Srinagar, Feb 13: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar organised a daylong ICSSR-sponsored national conference on “Cyber Security Preparedness Among Indian Firms: Opportunities, Challenges and The Road Ahead” on Thursday.
The event, hosted by the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management (HSS&M), brought together leading academicians, cybersecurity experts, and industry professionals to discuss the growing cyber threats facing Indian businesses and institutions.
The conference is part of an extensive research project led by Dr. Tahir Ahmed Wani, Principal Investigator, focusing on the current cybersecurity landscape, policy measures, and the need for enhanced digital defense mechanisms. During his keynote address, Dr. Lalit Mohan, Chief Product Officer at Quick Heal, shared alarming statistics, revealing that India recorded approximately 369 million cybersecurity threat detections in 2024, with 8.44 million cases reported by year-end—averaging 702 detections per minute. Telangana emerged as the worst-hit state, accounting for 55 per cent of total cyber threat detections. Additionally, Dr. Mohan stated that India suffered financial losses amounting to Rs 14,000 crore due to cyber frauds and security breaches last year.
Another keynote speaker, Dr. Vaishnavi from the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Systems and Information Assurance at IIT Delhi, stressed the importance of integrating cybersecurity measures into engineering and policy-making. She emphasised that policies like the Digital India Act must be structured with a clear understanding of their feasibility and technical limitations. She also underscored the need for engineering systems to be built with security and correctness as core principles to ensure long-term digital resilience.
The conference began with an introductory speech by Dr. Fouzia Jan, followed by a welcome address by Dr. Jaya Shrivastava, Head of the HSS&M Department. She highlighted the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing cybersecurity research, innovation, and policy-making. Prominent speakers at the event included Dr. Sameer Patil, Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), and Prof. Atikur Rahman, Registrar of NIT Srinagar, who both emphasized the critical role of cybersecurity in ensuring business continuity and national security.
A special felicitation ceremony was held, where Dr. Sameer Patil was honoured with a shawl by Dr. Rafiq Ahmad as a token of appreciation for his contributions. The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Falaq Mubashir, Co-Principal Investigator of the project. She extended her gratitude to ICSSR for sponsoring the conference, as well as to NIT Srinagar’s Director, Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, Registrar Prof. Atikur Rahman, faculty members, guest speakers, and participants for making the event a success. The conference underscored the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity frameworks, collaborative research, and industry-academic partnerships to combat the rising tide of cyber threats in India. Grand Rally in Naugam Commemorates Birth Anniversary of Imam al-Zaman (AJ), Aga Syed Hassan Calls for Spiritual Readiness
