Odisha, 22 March 2023: On Wednesday in Bhubaneswar, CyberPeace, a global non-profit focused on CyberPeace and Cybersecurity, announced the launch of its Odisha CyberPeace Hub at the state level, following the inauguration of the CyberPeace cluster in Jharkhand. The CyberPeace Dialogue – Odisha was jointly organized by CyberPeace and the British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata, with support from Autobot Infosec Pvt. Ltd.
The CyberPeace Cluster’s launch is a significant step towards ensuring a secure cyber environment for Odisha’s netizens. This initiative is a multi-stakeholder effort between the industry, academia, civil society, private sector, UN agencies, and government organizations to transform Odisha into an international cybersecurity hub.
The CyberPeace Hub aims to become the core of cybersecurity activities, including a CyberPeace Centre of Excellence (CCoE) in cybersecurity, a cyber rehabilitation center offering training, research, incubation, and development services. It will also serve as a hub for cybersecurity startups and other private sector organizations, striving to create a vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem in the state.
The event witnessed the presence of Mr. Dominic Gillan, CSSF India Cyber Programme Manager, British High Commission, New Delhi; Mr. Manoj Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary, Electronics and IT, Government of Odisha; Mr. Brahma Mishra, President, Utkal Chambers of Commerce; and Mr. Abhishek Singh, Lead – Policy and Advocacy, CyberPeace. The Dialogue began with registration and networking, followed by the Ganesh Vandana and Diya Lighting Ceremony.
Mr. Abhishek Singh, while delivering the inaugural speech said, “Global issues like Cyber warfare and cyber crime are a growing concern in the digital age and result in significant damage affecting individuals, businesses and governments alike.”
He further pointed out the types of common Cyber attacks and said that launching the Cyber peace cluster is a step towards ensuring a secure cyber environment for netizens across states.
Mr. Dominic Gillan, First Secretary, Cyber Programmes, British High Commission, New Delhi expressed his gratitude towards the partnership with CyberPeace. He mentioned “Threats in Cyberspace have grown in intensity and severity in the last few years,” and added that people, organizations, systems and even governments are becoming targets to such threats. He further expressed his gratitude to the partnership between India and UK, and mentioned that challenges can be countered when the UK works with India. Furthermore, he gave examples of work done by the UK to counter threats and increase education and awareness about Cyberspace.
Mr. Manoj Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of Odisha talked about the present dangers the public face in present times and commented that the Cyber world is the biggest democratic world because everyone has power. He further addressed the audience by saying that the fear of deterrence in the real world doesn’t work in the cyber world as the attacks can come from anywhere in the world.
Later, Mr. Brahma Mishra, President, Utkal Chamber of Commerce emphasized on cyber awareness among youth, children, and citizens. He further commented that in present times cybercrime has become a great challenge to society, individuals and corporates and we need to find the best method to protect ourselves from cybercrime.
Following the launch of the CyberPeace Hub in Odisha, a CyberPeace Dialogue was held to discuss the roadmap for building a cybersecurity ecosystem in the state. Abhishek Singh, Lead – Policy & Advocacy at CyberPeace, moderated the discussion, which covered topics such as the current global cyber space landscape, high priority issues related to cyber crimes, and potential resolutions.