Computer Security Day 2023

November 30th, every year, is observed as the 'National Computer security Day' , ostensibly to enhance the awareness of the netizens about computer security and to reduce the cyber victims. I have participated in such days for many years, mainly representing Cyber Society of India (www.cysi.in) and the response is always encouraging.

This year I wanted to try out something different. I have been getting periodical alerts about the cyber security related incidents across the country for over a year. I chose to identify some recent incidents reported and invite interested people to sensitize them over the happenings, on my own.

Accordingly, I sent a note across to my contacts inviting them for a free online discussion session on 'Cyber Traps around Us' on the 30th November, 2023 and the response was very encouraging.

Amongst the 30+ people registered for the occasion, majority were senior citizens and there was a liberal mix of General Managers from Banks, Senior Bankers, Chartered Accountant, Retd Addl Supdt of Police, General Manager from L&T, Teachers from Mylapore school, Home makers and students.

The two hour long session over Google meet was well received as we took some incidents as Case study and discussed as to how the trap was laid, how the victim could have avoided being trapped and more importantly on what are the preventive measures one could take to avoid getting victimized, going forward.

It was gratifying to receive wonderful feedback from the attendees and the words from the Secretary, Cyber Society of India and other senior professionals were icing on the cake for the evening efforts.

I wish more and more NGOs organize such sessions and sensitize people to the lurking dangers which could minimize cybercrime victims. 

Feedback from the participants of the event can be read at : www.kapaleeswaran.com

Be alert and stay safe !!

Learn to say NO

Corporate training schools drum into the ears of the trainees , right from the first day of inception not only the importance but also the art of saying NO. A mere nod without realizing the cascading effect in a project could lead to catastrophic consequences making red the faces of the executives facing the client.

People nod for various reasons: For the fear of bosses, not wanting to raise a red flag before others, not giving enough thoughts and it goes on . . . 

In reality, this reluctance to say NO, should not only be checked at the official circles but also amongst friends, family, strangers and public places.

One must be aware of the case of a person lending his mobile phone to a stranger at the airport who wanted to call his waiting cab driver only to realize later that the stranger has made an International call; In another case, the stranger has given this number for a fraudulent online transaction !!

Does this mean that one should not help a stranger, whose appeal could genuine. No, but before extending one's helping arm, one is advised to be prudent and exercise caution by asking for the number and dial it before handing the mobile to the stranger.

With friends too, many are reluctant to say NO though the request seems to be unreasonable, more for the fear of losing friendship, but only to repent later.

In family circles, the NO mostly said with good intention is more often likely to be misunderstood. But then one has to take a call as to which is likely to cause greater heartburn- whether saying NO or the consequences.

Recent case of a man finding his credential being misused to obtain huge loans is a direct aftermath of obliging all and sundry with your personal credentials. The dropping of a slip with your vital data such as email Id and mobile number are enough to trigger creating your profile and a greater search with some technical knowhow could lead the fraudster to create one's identity for further digging into the potential victim's pocket. Better not to drop your details in a box at places like Book fare and Exhibitions, in the fond hope of receiving a lottery promised at the end of the day ! By the by, has anyone won any lottery at such common places? Not to my knowledge.

It was also reported that one need to be cautious in taking photocopies of important documents such as passport, Aadhaar card, pan Card, Ration card etc., as it is believed that some rogue shops have configured their photo copying machines to take an automatic extra copy which will be collected on a daily basis by data scavengers at a nominal cost per piece, but could work to large sums when the numbers increase. This could be avoided by people willing to invest a small amount in a copier at home but then how many could afford and will have the knowledge to do this is a moot point. 

It is also common for many organizations to ask for copies of such important documents as proof of the identity. In such cases, one can write boldly across the face of the document the purpose of sharing along with the date. This could prevent the document being (mis)used at a later date for purposes which were not intended while sharing initially.

