HYDERABAD: Asserting that awareness and exercising caution are the best firewalls to thwart cybercrimes, Shikha Goel, director of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), in an interaction with TNIE, says, “Unlike other crimes, cybercrimes do not involve someone physically breaking into your home or assaulting you; instead, people transfer money or share information due to fear, the lure of quick bucks or other factors.”
Pointing out that isolated instances of hacking may be the work of lone actors, she says that more sophisticated crimes such as digital arrests, OTP scams or stock investment frauds are executed by well-structured networks, which are often spread across different countries or states.
On the issue of rising cases of crimes against women, she points out that while there is a general fear among women about stepping out, 90% of rape and sexual assault cases are perpetrated by people known to the victim. It’s important that we deal with all such atrocities with the same intensity, Goel asserts.
“To address harassment, we have SHE Teams, the Sahas initiative for workplace safety. For safe travel, we have the T-Safe initiative, a ride-monitoring service unique to Telangana. It bridges the digital divide — you don’t need a smartphone or internet to access it,” Goel says.