Post Session Report on Universal Acceptance and Multilingual Internet at BIT University under CyberPeace Center of Excellence (CCoE)

Introduction

With the increasing reliance on digital technologies in the banking industry, cyber threats have become a significant concern. Cyberlaw plays a crucial role in safeguarding the banking sector from cybercrimes and ensuring the security and integrity of financial systems.

The banking industry has witnessed a rapid digital transformation, enabling convenient services and greater access to financial resources. However, this digitalisation also exposes the industry to cyber threats, necessitating the formulation and implementation of effective cyber law frameworks.

Recent Trends in the Banking Industry

Digital Transformation: The banking industry has embraced digital technologies, such as mobile banking, internet banking, and financial apps, to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

Open Banking: The concept of open banking has gained prominence, enabling data sharing between banks and third-party service providers, which introduces new cyber risks.

How Cyber Law Helps the Banking Sector

The banking sector and cyber crime share an unspoken synergy due to the mass digitisation of banking services. Thanks to QR codes, UPI and online banking payments, India is now home to 40% of global online banking transactions. Some critical aspects of the cyber law and banking sector are as follows:

Data Protection: Cyberlaw mandates banks to implement robust data protection measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular security audits, to safeguard customer data.

Incident Response and Reporting: Cyberlaw requires banks to establish incident response plans, promptly report cyber incidents to regulatory authorities, and cooperate in investigations.

Customer Protection: Cyberlaw enforces regulations related to online banking fraud, identity theft, and unauthorised transactions, ensuring that customers are protected from cybercrimes.

Legal Framework: Cyberlaw provides a legal foundation for digitalisation in the banking sector, assuring customers that regulations protect their digital transactions and data.

Cybersecurity Training and Awareness: Cyberlaw encourages banks to conduct regular training programs and create awareness among employees and customers about cyber threats, safe digital practices, and reporting procedures.

RBI Guidelines

The RBI, as India’s central banking institution, has issued comprehensive guidelines to enhance cyber resilience in the banking industry. These guidelines address various aspects, including:

Technology Risk Management

Cyber Security Framework

IT Governance

Cyber Crisis Management Plan

Incident Reporting and Response

Recent Trends in Banking Sector Frauds and the Role of Cyber Law

Phishing Attacks: Cyberlaw helps banks combat phishing attacks by imposing penalties on perpetrators and mandating preventive measures like two-factor authentication.

Insider Threats: Cyberlaw regulations emphasise the need for stringent access controls, employee background checks, and legal consequences for insiders involved in fraudulent activities.

Ransomware Attacks: Cyberlaw frameworks assist banks in dealing with ransomware attacks by enabling legal actions against hackers and promoting preventive measures, such as regular software updates and data backups.

Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators (PSOs)

Draft of Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators (PSOs) issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The directions provide guidelines and requirements for PSOs to improve the safety and security of their payment systems, with a focus on cyber resilience. These guidelines for PSOs include mobile payment service providers like Paytm or digital wallet payment platforms.

Here are the highlights-

The Directions aim to improve the safety and security of payment systems operated by PSOs by providing a framework for overall information security preparedness, with an emphasis on cyber resilience.

The Directions apply to all authorised non-bank PSOs.

PSOs must ensure adherence to these Directions by unregulated entities in their digital payments ecosystem, such as payment gateways, third-party service providers, vendors, and merchants.

The PSO’s Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring adequate oversight over information security risks, including cyber risk and cyber resilience. A sub-committee of the Board may be delegated with primary oversight responsibilities.

PSOs must formulate a Board-approved Information Security (IS) policy that covers roles and responsibilities, measures to identify and manage cyber security risks, training and awareness programs, and more.

PSOs should have a distinct Board-approved Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) to detect, contain, respond, and recover from cyber threats and attacks.

A senior-level executive, such as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), should be responsible for implementing the IS policy and the cyber resilience framework and assessing the overall information security posture of the PSO.

PSOs need to define Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify potential risk events and assess the effectiveness of security controls. The sub-committee of the Board is responsible for monitoring these indicators.

PSOs should conduct a cyber risk assessment when launching new products, services, technologies, or significant changes to existing infrastructure or processes.

PSOs, including inventory management, identity and access management, network security, application security life cycle, security testing, vendor risk management, data security, patch and change management life cycle, incident response, business continuity planning, API security, employee awareness and training, and other security measures should implement various baseline information security measures and controls.

