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Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence.

New Delhi [India], November 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Cyber, is the new weapon today! Cyber Violence is violence in cyber-space that has led to violation of cyber rights of individuals, especially those of children and women. Online violence and harassment have been overlooked laying more emphasis on offline or physical violence. Cyber violence very often permanently, psychologically impacts the victims and their families. Various forms of threats ranging from morphing, stalking, solicitation of children for sexual purposes, online grooming, have grave consequences on the victims disturbing their mental well-being. Maintaining mental well-being in cyber space is a challenge we wish to promote and advocate for, in order to build responsible netizens.

Together, we stand against violation of cyber rights and strongly believe; it is critical to allow everyone to feel safe online. Netizen’s safety rights must be protected from all kinds of abuse and violence. Setting a mission of ‘Making India Cyber Safe for Children and Women’, Responsible Netism a social purpose organization in association with CyberPeace Foundation, an award-winning Cyber Security think tank working towards bringing CyberPeace in CyberSpace for more than two decades, host its 6th Annual National Conference on Cyber Psychology themed “India Fights Cyber Violence”, scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2022. Ta advocate on the theme, the campaign #IndiaFightsCyberViolence was launched on November 11, 2021 by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe – President ICCR, Member of Parliament, Priyank Kanoongo – Chairperson, NCPCR and Rekha Sharma, Chairperson NCW at the ICCR Auditorium Delhi. The session was also attended by the CyberPeace Foundation team members.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has been a strong advocate of online safety of children, he shared his visionary words and focused on 3 R’s, Research, Reform and Reshape. He recommended extensive research was necessary to strongly voice concerns and remedies based on evidence-based research which would help us reform intervention strategies and the reshape the existing framework to best suit the needs to protect women and children in cyber space. The NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma shared how critical it is to create awareness about online safety rights of women and reiterated the need for spreading awareness about online safety to reach the last mile in order to build collective action and bring change. She also mentioned the need to conducting nationwide trainings for the police personal to handle and report online distress.

Priyank Kanoongo, the Chairperson of NCPCR has been very proactively advocating for the cause of child online protection and has been instrumental in voicing critical in fiercely voicing his thoughts on protecting online safety rights of children across India. He shared the following thoughts at the launch. He said there is dire need to educate parents about online safety in order to let the information trickle down to their children. He said NCPCR does not hold any inhibitions in naming and shaming violators of child rights be it offline or online and will always raise a strong voice against platform ‘s inability to protect children in cyber space.

Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President, CyberPeace Foundation, the partnering organization shared that this nationwide movement will build great momentum on the cause of online protection of children and women cross the country and urged organizations across India to pledge their support to the cause. The more people joining this movement would build collective pressure to formulate guidelines and policies the make cyber space safe for children and women. Sonali Patankar – Founder Responsible Netism shared the objective of the campaign was to let online safety reach the last mile and build on aggressive reporting of online content. The movement was an effort to make the campaign India Fights Cyber Violence to make India cyber safe for children.

She shared that the campaign launch would be followed by a nationwide research conducted to understand parents perspectives on cyber violence which would be handy in representing recommendations on women and child safety protocols through commoners. There would be a round table for organizations working with children chaired by Priyank Kanoongo on November 22 followed by a round table held for organizations working with Women chaired by Rekha Sharma Madam on December 22, 2021. The campaign would culminate in the Responsible Netism 6th National Cyber Psychology Conference scheduled for January 22, 2022 that would witness a compilation of the research and the work done throughout the campaign.

The launch was attended by Sujay Patki – Social Activist and Advisor Responsible Netism and Shilpa Chandolikar trustee Responsible Netism, Adv Khushbu Jain Advocate Supreme Court of India followed by the vote of thanks by Unmesh Joshi – Co-founder Responsible Netism. With the success of the launch and the support of NCPCR and NCW, we are sure to make this a nation-wide movement to protect cyber safety rights of netizens and strongly believe in collective action to make India Cyber Safe for Women and Children.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/1804283-cyberpeace-foundation-and-responsible-netism-launches-campaign-india-fights-cyber-violence-against-women-and-children

AI and other technologies are advancing rapidly. This has ensured the rapid spread of information, and even misinformation. LLMs have their advantages, but they also come with drawbacks, such as confident but inaccurate responses due to limitations in their training data. The evidence-driven retrieval systems aim to address this issue by using and incorporating factual information during response generation to prevent hallucination and retrieve accurate responses.

