#Factcheck-False Claims of Houthi Attack on Israel’s Ashkelon Power Plant

Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence.

New Delhi [India], November 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence. Cyber violence very often permanently, psychologically impacts the victims and their families. Various forms of threats ranging from morphing, stalking, solicitation of children for sexual purposes, online grooming, have grave consequences on the victims disturbing their mental well-being. Maintaining mental well-being in cyber space is a challenge we wish to promote and advocate for, in order to build responsible netizens.

Together, we stand against violation of cyber rights and strongly believe; it is critical to allow everyone to feel safe online. Netizen’s safety rights must be protected from all kinds of abuse and violence. Setting a mission of ‘Making India Cyber Safe for Children and Women’, Responsible Netism a social purpose organization in association with CyberPeace Foundation, an award-winning Cyber Security think tank working towards bringing CyberPeace in CyberSpace for more than two decades, host its 6th Annual National Conference on Cyber Psychology themed “India Fights Cyber Violence”, scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2022. Ta advocate on the theme, the campaign #IndiaFightsCyberViolence was launched on November 11, 2021 by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe – President ICCR, Member of Parliament, Priyank Kanoongo – Chairperson, NCPCR and Rekha Sharma, Chairperson NCW at the ICCR Auditorium Delhi. The session was also attended by the CyberPeace Foundation team members.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has been a strong advocate of online safety of children, he shared his visionary words and focused on 3 R’s, Research, Reform and Reshape. He recommended extensive research was necessary to strongly voice concerns and remedies based on evidence-based research which would help us reform intervention strategies and the reshape the existing framework to best suit the needs to protect women and children in cyber space. The NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma shared how critical it is to create awareness about online safety rights of women and reiterated the need for spreading awareness about online safety to reach the last mile in order to build collective action and bring change. She also mentioned the need to conducting nationwide trainings for the police personal to handle and report online distress.

Priyank Kanoongo, the Chairperson of NCPCR has been very proactively advocating for the cause of child online protection and has been instrumental in voicing critical in fiercely voicing his thoughts on protecting online safety rights of children across India. He shared the following thoughts at the launch. He said there is dire need to educate parents about online safety in order to let the information trickle down to their children. He said NCPCR does not hold any inhibitions in naming and shaming violators of child rights be it offline or online and will always raise a strong voice against platform ‘s inability to protect children in cyber space.

Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President, CyberPeace Foundation, the partnering organization shared that this nationwide movement will build great momentum on the cause of online protection of children and women cross the country and urged organizations across India to pledge their support to the cause. The more people joining this movement would build collective pressure to formulate guidelines and policies the make cyber space safe for children and women. Sonali Patankar – Founder Responsible Netism shared the objective of the campaign was to let online safety reach the last mile and build on aggressive reporting of online content. The movement was an effort to make the campaign India Fights Cyber Violence to make India cyber safe for children.

She shared that the campaign launch would be followed by a nationwide research conducted to understand parents perspectives on cyber violence which would be handy in representing recommendations on women and child safety protocols through commoners. There would be a round table for organizations working with children chaired by Priyank Kanoongo on November 22 followed by a round table held for organizations working with Women chaired by Rekha Sharma Madam on December 22, 2021. The campaign would culminate in the Responsible Netism 6th National Cyber Psychology Conference scheduled for January 22, 2022 that would witness a compilation of the research and the work done throughout the campaign.

The launch was attended by Sujay Patki – Social Activist and Advisor Responsible Netism and Shilpa Chandolikar trustee Responsible Netism, Adv Khushbu Jain Advocate Supreme Court of India followed by the vote of thanks by Unmesh Joshi – Co-founder Responsible Netism. With the success of the launch and the support of NCPCR and NCW, we are sure to make this a nation-wide movement to protect cyber safety rights of netizens and strongly believe in collective action to make India Cyber Safe for Women and Children.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/1804283-cyberpeace-foundation-and-responsible-netism-launches-campaign-india-fights-cyber-violence-against-women-and-children

Introduction

You must have heard of several techniques of cybercrime up to this point. Many of which we could never have anticipated. Some of these reports are coming from different parts of the country. Where video calls are being utilised to cheat. Through video calls, cybercriminals are making individuals victims of fraud. During this incident, fraudsters film pornographic recordings of both the victims using a screen recorder, then blackmail them by emailing these videos and demanding money. However, cybercriminals are improving their strategies to defraud more people. In this blog post, we will explore the tactics involved in this case, the psychological impact, and ways to combat it. Before we know more about the case, let’s have a look at deep fake, AI, and Sextortion and how fraudsters use technology to commit crimes.

Understanding Deepfake

Deepfake technology is the manipulation or fabrication of multimedia information such as videos, photos, or audio recordings using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, and profound learning models. These algorithms process massive quantities of data to learn and imitate human-like behaviour, allowing for very realistic synthetic media development.

Individuals with malicious intent may change facial expressions, bodily movements, and even voices in recordings using deepfake technology, basically replacing a person’s appearance with someone else’s. The produced film can be practically indistinguishable from authentic footage, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between the two.

Sextortion and technology

Sextortion is a sort of internet blackmail in which offenders use graphic or compromising content to compel others into offering money, sexual favours, or other concessions. This information is usually gained by hacking, social engineering, or tricking people into providing sensitive information.

