While the tech prowess of the Banglore is legendary and is celebrated globally, it is not being matched in a similar manner in the area of cyber security. There is a visible deficit. When it comes to an cybersecurity which government is legally mandated to handle there are clear cut chinks in the armour. A recent article discusses the digital attacks are spilling beyond major cities and towns, and it is imperative that the government provides for a robust and inclusive cybersecurity, which is for sure missing. Think of a scammer from anywhere on the globe able to scroll your most recent WhatsApp messages; all that the a scammer needs from you is to tap on a dubious link or install a suspect application.
If people are still not getting sacred it can only be outright foolishness or imaginary overconfidence or both. Quite a few times, it has been greed as well. What the victim undergoes, the less said the better? No one even talks about it. It’s just a world of facts and figures. How does Karnataka fare in the cyber security quicksand? Karnataka residents lost an astonishing sum of Rs. 2,915 crore to cybercrimes in 2024 or an average of Rs. 7.98 crore every single day. This is as per the State Crime Records Bureau data. The figures can send a chill down anyone’s spine, but yet it is incapable to convey the lived experiences.
Bangalore has emerged as the nation’s second largest cybercrime hotspot. The city gets the dubious distinction of accounting for 11.92% of all incidents detected in India during the latest India Cyber Threat Report’s study window. Bangalore ranks just behind Surat at 14.58%. Jaipur at 11.72% and Hyderabad at 11.55% rank third and the fourth nationally. Karnataka has also emerged as a major hub for ‘mule accounts’ – accounts used by fraudsters to route and launder stolen money. With nearly 65,000 such accounts identified in the state, suggests deep-rooted cyber fraud networks operating both locally and through remote handlers.
Bangalore being the Indian Silicon Valley for sure would have performed much better on such a critical parameter in today’s ease of living. Ironically, the Ease of Living Index 2024 ranked Bangalore as the most livable city in India. Karnataka has yet to conduct an audit of its own. It is a harsh reality that the threats are increasing in complexity and it is becoming more and more difficult with every passing day to keep abreast with it. The lack of specific studies points to a troubling failure to prepare data-backed solutions. In an age of political guarantees and political slugfest, who has the time to get these flimsy issues?
BENGALURU’S DIGITAL PROWESS MUST BE MATCHED WITH CYBER CRIME PREVENTION AND RESILIENCE.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.