Hackers attempted to steal COVID-19 vaccine formula, says expert

People urged to get themselves updated on cybersecurity

May 21, 2022 08:45 pm | Updated May 22, 2022 08:54 am IST - VIJAYAWADA

CRCIDF Director Prasad Patibandla speaking at a meeting on  cyber security, in Vijayawada on Saturday.

CRCIDF Director Prasad Patibandla speaking at a meeting on cyber security, in Vijayawada on Saturday. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Director, Centre for Research on Cyber Intelligence and Digital Forensics (CRCIDF), New Delhi, Prasad Patibandla said on Saturday that hackers tried in vain to steal the formula of COVID-19 vaccine recently, and that cyber offenders were focussing mainly on pharma and financial sectors of the country.

Addressing a one-day workshop-cum-orientation programme, organised by the CRCIDF here, Mr. Prasad, who is a researcher said: “Out of 100 cases we receive, Telugu people are victims in about 70 cases. As people in Andhra Pradesh are in the habit of investing and saving money, fraudsters are hacking their accounts.”

CRCIDF Director (Capacity Building) B. Vinod Babu appealed to the people not to go for easy money and fall in the traps laid by the cyber offenders. He asked the public to be cautious in using payment wallets.

He explained about invoicing scam, cyber bullying, child pornography, matrimonial frauds and morphing, and asked the social media users not to post or forward suspicious content, photographs and links.

Cybercrime investigator Manish Yadav explained on various case studies and asked the people to get themselves updated on cybersecurity.

According to cybercrime investigators., online frauds were on the rise, particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and cybercrime orientation was the need of the hour.

Andhra Pradesh State Development Planning Society Director K. Siva Sankar Rao, AP Chambers general secretary B. Raja Sekhar, experts in detecting cyber frauds from various government organisations, advocates, students, police and industrialists participated in the awareness programme.

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