Deepfake technology combined with sextortion techniques has increased the impact on victims. Deepfakes may now be used by perpetrators to make and distribute pornographic or compromising movies or photographs that seem genuine but are completely fake. As the prospect of discovery grows increasingly credible and tougher to rebut, the stakes for victims rise.

Cyber crooks Deceive

In this present case, cyber thugs first make video calls to people and capture the footage. They then twist the footage and merge it with a distorted naked video. As a result, the victim is obliged to conceal the case. Following that, “they demand money as a ransom to stop releasing the doctored video on the victim’s contacts and social media platforms.” In this case, a video has emerged in which a lady who was supposedly featured in the first film is depicted committing herself because of the shame caused by the video’s release. These extra threats are merely intended to inflict psychological pressure and coercion on the victims.

Sextortionists have reached a new low by profiting from the misfortunes of others, notably targeting deceased victims. The offenders want to maximise emotional pain and persuade the victim into acquiescence by generating deep fake films depicting these persons. They use the inherent compassion and emotion connected with tragedy to exact bigger ransoms from their victims.

This distressing exploitation not only adds urgency to the extortion demands but also preys on the victim’s sensitivity and emotional instability. They even pressurize the victim by impersonating them, and if the demands are fulfilled, the victims may land up in jail.

Tactics used

The morphed death videos are precisely constructed to heighten emotional discomfort and instil terror in the targeted individual. By editing photographs or videos of the deceased, the offenders create unsettling circumstances that heighten the victim’s emotional response.

The psychological manipulation seeks to instil guilt, regret, and a sense of responsibility in the victim. The notion that they are somehow linked to the catastrophe increases their emotional weakness, making them more vulnerable to the demands of sextortionists. The offenders take use of these emotions, coercing victims into cooperation out of fear of being involved in the apparent tragedy.

The impact on the victim’s mental well-being cannot be overstated. They may experience intense psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The guilt and shame associated with the false belief of being linked to someone’s death can have long-lasting effects on their emotional health and overall quality of life, others may have trust issues.

Law enforcement agencies advised

Law enforcement organisations were concerned about the growing annoyance of these illegal acts. The use of deep fake methods or other AI technologies to make convincing morphing films demonstrates scammers’ improved ability. These tools are fully capable of modifying digital information in ways that are radically different from the genuine film, making it difficult for victims to detect the fake nature of the video.

Defence strategies to fight back: To combat sextortion, a proactive approach that empowers individuals and utilizes resources is required. This section delves into crucial anti-sextortion techniques such as reporting events, preserving evidence, raising awareness, and implementing digital security measures.

• Report the Incident: Sextortion victims should immediately notify law enforcement. Contact your local police or cybercrime department and supply them with any important information, including specifics of the extortion attempt, communication logs, and any other evidence that can assist in the investigation. Reporting the occurrence is critical for keeping criminals responsible and averting additional harm to others.
• Preserve Evidence: Preserving evidence is critical in creating a solid case against sextortionists. Save and document any types of contact connected to the extortion, including text messages, emails, and social media conversations. Take screenshots, record phone calls (if legal), and save any other digital material or papers that might be used as evidence. This evidence can be useful in investigations and judicial processes.

Digital security: Implementing comprehensive digital security measures can considerably lower the vulnerability to sextortion assaults. Some important measures that one can use:

• Use unique, complicated passwords for all online accounts, and avoid reusing passwords across platforms. Consider utilising password managers to securely store and create strong passwords.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible, which adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second verification step, such as a code delivered to your phone or email, in addition to the password.
• Regular software updates: Keep your operating system, antivirus software, and programmes up to date. Security patches are frequently included in software upgrades to defend against known vulnerabilities.
• Adjust your privacy settings on social networking platforms and other online accounts to limit the availability of personal information and restrict access to your content.
• Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading files from unfamiliar or suspect sources. When exchanging personal information online, only use trusted websites.

Conclusion:

Combating sextortion demands a collaborative effort that combines proactive tactics and resources to confront this damaging practice. Individuals may actively fight back against sextortion by reporting incidences, preserving evidence, raising awareness, and implementing digital security measures. It is critical to empower victims, encourage their rehabilitation, and collaborate to build a safer online environment where sextortionists are held accountable and everyone can navigate the digital environment with confidence.

Executive Summary:

A viral post on social media shared with misleading captions about a National Highway being built with large bridges over a mountainside in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the investigation of the claim shows that the bridge is from  China. Thus the video is false and misleading.

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  Claim:

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A video circulating of National Highway 14 construction being built on the mountain side in Jammu and Kashmir.  

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Fact Check:

Upon receiving the image, Reverse Image Search was carried out, an image of an under-construction road,  falsely linked to Jammu and Kashmir has been proven inaccurate. After investigating we confirmed the road is from a different location that is G6911 Ankang-Laifeng Expressway in China, highlighting the need to verify information before sharing.

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Conclusion:

The viral claim mentioning under-construction Highway from Jammu and Kashmir is false. The post is actually from China and not J&K. Misinformation like this can mislead the public. Before sharing viral posts, take a brief moment to verify the facts. This highlights the importance of verifying information and relying on credible sources to combat the spread of false claims.

• Claim:  Under-Construction Road Falsely Linked to Jammu and Kashmir
• Claimed On: Instagram and X (Formerly Known As Twitter)
• Fact Check: False and Misleading 

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