Another easy habit that many of the users of digital items have gotten into is to blindly click on 'I Accept' before downloading any App on the mobile or getting into any website without even realizing what are the data that are being requested for and for what purpose! This is akin to and not much different from signing blindly on many pages of a loan application in a bank without reading the various clauses and conditions therein, which could come to haunt them later when they default and deviate from the requested purpose. 

How vulnerable are we could be better understood if one could just type their name in any popular search engine on the web and understand how much their private life is already under public glare. While with the growing methodologies to dig deep into others' pockets, it is nearly impossible to stay completely clear of getting victimized, some basic precautionary measures could help people in preventing their data being misused. Not an expert but will be glad to share some of the precautions I take while welcoming more thoughts to strengthen the cyber Rekha around oneself:

1. Email id, Date of birth, parents' names, Aadhaar card, Passport details, Pan Number/card, voter id and Ration card are data that need to be guarded very well and not to be shared in public under any circumstance
2. Wherever possible, get an acknowledgment for the data shared along with the purpose.
3. Before sharing , smudge the data that are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if Aadhaar card is given as proof of residence, explore covering the date of birth etc.,
4. Please note that the QR code on the Aadhaar card is also a vulnerable data pool that needs to be protected. 
5. While giving such documents , write / print boldly across the document the purpose for which it is shared along with  the date given. 
6. Think twice before sharing your personal details on social network which is open for all
7. Do not drop your private data in any public forum
8. While downloading an App on the mobile or system, make sure that permissions are not granted for accessing or securing your data which are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if an app for formatting documents is downloaded there is no need to permit access for all the photos and videos in your gallery. 
9. Take time to check periodically your CIBIL score and ensure that no liability, not created by you, are shown there. 
10. Say NO not only to Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol but also for sharing your digital profile.

Needless exposures

 It is a matter of grave concern that people are increasingly exposing their personal data , more dangerously the individual photos in public forums. Of late, there are many posts in social networks stating "today is my or my daughter's birthday" and post their latest photos. Just out of curiosity and with academic interest,  I pried further into the profile of the author of the post. Though the person is not in my friend list I was still able to have a good look at important features of their whole profile including their location, their previous photos, siblings, family  and I could say to a fair extent I had enough data to re-build the person's profile to my liking. With some more hunting with the latest sophisticated tools, I am very sure the complete profile of the person who is unknown to the intruder could be built. 

In another post, I saw a senior person posting his photograph at an international airport stating that he will be away from the heat and dust of India for the next six months. I am concerned that how much of efforts will be required to trace the person's house in his native place, which was visible in the social network, and what a field day the miscreants would have should they chose to pay a visit to the locked house !

Recently, I was fortunate to attend a lecture by a leading cyber law advocate who precisely but  elaborately dealt on how photos in unprotected social platforms could be misused and with what  consequences. He detailed that such photos in public forums are picked up methodically every few minutes and then analyzed for their utility (?) values, with the single photo of young women fetching the maximum for obvious reasons and how they could be used to milk further from the hapless victims. 

I sincerely wish such people who keep on sharing their profiles and programmes 'to all' learn more about the 'Dark net' and their activities !! People who frequent social network and boast that they could never live without it should better remember that whatever is posted in such public places are like matters dropped in the ocean and even if it is deleted within minutes, they are already into the hands of those whom you would not like to encounter. Present day technologies offer so much of tools that it is almost possible to recover and bring back anything except lost souls !

Already people in other countries are reported to be avoiding sharing pictures of the children with so many cases of paedophiles in the news. 

So dear friends, please refrain from sharing any travel updates or making such begging for blessings and also avoid posting the pictures of children. Cyber world is far more dangerous than the world we are used to and assume to be .

Shared in the public interest of being forewarned than repenting in leisure !!

Plight of Indian Workforce

I have heard that the personal space of an employee is protected vigorously in other countries whereas in my own backyard, it is not that much respected and I had occasion to witness both within a week.

One of my friend flew down from another state to visit me at my current location in the US and spent some good time extending his weekend. As he is a critical resource in the team, I casually asked as to how he could travel at such a short notice and he responded that he has enough leave and all he has to do is to update his calendar as PTO (Paid Time off) and that there is no practice of waiting for approval here, unless there are some exigencies. In fact, he went on to add that employees here claim leave as a matter of right, as and when it is available to them, and their leave requests are rarely turned down by their Managers.

