Bengaluru faces several challenges related to cyber security, mobile malware: HM G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Nov 18: Bengaluru faces several challenges - biggest cyber security threats, ransom extortion, cloud third party threats, mobile malware, weaponisation of legitimate tools, zero day vulnerability in supply chains, global attacks on business, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Saturday.
Speaking at the ninth edition of Synergia Foundation's Conclave here, he said Karnataka is at the forefront of the most advanced technology industries including aerospace technology, defence, cyber security, artificial intelligence, satellites, telecommunication and it is pertinent to have such discussion in Bengaluru to ideate and align the three priorities of security business and government to situations that will arise in the future.
'We in Bengaluru face several challenges, biggest cyber security threats, ransom extortion, cloud third party threats, mobile malware, weaponisation of legitimate tools, zero day vulnerability in supply chains, global attacks on business,' he said.
Stating that Synergia conclave provides a holistic perspective of human security which is extremely important, the Home Minister said, 'We all know Karnataka is being a very progressive state in India. We contribute quite a large percentage in India’s economy and Bengaluru is considered as an electronic city.
'Its technology companies, you name any company in the world, they are having their shop in Bengaluru. We always encourage our policies to encourage technology institutions and also invite people who can contribute in not just the Indian economy but also to the rest of the world in sharing the technology,' he added.
Noting that Karnataka is one of the fastest growing and progressive states in the country, he said it also contributes in all the fields of Indian technology, Indian economy and Indian progress.
He highlighted that the focus of the 9th Synergia Conclave is understanding the impacts of advanced technologies on global diplomacy and national security.
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India's ranking drops to 85th in Henley Passport Index, Singapore tops global list
New Delhi (PTI): India's ranking has dropped by five points to 85 this year in a global passport index, topped by Singapore for the second consecutive year.
The data draws from Henley Passport Index released by citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners on Wednesday.
"With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations," according to its website.
The index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum, it said.
As per the index for 2025, India stands at 85th while the ranking of Pakistan and Bangladesh stood at 103rd (101st in 2024) and 100th (97th in 2024), respectively.
India's ranking in the Henley Passport Index for 2024 was 80th globally.
According to a data chart available on the firm's website, for the range of years from 2006-2025, India's rank was the lowest at 90th in 2021, while its best score was in 2006 when the country was ranked 71st.
For the US, the ranking for 2025 was 9th, down from 7th in 2024, while China's ranking rose to 60th from 62nd in 2024.
Japan's ranking stood at 2nd this year, while it had the top slot from 2018-2023. In 2024, both Japan and Singapore shared the top rank.
According to a statement issued by the firm, only 22 of the world's 199 passports have fallen down the Henley Passport Index ranking over the past decade.
"Surprisingly, the US is the second-biggest faller between 2015 and 2025 after Venezuela, plummeting seven places from 2nd to its current 9th position. Vanuatu is the third-biggest faller, losing six places from 48th to 54th position, followed by the British passport, which was top of the index in 2015 but now sits in 5th place. Completing the top 5 losers list is Canada, which dropped three ranks over the past decade from 4th to its current 7th place," the statement said.
In contrast, China is among the biggest climbers over the past decade, ascending from 94th place in 2015 to 60th in 2025, with its visa-free score increasing by 40 destinations in that time, it said.
The US nationals currently constitute the single largest cohort of applicants for alternative residence and citizenship, accounting for a staggering 21 per cent of all investment migration programme applications received by Henley & Partners in 2024, the statement said.
The firm has more American clients than the next four biggest nationalities -- Turkish, Filipino, Indian and Brits -- combined, CEO Juerg Steffen was quoted as saying in the statement.
"Faced with unprecedented volatility, investors and wealthy families are adopting a strategy of geopolitical arbitrage to acquire additional residence and/or citizenship options to hedge against jurisdictional risk and leverage the differences in legal, economic, political and social conditions across countries to optimise their personal, financial and lifestyle outcomes," he said.
