New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) led a nationwide awareness campaign on Safer Internet Day, observed on February 11, to promote safe and responsible internet usage.
An official statement from the Ministry of Electronics and IT stated that the campaign, organized under the theme "Together for a Better Internet," aimed to inform and educate internet users about cyber hygiene, online safety practices, and emerging cyber threats.
This initiative was conducted as part of the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) program in collaboration with NIC, NIXI, C-DAC, NIELIT, MyGov, NeGD, and other partner institutions.
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) played a vital role in expanding outreach efforts through its extensive digital infrastructure and communication networks.
As part of this comprehensive campaign, 1,521 awareness workshops were held across 35 States, Union Territories, 599 districts, 493 blocks, tehsils, and 134 gram panchayats, reaching over 3.08 lakh individuals.
These workshops covered crucial topics such as cyber threat prevention, digital security best practices, and responsible online behavior. Additionally, expert talks, quizzes, and competitions were organized to further reinforce awareness.
To maximize outreach, promotional messages and expert interviews were broadcast nationwide in 11 major Indian languages. These covered important topics like cyber hygiene practices, common cyber threats, and guidance on reporting cybercrimes via the toll-free National Cybercrime Helpline Number (1930).
The messages were aired through FM stations, Prasar Bharati, and Vividh Bharati networks, reaching an estimated 2.27 crore listeners.
On digital platforms, MyGov, NIC, and ISEA teams led social media outreach campaigns that gathered over 5.49 lakh impressions and 63.57 lakh views through 680 creative posts.
An online awareness workshop titled 'Navigating the Digital Highway: Safeguarding Your Online Journey' was also conducted for MeitY officials and other government ministries, departments, and organizations. The session engaged 1,217 participants in discussions on digital safety.
The session educated participants on best cybersecurity practices and provided demonstrations of useful security tools such as PIC2MAP, deviceinfo.me, coveryourtracks.eff.org, stopNCII.org, and SecureEraser. These tools assist in verifying online content authenticity, preventing identity fraud, analyzing device fingerprints, and protecting personal data.
Participants praised the workshop for its practical approach and relevance in addressing current cybersecurity concerns.
The Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Project, initiated by MeitY, aims to enhance cybersecurity awareness and develop skilled professionals in Information Security.
The recently approved ISEA Phase-III (October 2023) targets training 2.25 lakh individuals in cybersecurity over five years. This includes 45,000 skilled and certified cybersecurity professionals (CISOs, Deputy CISOs, and aspirants) and 2.3 lakh students and researchers across formal and informal courses.
Furthermore, the project aims to reach over 12 crore beneficiaries from various backgrounds — including school children, teachers, college students, faculty, women, senior citizens, government employees, MSMEs, and NGOs — through mass awareness initiatives under the Cyber Aware Digital Naagrik campaign.