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Amit Shah calls for united front, uniformity of laws to combat cyber threats
While he didn’t name any country, there have been instances of cyber attacks by China-backed hackers on India’s key establishments, like AIIMS servers last year
Some antisocial elements and global forces are using technology to cause economic and social harm to citizens and governments, and there is a need to have “uniformity in the laws of all countries to counter digital crimes” and a “united front” to combat cyber threats, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
Shah called for a “dedicated common channel” among nations to prevent financial irregularities through the use of digital currencies.
“Today, we live in a big global digital village. Although technology is a positive development in bringing human beings, communities, and countries closer, there are also some anti-social elements and global forces that are using technology to cause economic and social harm to citizens and governments,” Shah said while inaugurating the two-day ‘G20 Conference on Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, Artificial Intelligence and Metaverse’ in Gurugram.
Over 900 participants from G20 countries, nine special invitee countries, international bodies such as Interpol and technology leaders and domain experts from India and across the world are attending the conference.
Asserting that the metaverse may create new opportunities for terrorist organisations, primarily for propaganda, recruitment, and training, Shah said, “This will make it easier for terrorist organisations to select and target vulnerable people and prepare material according to their vulnerabilities.”
“Cybercriminals are perpetrating incidents ranging from ransomware attacks, sale of critical personal data, online harassment, and child abuse to fake news and misinformation campaigns with ‘toolkits’. At the same time, there is also a growing tendency to strategically target critical information and financial systems. Such activities are a matter of national concern, as their activities have a direct impact on national security, law and order, and the economy. If such crimes and criminals have to be stopped, then we have to think and also act by rising above the conventional geographic boundaries,” Shah said.
While the home minister did not name any country, there have been instances of cyber attacks by China-backed hackers on India’s key establishments in the recent past, including hacking of the AIIMS servers last year.
Emphasising that no single country or organisation can combat cyber threats alone, Shah said that “it requires a united front”.
“We aim to create a ‘Cyber Success World’ and not a ‘Cyber Failure World’. Together, we can harness the potential of these technologies while ensuring a ‘secure and prosperous digital future for all. Let us seize this opportunity to collaborate, share our ideas and forge international partnerships,” he said.
On the rise in cybercrime involving digital currency, Shah said that “there is a need for a ‘dedicated common channel’ among nations to prevent such financial irregularities”.
On terrorists leveraging technology, which is becoming a challenge for law enforcement agencies, Shah said the transformation of our security challenges from ‘dynamite to metaverse’ and ‘hawala to crypto currency’ is a matter of concern for countries across the world. “Terrorists are finding new ways to perpetrate violence, radicalise youth and raise financial resources. New methods in the form of virtual assets are being used by terrorists for financial transactions”.
“And all of us, together, have to devise a common strategy against it,” Shah said.
Citing World Bank data, the home minister said that cyber attacks could have caused losses to the tune of $5.2 trillion to the world from 2019-2023.
“There must be efforts to bring some uniformity in the laws of all countries made to counter digital crimes. Keeping in mind the borderless nature of cybercrimes, we must put in place a response mechanism under different laws of the countries. Global cooperation in this area will help in harmonising cyber security benchmarks, best practices, and regulations,” Shah said.
The need of the hour, he stated, is to share real-time cyber threat intelligence among member countries with active support from industry and academia to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure.
“There should be greater coordination among cyber agencies of all countries in reporting and action on cyber incidents. Cooperation in the investigation of cross-border cyber crimes through joint efforts to build a ‘peaceful, secure, deterrent and open’ information and communication technology environment is extremely necessary today,” he added.
