Cybercrime in India: 5 Intelligent Ways to Remain Safe Online

New Delhi:
With India’s digital economy booming with rampant adoption of UPI payments, cloud-based apps, and internet banking, there is a new threat emerging with it: smarter and more malicious cybercrime. The ease of digital services has, however, opened new avenues for cybercriminals, who now employ sophisticated methods such as artificial intelligence (AI), social engineering, and behavioral psychology to attack individuals and businesses.

Those days are gone when cyber fraud used to be as simple as OTP scams or spoofed email links. Now, the attackers work with high levels of sophistication, making it much more difficult for the average user to identify threats. According to experts, being careful is no longer sufficient.

“Cybersecurity these days needs to be robust, multi-layered systems — not only individual awareness,” opined Shashi Bhushan, Board Chairman at Stellar Innovations, in an exclusive interview with India Today. Bhushan emphasized that individuals need to understand digital frauds more deeply and take strong safety measures.

He said cybercriminals are increasingly employing AI tools to launch sophisticated phishing attempts, deepfake material, and tailored scams, while cybersecurity experts are also utilizing AI to recognize and block these attacks. “It’s an evolving battlefield,” Bhushan said.

The following are five practical tips how experts advise being safe from cyber frauds:

1. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Always turn on MFA for all your critical accounts. This provides an additional layer of protection even if your password is hacked.
2. Keep Software Updated: Update apps, operating systems, and antivirus software regularly to patch security flaws.
3. Stay Suspicious of Unsolicited Communication: Don’t click on dubious links or provide personal details via phone calls, emails, or messages, even if they appear authentic.
4. Educate Yourself on AI Scams: Educate yourself on emerging AI-powered scams such as deepfake videos and voice cloning, used to scam individuals.
5. Safe Financial Transactions: Utilize secured networks when making online payments and refrain from making payments via public Wi-Fi.

They alert us that with the development of technology, cyber attacks will only get more sophisticated. Establishing robust digital routines, keeping oneself updated, and employing cutting-edge security technology are important moves towards safeguarding oneself in the rapidly changing cyber world today.