Mayabunder, Sept 22: In an era where banking, shopping, business deals, and even governance are shifting rapidly to digital platforms, the Andaman administration has sounded a timely alarm—cyber security is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
This message came through loud and clear at a one-day Cyber Security Training Programme organized in North and Middle Andaman under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner, in association with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The event drew around 50 government officials, but its lessons reach far beyond government walls—touching the lives of every individual who trades, transacts, or markets in today’s online economy.
Inaugurating the programme, S. Krishna Chaitanya, Assistant Commissioner and Nodal Officer (IT), reminded participants that safeguarding data is now as vital as securing physical assets. “Every government official must know how to protect official data from viruses and cyber threats. The same applies to citizens and businesses—our data is our wealth,” he stressed.
The training went beyond textbook cyber hygiene. With Sendil Kumar, Joint Director (IT), NIC and Devashish Kumar Das, Deputy Director (IT), NIC as resource persons, the sessions highlighted the new face of cybercrime, where artificial intelligence is misused to create deepfakes, launch automated phishing campaigns, and target unsuspecting users with a sophistication never seen before.
Key discussions ranged from recognizing phishing attempts and the importance of strong, unique passwords to adopting safe digital practices that protect both personal and institutional data. The participants engaged actively, reflecting the urgency of the issue in a time when digital transactions dominate everyday life.
What stood out was the holistic framing of cyber security—not merely as an IT issue but as a critical pillar of trust in digital governance, e-commerce, and financial systems. With digital marketing and online trade booming, a single breach can wipe out reputations, derail businesses, or compromise sensitive government data.
The training also underscored that cyber threats are borderless. Whether it is a remote island like Great Nicobar or a bustling metropolis like Delhi, the vulnerabilities remain the same. The difference lies in preparedness.
As one participant noted at the end of the programme, “We lock our doors at night without fail. Cyber security is about learning how to lock our digital doors.”
By hosting such initiatives, the administration is nudging its officials—and by extension, its citizens—to treat cyber safety as an essential life skill, not an afterthought. Because in the digital age, security and progress walk hand in hand.
