Media Release
Mangaluru, Aug 11: 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' is a 75 weeks celebration to commemorate the monumental occasion of the 75th year of India’s Independence. As part of this celebration, Manipal School, Mangaluru organized and hosted a virtual workshop on 'Cyber Safety Programme' on August 7. This workshop was presented by Dr Ananth Prabhu G, a cybersecurity expert, professor in Computer Engineering at the Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management and an acclaimed author. He is also a guest faculty at the Karnataka Police Academy and Karnataka Judicial Academy. The dignitaries invited to the event were Dayavathi, district education officer and district nodal officer for AKAM; CEO Kumara IAS, president of AKAM district implementation committee; DDPI Malleswamy, member secretary of AKAM district implementation committee; and Rajalakshmi, block education officer.
The virtual workshop was attended by more than 250 participants including Anuradha Shivaram, principal, Manipal School; students of Grade 8, 9, and 10; and teachers of Manipal School. The event opened with a welcome speech by Avani of Grade 10. The two-hour session comprised of various internet safety topics like the reach of social media, the safety of images and data posted online, reverse image searches, hacking, phishing, and the importance of installing a paid anti-virus software on all devices. Dr Ananth provided hands-on insight to all the participants on how one may check for any cybersecurity violations in terms of email accounts or devices being compromised, images being geo-tagged, password strength, QR code breaches, etc. Participants were also informed on various rules, regulations, and laws present in the legal framework of the country. In-depth details were provided on the implications of uploading obscene content, theft and purchase of stolen electronic goods, and ownership and responsibility of content shared on the internet and social media. Usage and permissions involved in operating drones were also touched upon.
Sensitive topics such as cyberbullying, predators, paedophiles, and image morphing techniques were discussed to reinstate the fact that one should 'never upload sensitive information'. Possibilities of personal information being vulnerable were highlighted with a display of how fingerprints can be derived through digital images. Also extracting personal information from QR codes on travel documents and dangers involved in the scanning of unverified QR codes were demonstrated by Dr Ananth. He also stressed the importance of proper disposal of mobile devices and ensuring that all personal data is formatted and erased before selling or disposing of used mobile devices.
Dr Ananth encouraged students to read his e-book ‘Cyber Safe Girl’ to have a deeper understanding on how to stay safe in cyberspace. The program concluded with a vote of thanks being delivered by Ishita Jain of Grade 10. The principal, Anuradha also conveyed her appreciation for the programme and encouraged students and all participants to adhere to the best practices mentioned. The programme was extremely interactive and hands-on. Students were able to directly interact with Dr Ananth throughout the session and have a comprehensive understanding of safety in cyberspace.