In a closed group in social network I happened to see another post about the updates to the leave management policy of a leading nationalized bank in India. The circular on amended procedure explained as to how the Manager has to send the status of 'as on date employee's performance' against his targets while 'forwarding' the leave application and in the absence of the same the leave request will be summarily rejected.

I was aghast at the situation prevailing in India - atleast not yet changed since I left active service a decade ago ! Does this mean that if an employee's performance is not upto the expectations he cannot enjoy his promised privileges or exercise his rights which includes spending time with his family? Is this the work life balance that seems to be more breached as much it is preached ? Indian working conditions have a long way to go and it is time that such employees also raise their voice against the injustice.

This could also be considered as an abject failure of the representative bodies like unions and associations , supposed to safeguard the interest of the workforce, from which not a whimper is heard, at an order in writing impacting the personal life of employees. If a representative body is unable to resist such an interference into the personal life , is it not time to (re)think about its utility ?

Our turn to hold their hand !

Success even with repeated chewing remain sweet!

Memories of 2022 sessions is tempting for more.

(Details at : https://kapalicanvas.blogspot.com/2022/02/back-to-school-with-grand-parents.html )

As if to put the icing on the cake, requests were pouring for an encore of online sessions. 

Coupled with that, the increasing cyber crimes, exploiting the ignorance of people is becoming a matter of concern.

Acceding to the request when the call was given, for some hand holding sessions on 'Basic computer operations", the response was swift and fast from around 50 seniors, with some octogenarians leading from the front. 

How can one remain silent to the needs of an 86 year old young man and others from 13 locations across the globe and thus the sessions swung into action, brushing aside the time difference as the lectures started flowing from around 15000 KM away from India.

On the 3rd and 4th of June, 2023, two sessions were done virtually hand holding the seniors right from booting the system to reacting to unexpected hang ups, storing data safely, underlining the need to remain vigilant on downloads and few tips on staying safe over the net.

There were college professors, retired senior executives from banks and  Insurance sectors and it was gratifying to have some from the medicine too, a profession I rate high. Though for these seniors the computers were late to enter behind them, they were in no mood to let it go and their spirits were held aloft by the lone young man in his twenties joining the gang, wanting to know more of computers as he gears up to hold fort of corporate accounts by aspiring to be a chartered accountant.

Matters discussed were very basic and primitive as the participants themselves expressed at the beginning itself that they may be doyens in their respective field of occupations, but were kids with computers and so were treated at the kindergarten level, at an age when they could have decided to stroll peacefully in their own backyard garden.

The feedback was heart warming and there were many suggestions to handle some more topics, as they are considered too basic to be taught, by their current gen kids !

A small video on the sessions can be viewed at: Training on Basic Computer skills - a review

Whether it is primitive or fundamental, their enthusiasm to learn even at this stage cannot be ignored and by discussing few hours some basic Dos and Don'ts, if the numbers on cyber crime and victims come down, my aim of 'Share to Care' will be well served !

Catching the young to Coach

 In Tamil there is a saying ' The leg used to dancing will not stand still' (ஆடின கால் நிக்காது). 

Like the popular bank which claims never to sleep, my mind which was running ahead of me was egging me on with the next act, after my meets with the elders. 

Even a decade back during my days of association with corporates, after interviewing many candidates used to wonder how badly they miss their opportunities due to lack of expression and communication. Ever since, I have been wanting to catch the young and help them in honing their skills, which could convert opportunities to achievements. Unlike the 80 kids, the present generation is far ahead in their pursuit but I feel that proper guidance and mild course corrections could convert more into achievers from also-ran. 

