CYBER SENTRY
As a cyber security guest faculty at the Karnataka State Police Academy and Karnataka Judicial Academy, since 2011, Ananth Prabhu Gurpur has shared with his audiences all that he has learned about cyber crimes against women. “I was terrified thinking what if crimes like these happen to someone in my family or with my friends. So I started the #cybersafegirl daily posts, using info-toons to highlight cyber crimes, the modus operandi of the criminals and how one could stay safe,” says Prabhu.
When the number of identified common cyber crimes—based on calls for help from women— reached 15 by 2018, Prabhu compiled them into a book by the same name. As new crimes came to light, he added another 10 and launched the book’s second edition this year. “I would like to believe that the info-toons have left a deep impact on readers, and that they now think before clicking on anything and everything they come across online,” says Prabhu.
Cyber awareness is the key, says Prabhu, who has trained more than 100,000 students in India on cyber security and the best practices to stay safe online. An online course on cyber security and a downloadable version of his book are available on his website (www. cybersafegirl.com). Prabhu cautions that smartphones, laptops and digital devices have turned into a mine of information about people’s lives.
“There is also something called deep fakes. With the help of high-end filters, photo editors, printers, scanners, apps and other software, anyone can pick your video and use your input to manipulate and blackmail you. Such advanced picture morphing can have dangerous consequences,” explains Prabhu, who has a PhD in computer engineering from the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum.
Prabhu wants cyber security introduced in school curriculums so that students are made more aware of the dangers lurking online. He cautions government agencies on the need to upgrade their cyber security and would also like to see India’s cyber laws updated periodically to meet the growing challenges.
Prabhu, who teaches computer science and engineering at Mangaluru’s Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, says e-books and workshops are the first steps towards ensuring women’s safety in cyberspace. “I also do not want people to lose money, reputation or intellectual property to cyber criminals.” Asked what keeps him motivated, he smiles: “Nothing is more satisfying than participants at workshops walking up and saying a thank you!” ■
“I WISH TO SEE INDIA SURPASS ISRAEL IN CYBER SECURITY. WE HAVE THE BEST BRAINS, THE RIGHT PLATFORM AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME THE FORERUNNER IN ANY TECHNOLOGY”