Identify, Investigate and Report: The approach to building India’s cyber resilience

New Delhi : An integrated security approach, cybersecurity skilling and collaboration between the public and private sectors for analysis and sharing of threat intelligence will be foundational to defend India at scale. Speaking at a cybersecurity roundtable, Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Mary Jo Schrade, Regional Lead, Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, Asia, called out the seminal role of cybersecurity in helping governments and organizations build resilience and maintain business continuity in a hybrid world. The discussion focused on the growing cybercrime economy and the need for organizations to invest in a strong security posture.

Tech support scams especially are a growing area of concern and the discussion focused on the need for industry wide partnerships to address this. Microsoft’s Global Tech Support Scam Research report found that 7 out of 10 consumers in India encountered tech support scams in 2021. In India, Millennials (aged 24-37) were the most susceptible to such scams in 2021, with 58% of those that continued with the scam incurring monetary loss. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), an international team of technical, legal, and business experts focused on fighting cybercrime is working to help combat tech support scams by partnering with law enforcement, strengthening technology, and educating consumers.

Speaking at the roundtable, Mary Jo Schrade, Regional Lead, Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, Asia, said, “Over the past few years, cybercriminals have been finding ways to exploit new vulnerabilities, driving the rise of cybercrime as an economy. Tech support scams especially are a growing challenge that needs industry-wide collaboration. It’s important to remember that cybersecurity is a team sport. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit works closely with partners, law enforcement and computer incident response teams across the globe to expand the scale and impact of fighting cybercrime, sharing insights to assist with victim remediation, supporting education campaigns, and developing technical countermeasures to protect our customers.  We are committed to protecting our customers and providing a safe digital experience for every person and organization on the planet.”

Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India (DSCI) said, “The pandemic was a big trigger point for India going digital and online and the consequent escalation in cyber threats. The shift to a remote working environment saw an increase in attacks and phishing campaigns, especially in digital payments and rise of ransomware attacks that targeted not just critical infrastructure providers or large enterprises but also small and medium businesses. Cybersecurity will be critical for every organization going forward and it’s important to remember that it is a shared responsibility. All of us, govt, public and private sectors need to collaborate to build a strong cybersecurity posture for India.”

The speakers also emphasized how cyberattacks have increased not just in size and scale but also in sophistication over the last two years, sharing insights on the evolution of cybersecurity, tech support scams, and how the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit is helping combat cybercrime.