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

Introduction

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently issued the “Email Policy of Government of India, 2024.” It is an updated email policy for central government employees, requiring the exclusive use of official government emails managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for public duties. The policy replaces 2015 guidelines and prohibits government employees, contractors, and consultants from using their official email addresses on social media or other websites unless authorised for official functions. The policy aims to reinforce cybersecurity measures and protocols, maintain secure communications, and ensure compliance across departments. It is not legally binding, but its gazette notification ensures compliance and maintains cyber resilience in communications. The updated policy is also aligned with the newly enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

Brief Highlights of Email Policy of Government of India, 2024

• The Email Policy of the Government of India, 2024 is divided into three parts namely, Part I: Introduction, Part II: Terms of Use, Part III: Functions, duties and Responsibilities, and with an annexe attached to it defining the meaning of certain organisation types in relation to this policy.
• The policy direct to not use NICeMail address for registering on any social media or other websites or mobile applications, save for the performance of official duties or with due authorisation from the authority competent.
• Under this new policy, “core use organisations” (central government departments and other government-controlled entities that do not provide goods or services on commercial terms) and its users shall use only NICeMail for official purposes. 

• However, where the Core Use Organisation has an office or establishment outside India, to ensure availability of local communication channels under exigent circumstances may use alternative email services hosted outside India with all due approval.
• Core Use Organisations, including those dealing with national security, have their own independent email servers and can continue operating their independent email servers provided the servers are hosted in India. They should also consider migrating their email services to NICeMail Services for security and uniform policy enforcement.
• The policy also requires departments that currently use @gov.in or @nic.in to instead migrate to @departmentname.gov.in mail domains so that information sanctity and integrity can be maintained when officials are transferred from one department/ministry to another, and so that the ministry/department doesn’t lose access to the official communication. For this, the department or ministry in question must register the domain name with NIC. For instance, MeitY has registered the mail domain @meity.gov.in. The policy gives government departments six months time period complete this migration.
• The policy also makes distinction between (1) Organisation-linked email addresses and (2) Service-linked email addresses. The policy in respect of “organisation-linked email addresses” is laid down in paragraphs 5.3.2(a) and 5.4 to 5.6.3. And the policy in respect of “service-linked email addresses” is laid down in paragraphs 5.3.2(b) and 5.7 to 5.7.2 under the official document of said policy. 

• Further, the new policy includes specific directives on separating the email addresses of regular government employees from those of contractors or consultants to improve operational clarity.

CyberPeace Policy Outlook 

The revised Email Policy of the Government of India reflects the government’s proactive response to countering the evolving cybersecurity challenges and aims to maintain cyber resilience across the government department’s email communications. The policy represents a significant step towards securing inter government and intra-government communications. We as a cybersecurity expert organisation emphasise the importance of protecting sensitive data against cyber threats, particularly in a world increasingly targeted by sophisticated phishing and malware attacks, and we advocate for safe and secure online communication and information exchange. Email communications hold sensitive information and therefore require robust policies and mechanisms in place to safeguard the communications and ensure that sensitive data is shielded through regulated and secure email usage with technical capabilities for safe use. The proactive step taken by MeitY is commendable and aligned with securing governmental communication channels.

References:

1. https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Email-policy-30-10-2024.pdf-(Official document for Email Policy of Government of India, 2024.
2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dont-use-govt-email-ids-for-social-media-central-govt-policy-for-employees-101730312997936.html#:~:text=Government%20employees%20must%20not%20use,email%20policy%20issued%20on%20Wednesday
3. https://bwpeople.in/article/new-email-policy-issued-for-central-govt-employees-to-strengthen-cybersecurity-measures-537805
4. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-notifies-email-policy-for-ministries-central-departments/article68815537.ece

‍

Introduction

Advanced deepfake technology blurs the line between authentic and fake. To ascertain the credibility of the content it has become important to differentiate between genuine and manipulated or curated online content highly shared on social media platforms. AI-generated fake voice clone, videos are proliferating on the Internet and social media. There is the use of sophisticated AI algorithms that help manipulate or generate synthetic multimedia content such as audio, video and images. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine, altered, or fake multimedia content. McAfee Corp., a well-known or popular global leader in online protection, has recently launched an AI-powered deepfake audio detection technology under Project “Mockingbird” intending to safeguard consumers against the surging threat of fabricated or AI-generated audio or voice clones to dupe people for money or unauthorisly obtaining their personal information. McAfee Corp. announced its AI-powered deepfake audio detection technology, known as Project Mockingbird, at the Consumer Electronics Show, 2024.

What is voice cloning?

To create a voice clone of anyone's, audio can be deeplyfaked, too, which closely resembles a real voice but, in actuality, is a fake voice created through deepfake technology. 

