An awareness session held in connection with the Kerala Police Cyber Fest here on Tuesday spelt out the hidden dangers of the cyberworld.
Cybersecurity experts volunteering for the Cyberdome Paul Amalraj and Sangeetha and University of Kerala Bioinformatics Department head Achuthsankar S. Nair spoke at the session. Quoting writer Ayn Rand, Mr. Amalraj spoke about how technology could not be avoided, but along with advantages brought risks too. To give a picture of what could be expected in the cyberworld, he said every minute 45 new viruses and 200 new malicious websites went up. As many as 180 personal identities were stolen and $2 million were lost on account of these.
Among the threats that unsuspecting users could face were fake profiles, cyberbullying, stalking, hacking, sharing of credentials, fake news, phishing, malware/ransomware attacks.
Sharing of passwords could create problems, he said. Similarly, fake news could even end up creating law and order problems and lead to violence. Again, a compromised system could be used to launch attacks against others, he said.
To protect oneself, one should be on the lookout for fake profiles. Strong passwords and secrecy about personal details were important. One should not hesitate to block or ‘unfriend’ someone when abused or shamed. Anti-virus software on computers and phones was a must. One should also be careful not to open or reply to unsolicited emails, he said.
Mr. Nair said that online games could bring about changes in behaviour of children. They also could result in disconnect from people and emotions. Their food habits and lack of exercise together could take a heavy toll on them.
The Internet, he warned, also prevented children from thinking and exerting their minds, thereby affecting their mental growth.
