Kendras for creating awareness regarding cyber attacks; and
(c) the steps being taken for creating more awareness in the context of cyber attacks prevalent among the internet users in the State of Gujarat?
): The Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK) is a part of Government of India (MeitY’s) continuing efforts to build a trusted and safe internet for users in India. The objective of CSK is to detect malware/botnet incidents in India, to notify & enable response against such attacks.
(b): Cyber Swachhta Kendra tracks malware / botnet attacks through collaborative measures and sends alerts to the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), specifying the IP addresses of the infected systems. ISPs then reach out to the owner(s) of infected system(s) with the help of registered IP address via email/SMS to visit website of Cyber Swachhta Kendra (www.cyberswachhtakendra.gov.in) for remedial measures and free botnet/malware removal tools.
CSK provides free bot/malware removal tools, security tools, security tips and best practices and information to users to secure their systems/devices and to create cyber security awareness amongst them.
During ‘Cyber Swachhta Pakhwada’ and ‘National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)’ SMS and social media channels are used to share information regarding cyber security threats, challenges and security measures to create awareness among citizens.
(c): Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) is implementing a project on‘Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA), which inter-alia includes a component of creating mass awareness on Information Security. Under the awareness activity, a total of 1,282 awareness workshops on information security have been organized across the country for various user groups through direct/virtual mode covering 2,02,341 participants, which inter-alia include 96 awareness workshops organized in the State of Gujarat covering 19,696 participants. As a part of direct workshops, awareness handbooks were distributed to disseminate information and tips on safe use of internet. Awareness material in the form of handbooks (16), posters (128), short-videos (73), newsletters (25), cartoon stories for children (65), etc. were published and also made available for download on the website www.isea.gov.in and www.infosecawareness.in.
In addition, 2000 awareness hand books in Gujarati were distributed as a part of these workshops to disseminate information and tips on safe use of internet, phishing attacks, financial frauds, matrimonial frauds, fake jobs offers covering general overview, techniques, tips for recognizing phishing messages and do''s & don''ts.
Besides this, awareness week on ''Cyber Safety & Cyber Security'' has been organized in the State of Gujarat in association with State Cyber Cell/Police Department to create awareness among various users. Awareness material in the form of handbooks, posters, stickers in Gujarati were distributed and pasted at prominent places such as ATMs, railway stations, bus stations, etc. to sensitize the masses. In addition, 9 mass awareness programs on cyber safety & cyber security have been broadcasted through Doordarshan/All India Radio.
Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad is regularly organizing awareness & capacity building workshops for various stakeholders, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and Government officials as part of ISEA project.
Additionally, Government has taken the following measures to enhance the cyber security awareness among internet users in the country:
i) CERT-In issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats and counter measures on regular basis to ensure safe usage of digital technologies. CERT-In has issued 60 advisories for data security and mitigating fraudulent activities.
ii) Security tips have been published for users to secure their desktops, mobile/smart phones and preventing phishing attacks.
iii) CERT-In conducts regular training programmes for network/system administrators and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of Government and critical sector organisations regarding securing the IT infrastructure and mitigating cyber attacks.
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