Emerging Threats: Cybercriminal Exploitation of Artificial Intelligence in Identity Fraud, Voice Cloning, and Hacking Acceleration

AI is used for all kinds of things from smart tech to robotics and gaming. Cybercriminals are misusing artificial intelligence for rather nefarious reasons including voice cloning to commit cyber fraud activities. Artificial intelligence can be used to manipulate the lips of an individual so it looks like they're saying something different, it could also be used for identity fraud to make it possible to impersonate someone for a remote verification for your bank and it also makes traditional hacking more convenient. Cybercriminals have been misusing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, which has led to an increase in the speed and volume of cyber attacks, and that's been the theme in recent times.

Technical Analysis

To combat Audio cloning fraudulent activities, McAfee Labs has developed a robust AI model that precisely detects artificially generated audio used in videos or otherwise.

• Context-Based Recognition: Contextual assessment is used by technological devices to examine audio components in the overall setting of an audio. It improves the model's capacity to recognise discrepancies suggestive of artificial intelligence-generated audio by evaluating its surroundings information.
• Conductual Examination: Psychological detection techniques examine linguistic habits and subtleties, concentrating on departures from typical individual behaviour. Examining speech patterns, tempo, and pronunciation enables the model to identify artificially or synthetically produced material.
• Classification Models: Auditory components are categorised by categorisation algorithms for detection according to established traits of human communication. The technology differentiates between real and artificial intelligence-synthesized voices by comparing them against an extensive library of legitimate human speech features.
• Accuracy Outcomes: McAfee Labs' deepfake voice recognition solution, which boasts an impressive ninety per cent success rate, is based on a combined approach incorporating psychological, context-specific, and categorised identification models. Through examining audio components in the larger video context and examining speech characteristics, such as intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation, the system can identify discrepancies that could be signs of artificial intelligence-produced audio. Categorical models make an additional contribution by classifying audio information according to characteristics of known human speech. This all-encompassing strategy is essential for precisely recognising and reducing the risks connected to AI-generated audio data, offering a strong barrier against the growing danger of deepfake situations.
• Application Instances: The technique protects against various harmful programs, such as celebrity voice-cloning fraud and misleading content about important subjects.

Conclusion

It is important to foster ethical and responsible consumption of technology. Awareness of common uses of artificial intelligence is a first step toward broader public engagement with debates about the appropriate role and boundaries for AI. Project Mockingbird by Macafee employs AI-driven deepfake audio detection to safeguard against cyber criminals who are using fabricated AI-generated audio for scams and manipulating the public image of notable figures, protecting consumers from financial and personal information risks. 

References:

• https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/mcafee-deepfake-audio-detection-technology-against-rise-in-ai-generated-misinformation-18740471.htm
• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/mcafee-unveils-advanced-deepfake-audio-detection-technology/article67718951.ece
• https://lifestyle.livemint.com/smart-living/innovation/ces-2024-mcafee-ai-technology-audio-project-mockingbird-111704714835601.html
• https://news.abplive.com/fact-check/audio-deepfakes-adding-to-cacophony-of-online-misinformation-abpp-1654724

Executive Summary:

The video that allegedly showed cars running into an Indian flag while Pakistan flags flying in the air in Indian states,  went viral on social media but it has been established to be misleading. The video posted is neither from Kerala nor Tamil Nadu as claimed, instead from Karachi, Pakistan. There are specific details like the shop's name, Pakistani flags, car’s number plate, geolocation analyses that  locate where the video comes from. The false information underscores the importance of verifying information before sharing it.

Claims:

A video circulating on social media shows cars trampling the Indian Tricolour painted on a road, as Pakistani flags are raised in pride, with the incident allegedly taking place in Tamil Nadu or Kerala.

‍

Fact Check:

Upon receiving the post we closely watched the video, and found several signs that indicated the video was from Pakistan but not from any place in India.

We divided the video into keyframes and found a shop name near the road.

We enhanced the image quality to see the shop name clearly.

We can see that it’s written as ‘Sanam’, also we can see Pakistan flags waving on the road. Taking a cue from this we did some keyword searches with the shop name. We found some shops with the name and one of the shop's name ‘Sanam Boutique’ located in Karachi, Pakistan,  was found to be similar when analyzed using geospatial Techniques.

‍

‍

We also found a similar structure of the building while geolocating the place with the viral video.

‍

‍

Additional confirmation of the place is the car’s number plate found in the keyframes of the video. 

We found a website that shows the details of the number Plate in Karachi, Pakistan.

‍

Upon thorough investigation, it was found that the location in the  viral video is from Karachi, Pakistan, but not from Kerala or Tamil Nadu as claimed by different users in Social Media. Hence, the claim made is false and misleading.

Conclusion:

The video circulating on social media, claiming to show cars trampling the Indian Tricolour on a road while Pakistani flags are waved, does not depict an incident in Kerala or Tamil Nadu as claimed. By fact-checking methodologies, it has been confirmed now that the location in the video is actually  from Karachi, Pakistan. The misrepresentation shows the importance of verifying the source of any information before sharing it on social media to prevent the spread of false narratives.

• Claim: A video shows cars trampling the Indian Tricolour painted on a road, as Pakistani flags are raised in pride, taking place in Tamil Nadu or Kerala.
• Claimed on: X (Formerly known as Twitter)
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

‍