PSOs should ensure that payment transactions involving debit to accounts conducted electronically are permitted only through multi-factor authentication, except where explicitly permitted/relaxed.

Conclusion

The relationship between cyber law and the banking industry is crucial in ensuring a secure and trusted digital environment. Recent trends indicate that cyber threats are evolving and becoming more sophisticated. Compliance with cyber law provisions and adherence to guidelines such as those provided by the RBI is essential for banks to protect themselves and their customers from cybercrimes. By embracing robust cyber law frameworks, the banking industry can foster a resilient ecosystem that enables innovation while safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders or users.

Introduction

The rise of unreliable social media newsgroups on online platforms has significantly altered the way people consume and interact with news, contributing to the spread of misinformation and leading to sources of unverified and misleading content. Unlike traditional news outlets that adhere to journalistic standards, these newsgroups often lack proper fact-checking and editorial oversight, leading to the rapid dissemination of false or distorted information. Social media transformed individuals into active content creators. Social media newsgroups (SMNs) are social media platforms used as sources of news and information. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center (July-August 2024), 54% of U.S. adults now rely on social media for news. This rise in SMNs has raised concerns over the integrity of online news and undermines trust in legitimate news sources. Social media users are advised to consume information and news from authentic sources or channels available on social media platforms.

The Growing Issue of Misinformation in Social Media Newsgroups

Social media newsgroups have become both a source of vital information and a conduit for misinformation. While these platforms allow rapid news sharing and facilitate political and social campaigns, they also pose significant risks of unverified information. Misleading information, often driven by algorithms designed to maximise user engagement, proliferates in these spaces. This has led to increasing challenges, as SMNs cater to diverse communities with varying political affiliations, gender demographics, and interests. This sometimes results in the creation of echo chambers where information is not critically assessed, amplifying the confirmation bias and enabling the unchecked spread of misinformation. A prominent example is the false narratives surrounding COVID-19 vaccines that spread across SMNs, contributing to widespread vaccine hesitancy and public health risks.

Understanding the Susceptibility of Online Newsgroups to Misinformation

Several factors make social media newsgroups particularly susceptible to misinformation. Some of the factors are listed below:

• The lack of robust fact-checking mechanisms in social media news groups can lead to false narratives which can spread easily. 
• The lack of expertise from admins of online newsgroups, who are often regular users without journalism knowledge, can result in the spreading of inaccurate information. Their primary goal of increasing engagement may overshadow concerns about accuracy and credibility.
• The anonymity of users exacerbates the problem of misinformation. It allows users to share unverified or misleading content without accountability. 
• The viral nature of social media also leads to the vast spread of misinformation to audiences instantly, often outpacing efforts to correct it.
• Unlike traditional media outlets, online newsgroups often lack formal fact-checking processes. This absence allows misinformation to circulate without verification, making it easier for inaccuracies to go unchallenged.
• The sheer volume of user engagement in the form of posts has created the struggle to moderate content effectively imposing significant challenges.
• Social Media Platforms have algorithms designed to enhance user engagement and inadvertently amplify sensational or emotionally charged content, which is more likely to be false.

Consequences of Misinformation in Newsgroups 

The societal impacts of misinformation in SMNs are profound. Political polarisation can fuel one-sided views and create deep divides in democratic societies. Health risks emerge when false information spreads about critical issues, such as the anti-vaccine movements or misinformation related to public health crises. Misinformation has dire long-term implications and has the potential to destabilise governments and erode trust in media, in both traditional and social media leading to undermining democracy. If unaddressed, the consequences could continue to ripple through society, perpetuating false narratives that shape public opinion.

Steps to Mitigate Misinformation in Social Media Newsgroups 

• Educating users in social media literacy education can empower critical assessment of the information encountered, reducing the spread of false narratives. 
• Introducing stricter platform policies, including penalties for deliberately sharing misinformation, may act as a deterrent against sharing unverified information. 
• Collaborative fact-checking initiatives with involvement from social media platforms, independent journalists, and expert organisations can provide a unified front against the spread of false information.
• From a policy perspective, a holistic approach that combines platform responsibility with user education and governmental and industry oversight is essential to curbing the spread of misinformation in social media newsgroups.

