Jetking Infotrain is a renowned name in the field of education and computer education. The publicly listed Indian computer institute was established 75 years ago and has been a pioneer in providing courses like JCHNE+, JCHNP, and MNA+, Blockchain, Network Security, and Ethical Hacking. Harsh Suresh Bharwani is the CEO and MD of Jetking Infotrain. He has an experience of over 17 years. Below is a short excerpt from a recent interaction between team fyi9.com and Harsh Bhawani where he answered questions about cybersecurity, how to prepare for advanced cyber threats, and much more:
Prateek: What are the Various Ways a Layman Can Face a Cyber Attack?
Harsh Bharwani: A cyberattack could result in data breaches and malicious activities on your sensitive data. Financial failures and data breaches may leave your life miserable. Hence, you need to be well aware of the various types of cyber attacks that are prevalent these days. A well-informed person can take adequate measures to avoid these cyberattacks.
Malware Attack – In malware attacks, malicious software viruses like ransomware, adware, and spyware are used to get data from your device.
Phishing – In this attack, a perpetrator poses as a reliable contact and sends the victim fraudulent emails. Once you open the mail, you fall into the trap of this cyber attacker.
Denial-of-Service Attack – This kind of attack is mainly common for organizations. But if you are running any official work from your home, you may also be the target of such attacks and exhaust your bandwidth.
Cryptojacking – If you use cryptocurrency, hackers can try to access your system to mine cryptocurrency and deplete all your crypto resources.
IoT Attack – This is a common type of attack that may occur on any of your devices, such as computers, laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. It has the potential to disrupt the usual services and manipulate data from them.
Prateek: Jamtara attacks, like phishing attacks, are merely mind-manipulating frauds. Do they have a digital backing?
Harsh Bharwani: Phishing scams like Jamtara are not new, but they came into the news for their recent emergence in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district. For simply answering a phone call from an unknown number, a lump sum of money vanished from a layman’s account. Jamtara con artists know how to manipulate a person by using their greed to win something attractive.
When people fall into the trap, they don’t know what their greed can lead to. There are various ways to capture the attention of the victim, such as with unsolicited calls or text messages, offers like cashback and free products, or blackmailing with some unappropriated images or videos. Here, the con artist completely plays with the mind of the victim first and then uses his or her technical knowledge to culminate the gameplay into a successful one.
Jamtara attack is not solely a mind game, as many attackers acquire databases from directories and have a backup plan on their computers or laptops. These malicious individuals may use QR codes, which may result in the loss of money or data on your computer. Hence, having an idea of these kinds of phishing attacks is crucial to living a healthy online life.
Prateek: What are some methods for honing one’s cybersecurity skills?
Harsh Bharwani: With the increasing number of cyber attacks, one must develop cyber security skills. For that, one can enroll in courses and acquire knowledge. But we need to remember that mastering only theoretical knowledge will not suffice in one’s learning quest. Rather, one should practice it and develop the sense that may help avoid this kind of vulnerable situation.
In addition, there are lots of online resources that one can take a look at. However, it is always preferable to learn from professionals and clear all doubts at the outset. You can also join various online communities that discuss the latest news on cyberbullying or attacks and how to prevent this kind of issue without losing one’s data or money.
Prateek: How important does it become to fix cybersecurity as a quintessential part of Indian students’ curriculum?
Harsh Bharwani: It is highly crucial to include cybersecurity in the Indian curriculum. because India has shifted toward walking down a digital path. Hence, the majority of the Indian sector is now heavily reliant on online services. From manufacturing to the distribution of products, not a single sector is spared from the use of digital means.
However, the widespread use of digital methods raises the number of malicious online attacks. So, it is highly recommended that the Indian Government adopt a new approach to including cybersecurity in the student’s curriculum. Young minds are always savvy about technological advancement. As a result, they will find it easier to learn safety precautions and apply what they have learned in their daily lives.
Prateek: How can we at the enterprise level prepare for cyberattacks like AIIMS, Delhi?
Harsh Bharwani: The education sector was astonished to learn that a cyberattack had caused some outages at the All India Institute of Medical Services, India’s premier public medical school. Numerous patients and healthcare workers that rely on common services, including patient admission, discharge, and billing systems, are impacted by the attack. For example, doctors were unable to order imaging studies, send several blood tests, or access older reports or photographs.
Many of these activities had to be carried out manually, which took more time and was more error-prone. The breach resembled a ransomware attack since the infected files’ extensions were modified by the attackers. We must learn from this incident and be prepared for any educational sector to prevent such unintended consequences.
To prevent such types of ransomware attacks, we need to raise awareness of cyber crimes. In addition, we need to have a backup plan. If necessary, we will enlist the help of cyber security specialists to prepare for these kinds of incidents in advance.