Then I came across this organization which is building and encouraging 'a crazy team of volunteers', keen on supporting the young and needy. The organization ( https://www.teameverest.ngo/) not only support the young with scholarship but also help them with soft and other skills required to make them beat the race and turn achievers. The organization, in operation for over 15 years, seems to have trained thousands of educationally poor and needy, with some dedicated volunteers from across the globe. One of the few areas that the current pandemic does not seem to have impacted is this type of coaching as everything related to this is online. Right from orientation of volunteers to five sessions with the chosen student, coaching handbook for volunteers to the feedback session for students, the organization has wisely chosen the online route where all that is required for the student to benefit is a mobile phone, which almost everyone seems to possess irrespective of their economic status. 

Though it was hard to believe the experienced and committed CEO, who is learnt to have given up his lucrative corporate job to indulge in volunteering, was so passionate that with his focus and commitment aided by a handful of dedicated support staff was able to run such sessions as a well oiled machinery that never got stuck, as witnessed by me with my latest volunteering debut.

The process for volunteers starts with an intense orientation session followed by five sessions of 45 minutes each spread over ten days with a student allocated to every volunteer. The student allotted to me was from an economically poor background with his father a daily wager and mother doing odd domestic jobs. But the young lad doing his first year bachelor's in computer at a college, which incidentally is my alma mater too, was full of enthusiasm and discipline. He always joined the call at the agreed time, followed meticulously the curriculum so well defined by the NGO and it was a joy to find the student making progress every day , as evidenced by the completed exercises presented by him at the next session! The boy with an ambition to become a computer professional had all the making of becoming one and he confirmed with his feedback every session that he is on track and is being benefitted by my inputs. That he will raise the family above the present status was evident with the first statement making exercise given, when he responded with "I love my family" as the answer !!

What was amazing to learn later was that 750 such volunteers worked over the past two weeks to bring light into the lives of around 1000 students and when enlarged how well will such noble acts help the young ones across the country in the years to come!  The concluding reflection meet with the volunteers revealed that some long term mentor-mentee teams also blossomed due to these sessions and that augurs well for the vision of the NGO, whose passion is to encourage volunteering. 

It was a nice gesture from the volunteering organization to present the volunteers with an e-Certificate but the volunteers will cherish more the invaluable association and positive improvements in their students. 

Delighted to have spotted a long searched avenue and I only wish many more people qualified to impart such support services join hands with this team in their quest to not only catch but also coach the young and needy early so that more and more of younger generation is benefitted by the years of wisdom of the experienced ones. 

This is also an avenue for the volunteers to realize that there is more joy in giving than taking !!

Happy Volunteering !!

Empowering Elders

Months of Feb and March this year,  seem to me to be the ones of receiving blessings from elders !

Deeply moved by the sad faces of many seniors projecting their helpless travails of losing valuables over cyber space, I set out in Feb this year, to address the basic issue of operating computers and held five long sessions discussing and hand holding them with some basics. I was moved by the feedback from over 50 senior citizen participants in those sessions,  about how none cared to teach them these basics even though the ones whom they taught right from cursive writing to JEE coaching were well equipped to do this but were too busy with their own family, preparing the next generation to disappoint them in this area !! (For more details on this, read at the post: https://kapalicanvas.blogspot.com/2022/02/back-to-school-with-grand-parents.html  ) 

When they prodded me to continue with the sessions, I was only too willing to organize few classes on 'Handling email' teaching them right from creating an email account to locate the downloaded attachments, alerting about some pitfalls that they could encounter in the form of phishing and other methods used with email.

Almost the same set of elders were too happy to join and enjoyed the sessions as was evident from the fact that a majority of the 40 elders attended eagerly both the sessions and that included super seniors above the age of 75 years. I felt honoured that a friend who helped me in stepping into the computer arena, when I struggled to make the high fee back in 1982, too participated. The attendees included very senior , but now retired, professionals and the most rewarding moments were realized on getting their feedback, some of which are given below:

As was evident from the feedback, elders not only suffer from lack of updated knowledge but also has to fight other challenges like memory loss, retention etc., It's time the younger ones spend atleast some time, if not more time, with their elders and avoid their feeling lonely and being left alone in the cyber space. I wish I could contribute more to this cause.