Indian education sector biggest target of cyber threats, remote learning among key triggers: Report
New Delhi(PTI): India is the biggest target of cyber threats to educational institutions and online platforms followed by the USA, the UK, Indonesia and Brazil, according to a report.
The report also says that the adoption of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, digitisation of education, and prevalence of online learning platforms are key triggers that enlarged the attack surface.
The report, titled "Cyber Threats Targeting the Global Education Sector", also claimed that data shows a 20 per cent increase in cyber threats to the global education sector in the first three months of 2022 when compared to the corresponding period of 2021.
The report has been compiled by the Threat Research and Information Anayltics Division of CloudSEK, a Singapore-based AI-driven Digital Risk Management Enterprise.
CloudSEK's XVigil platform scours thousands of sources (across the surface, deep and dark web) to detect cyber threats, data leaks, brand threats and identity thefts.
"Of the threats detected in Asia and Pacific last year, 58 per cent of them were targeted at Indian or India based educational institutions and online platform. Indonesia was distant second being the target of 10 per cent cyber threats. This included attacks on BYJU's, IIM Kojhikode and Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Technical Education," the report said.
"Overall, the USA was the second most affected country across the globe with a total of 19 recorded incidents, accounting for 86 per cent of the threats in North America. these include ransomware attacks on prestigious institutions such as Howard University and University of California. In addition, high-risk API vulnaribilities were uncovered in Coursera, the massive open online course provider," it added.
According to Darshit Ashara, Principal Threat Researcher at CloudSEK, the growing global education and training market both online and offline, is expected to reach USD 7.3 trillion by 2025.
"This promising outlook is predicated on the expanding education technology market, population growth and increasing digital penetration in developing countries. Hence, it's no surprise that cybercriminals are gravitating towards entities and institutions in the sector," he said.
Adoption of remote learning by schools, universities and related entities to combat the disruption caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; large-scale digitisation of educational content material, student data and documents and online learning platforms catering to the needs of everybody ranging from preschool children to retired professionals are among the reasons listed in the report, behind the trend.
The report findings indicate that several cybercriminals are actively leaking databases, accesses, vulnerabilities and exploits, and other information belonging to educational institutions, on cybercrime forums.
"Databases and accesses are the most commonly sought after data types. The databases leaked from educational institutions primarily contain information Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of students and their families, including name, date of birth, email address, phone number, and physical address; website user records and credentials and examination results and scores," it said.
The experts have asserted in the report that given the size and impact of the education sector, it is critical for institutions, students, parents, teachers, and the government to ensure that the information gathered and stored is not leaked and exploited by cybercriminals.
Creating awareness among users regarding cyber-attacks, online scams, and phishing campaigns; enacting strong password policies and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA); updating and patching software, systems, and networks on a regular basis; maintaining multiple backups, both online and offline, in separate and secure locations; monitoring logs for unusual traffic and activity to websites and other applications are among the recommendations made in the report.
"The institutions should block illegitimate IP addresses and deactivate port forwarding using network firewalls. They should perform real-time monitoring of the internet to identify and mitigate low-hanging threats, such as misconfigured apps, exposed data, and leaked accesses, that are leveraged by cybercriminals to carry out large scale attacks.
"The students, parents, faculty, and staff should avoid clicking on suspicious emails, messages and links; not download or install unverified apps; use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) across accounts," the report added.
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India, Ethiopia elevate ties to strategic partnership as PM Modi holds talks with his counterpart
Addis Ababa (PTI): India and Ethiopia on Tuesday elevated their historical ties to a strategic partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali during which they discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interest.
Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on his maiden bilateral visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace ahead of the bilateral talks, reflecting the vibrant India-Ethiopia relations rooted in shared history and a promising future.
"We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties," Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.
He thanked PM Ali for his support in India's fight against terrorism. "The support of friendly countries in this struggle against terrorism holds great significance," Modi said.
"Today, we got the opportunity to deliberate on the key aspects of our cooperation, such as economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral cooperation. I am pleased that today, we have decided to double the student scholarship for Ethiopia in India," Modi said.
Modi said that India and Ethiopia have shared contact, dialogue, and exchange for thousands of years. The two countries, which are rich in languages and traditions, are symbols of unity in diversity, he added.
"Both countries are democratic powers committed to peace and the welfare of humanity. We are co-travellers and partners of the Global South. On international platforms, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder," he said.
The two sides signed eight MoUs/agreements, including upgrading ties to 'Strategic Partnership', customs cooperation, establishing data center at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, UN Peacekeeping training cooperation, debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.
Modi said the African Union's headquarters in Ethiopia makes the country a meeting point of African diplomacy. "Inspired by the common vision of an inclusive world, in 2023, India ensured that the African Union became a G20 member," he said.
In 2023, during India’s G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
Modi said that though this is his first visit, he felt a deep sense of belonging and warmth, reflecting the thousands of years of connection between the two countries.
On his part, Prime Minister Ali said the two countries share over thousands of years of connection through trade, diplomacy, education, culture and even in our food and traditions. "These ties continue to shape a deep friendship, collaboration and mutual respect between our people," he said.
"We also appreciate your consistent message that Africa's priorities must lead the partnership. These kinds of dignified, respectful messages for Africa are very important. Mr Prime Minister, keep pushing. That is the type of message we are expecting from all our trusted friends," Ali said.
He said this aligned fully with Ethiopia's development plan - African-owned, African-led, and African-defined.
"Today, we meet with a clear focus to shape a modern partnership, grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance and practical cooperation. Our cooperation is rooted in equality and South-South solidarity," he said.
"Our economy is performing strongly. Last year, we grew 9.2% and this year we are expecting 10.3% GDP growth. Besides GDP growth, our FDI inflow is also rising big time. India is the leading source for our FDI," he said.
"We have more than 615 Indian companies which are investing in Ethiopia. This all gives our cooperation a strong foundation of trust. I think our decision today that we elevate our historic relationship to a strategic relationship is the right decision," he added.
Ethiopia also conferred its highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia - on PM Modi. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.
Prime Minister Modi also went to the Friendship Park and Friendship Square in Addis Ababa with PM Ali.
In a warm and special gesture, PM Modi was earlier received by his Ethiopian counterpart at the airport and accorded a warm and colourful welcome.
"Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture," Modi said.
PM Ali informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks.
"At Addis Ababa airport, took part in a traditional Coffee Ceremony with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The ceremony beautifully highlights Ethiopia’s rich heritage," Modi said.
In a unique gesture, the Ethiopian Prime Minister drove Modi to the hotel.
On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary.
"Gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for showing me glimpses of Ethiopian history and culture at the National Palace Museum in Addis Ababa. It was a powerful reminder of Ethiopia’s rich traditions," Modi said in a post on X.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PM’s special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said.
"Thank you Ethiopia for a welcome that was unforgettable. The Indian community showed remarkable warmth and affection. India-Ethiopia friendship is going to get even more robust in the times to come," Modi said.
When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the members of the Indian community. Local artists performed dances. Some of them danced on the theme of the popular Hindi song 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' to welcome him.
On Wednesday, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.
PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday before the delegation-level talks.
India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.
From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour.
