Itanagar: A workshop aimed at equipping members of the Micro and Small Industries Development Association (MSMEs) with knowledge and hands-on training on identifying and combatting cybersecurity threats was held in Itanagar on February 25. The event was organized by the US Consulate General and CUTs International, in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and Arunachal Pradesh Micro and Small Industries Development Association.

The workshop, attended by more than 40 women entrepreneurs, was aimed at making the MSMEs more cyber-resilient. US Consul General Melinda Pavek highlighted the vulnerability of cyberspace and its underlying infrastructure to a wide range of risks stemming from both physical and online threats and hazards. She called for greater collaboration between the US and Indian industries to find better solutions, reduce risk, and build strength to protect critical infrastructure.
Industries Secretary Hage Tari noted that cybercrime was on the rise in the Northeast states of India, and there was a need for more such workshops to generate greater awareness among the people of the region. MSME Assistant Director Arun Difoe urged participants to make the most of the training to navigate the digital space safely.

CUTS International associate director Arnab Ganguly emphasized that the adoption of digital technologies had accelerated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and many MSMEs had gone online without the required understanding and safeguards to combat cyber-attacks, rendering them vulnerable. The workshop aimed to equip entrepreneurs with the basic understanding of possible cyber attacks and methods to combat them.

The trainers were Patna (Bihar)-based C-DAC senior project officer Saket Kumar Jha, C-DAC knowledge associate Sonal Kamal, and US-based Outreach and Partner Engagement global director Lessie Longstreet. The workshop is expected to help entrepreneurs combat at least 70 percent of cyber attacks.

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