The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Celebrities must be wary of cyber attacks’

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Thursday, Nov 12, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Celebrities must be wary of cyber attacks’

Staff Reporter

Ankit Fadia moots Internetpol on the lines of Interpol

Social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and Twitter next threat
One’s location can be tracked from a Twitter post

HYDERABAD: Celebrities and those in position of power should be wary of putting update information on social networking websites, said cyber security expert Ankit Fadia.

Citing how Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor updates “sensitive” information of his coordinates, sometimes including the name of the hotel he stays in and the dignitaries he meets in his capacity as a Union Minister, Mr. Fadia said one needs to be wary of cyber criminals who could exploit such loopholes.

“This is just like physical security. The government should have security policies preventing those in positions of power from revealing their details online.”

“One’s location can be tracked from a twitter post and Bollywood stars are most prone to cyber attacks,” he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

With common people hooked on to social networking sites, the next big threat in cyberspace could be from social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and Twitter, Mr. Fadia observed.

There is a trend of financial frauds and scams like get rich quick, earn money online and various money laundering schemes happening on social networking sites.

“Since social networking sites are all about your friends, many people are susceptible to attacks. Antivirus companies need to gear up to meet challenges arising from such attacks,” he said.

Observing that a majority of cyber crimes are done across geographical boundaries and the political, diplomatic hindrances in nabbing the perpetrators, Mr. Fadia has mooted a proposal with the Government of India to broach the issue of setting up an international force (Internetpol) on the lines of Interpol to tackle cyber crime.

“I want India to raise this issue on an international platform at World Economic Forum or United Nations meeting so that enough international support could be generated from the U.S. and European Union.”

The “coolest ethical hacker” who was the MTV Youth Icon last year is hosting a show ‘What the Hack!’ with VJ Jose on the channel every Saturday at 8.20 p.m.

The “revolutionary new show” will teach people cool stuff they can do with computers, Internet and technology like how to switch on air conditioner or television using cell phone, how to read someone’s blocked Facebook profile and also give security tips on protecting email account, hiding files from nosy siblings etc. There are repeat telecasts everyday, he added.

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