With Indian educational institutions rapidly adopting new technology, they have become vulnerable to a wide range of cyberattacks due to critical gaps in countermeasures and lack of awareness, according to the latest report by non-profit CyberPeace Foundation.
The report titled ‘Exploring Cyber Threats and Digital Risks to Indian Educational Institutions’ was released at an event on Tuesday. A Cyber First Responder initiative focused on Cyber Resilience & AI Safety was also launched in collaboration with DELNET. Supported by Google.org, the initiative has been designed to equip stakeholders with the essential skills to combat growing cybersecurity threats.
“In a world of AI and rapid tech shifts, disruption should be our teacher, not our threat...we must invest in proactive policing that not only catches offenders but deters their very motive...,” said the chief guest at the event, Prof. G.S. Bajpai, Vice Chancellor at National Law University, Delhi, according to a press statement.
Impersonate faculty
Vineet Kumar, founder of CyberPeace, said, “This report is a wake-up call for educational institutions across the country. Digitisation without cybersecurity is like building a house without doors or locks. Once a threat actor gains access, they can impersonate faculty or administration, launch AI based phishing campaigns with higher chances of success, produce deepfakes, steal sensitive research data, leak exam papers, and even sell credentials on the darkweb. Also, multiple instances of misuse of AI have been observed.”