Conclusion 

The emergence of Social media newsgroups has revolutionised the dissemination of information.  This rapid spread of misinformation poses a significant challenge to the integrity of news in the digital age. It gets further amplified by algorithmic echo chambers unchecked user engagement and profound societal implications. A multi-faceted approach is required to tackle these issues, combining stringent platform policies, AI-driven moderation, and collaborative fact-checking initiatives. User empowerment concerning media literacy is an important factor in promoting critical thinking and building cognitive defences. By adopting these measures, we can better navigate the complexities of consuming news from social media newsgroups and preserve the reliability of online information. Furthermore, users need to consume news from authoritative sources available on social media platforms. 

References

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/24/social-media-owners-survey-misinformation-online-news
• https://pirg.org/edfund/articles/misinformation-on-social-media/ ‍
• https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/mobile-based-social-media-what-is-cutting/77292

The Digital Covenant: Aligning Communication with SDG Goals

“Rethinking Communication, Cyber Responsibility, and Sustainability in a Connected World”

Introduction

It is rightly said by Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary General, “Everyone should be able to express themselves freely without fear of attack. Everyone should be able to access a range of views and information sources.”  In 2024, when the Global Alliance for PR and Communication Management asserted that it aligns with the era of digital transformation, where technology is moving at terminal velocity and bringing various risks and threats, it called on the global leaders and stakeholders to proclaim ‘Responsible Communication’ as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). On May 17th, as we celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2025, we must align our personal, professional, and virtual spaces with a safe and sustainable information age. 

In terms of digital growth, it is indubitable that India is growing at a brisk pace consistently in alignment with its South Asian and Western counterparts and has incorporated international covenants on digital personal data and cyber crimes within its domestic regime. 

UN Global Principles for Information Integrity 

The United Nations has displayed its constant commitment to the achievement of the seventeen SDGs that were adopted at the United Nations Conference in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. It recognises that you cannot isolate the digital transformation, technology, and digitisation from other areas that are included within the SDGs, such as health, education, and poverty. The UN released Policy Brief 8 in June 2023 by the UN Secretary-General that seeks to empirically derive data on the threats posed to information integrity and then come up with norms that help guide the member states, the digital platforms, and other stakeholders. The norms must be in conformity with the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to information access. 

In line with its agenda, it has formulated Global Principles of Information Integrity, which include “Societal Trust and Resilience”, “Healthy Incentives”, “Public Empowerment”, “Independent, Free and Pluralistic Media” and “Transparency and Research”. The principles recognise the harm caused by hatred, misinformation, and disinformation propagated by the misuse of advances in  Artificial Intelligence Technology (AI).

Breaking the Binary: Bridging the Gender Digital Divide

The reflection of how far we have come and how far we have to go can be deciphered with a single sentence, i.e., using digital technologies to promote gender equality. This can be seen both as a paradox and a pressing call to action. As we celebrate WTISD 2025, the day highlights the fundamental role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in accelerating progress and bringing those not included in this digital transformation to become a part of this change, especially the female population that remains isolated from mainstream growth. As per the data given by ITU, “Out of the world population, 70 per cent of men are using the internet, compared with 65 per cent of women.”

This exclusion is not merely a technical gap but a societal and economic chasm, reinforcing existing inequalities. By including such an important goal in the theme of this day, it marks a critical moment towards the formation of gender-sensitive digital policies, promoting digital literacy among women and girls, and ensuring safe, affordable, and meaningful connectivity. We can explore the future potential where technology is the true instrument for gender parity, not a mirror of old hierarchies. 

India and its courts have time and again proven their commitment to cultivating digital transformation as an inherent strength to bridge this digital divide, and the recent judgement where the court declared the right to digital access an intrinsic part of the right to life and liberty is a single instance among many.

CyberPeace Resolution on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 

CyberPeace is actively bridging the gap between digital safety and sustainable development through its initiatives, aligning with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ‘CyberPeace Corps’ empowers communities by fostering cyber hygiene awareness and building digital resilience. The ‘CyberPeace Initiative’, a project with Google.org, tackles digital misinformation, promoting informed online engagement. Additionally, Digital Shakti, now in its fifth phase, empowers women by enhancing their digital literacy and safety. These are just a few of the many impactful initiatives by CyberPeace, aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive digital future. Together, we are spreading awareness and strengthening the foundation for a safer and more inclusive digital future and promoting responsible tech use. Let us be resolute on this World Telecommunication and Information Society Day for “Clean Data. Safe Clicks. Stronger Future. Pledge to Cyber Hygiene Today!”

References

• https://www.un.org/en/observances/telecommunication-day

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