HYDERABAD: Cybersecurity experts are preparing for possible cyber attacks during the GES which will be held in the city from November 28 to 30. While teams of uniformed security personnel are being prepared to thwart any physical attacks, cybersecurity personnel from Central and state agencies along with private cybercrime experts are ensuring that hackers do not disrupt the GES network or the networks of any of its related organisations.
A command centre is being set up at the main venue of the GES to protect networks against attacks. “Cybercrime experts will be on high alert. They will immediately deal with any online mischief or breach of network. A team will be present to counter any attacks. This is just a precautionary measure against any disruptive activity,” says an official from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Officials are also working towards ensuring that all safety-related equipment such as surveillance cameras are in place before the event.
Rakshit Tandon, a security consultant and a director of the Council of Information Security and Cyber Security, says that the organisers of large events with a lot of online activity have begun following a cybersecurity protocol. “There is a fear of online hacking at big events, so preventive steps are taken and safety guidelines are issued to the participants,” he says.
Mr Tandon says that there is scope for hackers to send emails and virtually take over the entire network of computer systems. “Most probably all participants will share a common network, through the Wi-Fi, so The Information Technology (Guidelines for Cyber Café) Rules will apply. Measures should be taken to prevent hacking and the misuse of the network,” he says.
Zaki Qureshey of E2 Labs, a cybersecurity academy, says that in the absence of any preventive measures, a person thousands of kilometres away can cause widespread damage with just a few keystrokes.
“It is faster than the real world, and the results are devastating,” he says.
Cyber attacks by anonymous hackers are common during global conferences and summits. The attackers try to take over sensitive information from smartphones and laptops. They also try to send malicious emails capable of damaging the network and its systems.
Firms and organizations engaged in the prevention of cyber attacks employ multi-layered security apparatus programmes to prevent any disruptive activity.