What is Retrieval-Augmented Response Generation?

Evidence-driven Retrieval Augmented Generation (or RAG) is an AI framework that improves the accuracy and reliability of large language models (LLMs) by grounding them in external knowledge bases. RAG systems combine the generative power of LLMs with a dynamic information retrieval mechanism. The standard AI models rely solely on pre-trained knowledge and pattern recognition to generate text. RAG pulls in credible, up-to-date information from various sources during the response generation process. RAG integrates real-time evidence retrieval with AI-based responses, combining large-scale data with reliable sources to combat misinformation. It follows the pattern of:

• Query Identification: When misinformation is detected or a query is raised.
• Evidence Retrieval: The AI searches databases for relevant, credible evidence to support or refute the claim.
• Response Generation: Using the evidence, the system generates a fact-based response that addresses the claim.

How is Evidence-Driven RAG the key to Fighting Misinformation?

• RAG systems can integrate the latest data, providing information on recent scientific discoveries.
• The retrieval mechanism allows RAG systems to pull specific, relevant information for each query, tailoring the response to a particular user’s needs.
• RAG systems can provide sources for their information, enhancing accountability and allowing users to verify claims.
• Especially for those requiring specific or specialised knowledge, RAG systems can excel where traditional models might struggle.
• By accessing a diverse range of up-to-date sources, RAG systems may offer more balanced viewpoints, unlike traditional LLMs.

Policy Implications and the Role of Regulation

With its potential to enhance content accuracy, RAG also intersects with important regulatory considerations. India has one of the largest internet user bases globally, and the challenges of managing misinformation are particularly pronounced.

• Indian regulators, such as MeitY, play a key role in guiding technology regulation. Similar to the EU's Digital Services Act, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, mandate platforms to publish compliance reports detailing actions against misinformation. Integrating RAG systems can help ensure accurate, legally accountable content moderation. 
• Collaboration among companies, policymakers, and academia is crucial for RAG adaptation, addressing local languages and cultural nuances while safeguarding free expression. 
• Ethical considerations are vital to prevent social unrest, requiring transparency in RAG operations, including evidence retrieval and content classification. This balance can create a safer online environment while curbing misinformation.

Challenges and Limitations of RAG

While RAG holds significant promise, it has its challenges and limitations.

• Ensuring that RAG systems retrieve evidence only from trusted and credible sources is a key challenge. 
• For RAG to be effective, users must trust the system. Sceptics of content moderation may show resistance to accepting the system’s responses. 
• Generating a response too quickly may compromise the quality of the evidence while taking too long can allow misinformation to spread unchecked.

Conclusion

Evidence-driven retrieval systems, such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation, represent a pivotal advancement in the ongoing battle against misinformation. By integrating real-time data and credible sources into AI-generated responses, RAG enhances the reliability and transparency of online content moderation. It addresses the limitations of traditional AI models and aligns with regulatory frameworks aimed at maintaining digital accountability, as seen in India and globally. However, the successful deployment of RAG requires overcoming challenges related to source credibility, user trust, and response efficiency. Collaboration between technology providers, policymakers, and academic experts can foster the navigation of these to create a safer and more accurate online environment. As digital landscapes evolve, RAG systems offer a promising path forward, ensuring that technological progress is matched by a commitment to truth and informed discourse.

References

• https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/evidence-driven-retrieval-augmented-response-generation-for-onlin 
• https://research.ibm.com/blog/retrieval-augmented-generation-RAG 
• https://medium.com/@mpuig/rag-systems-vs-traditional-language-models-a-new-era-of-ai-powered-information-retrieval-887ec31c15a0 
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383701402_Web_Retrieval_Agents_for_Evidence-Based_Misinformation_Detection 

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Introduction

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Raksha Bandhan is a cherished festival which is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan. It is a festival that represents the love, care, and protection that siblings share. This year, Raksha Bandhan falls on 09th August 2025. On this day, sisters tie a sacred thread known as Rakhi on their brothers' wrists as a symbol of love and protection, and in return, brothers promise to safeguard them in all walks of life. The origin of this festival traces back to the Mahabharata, when lord Krishna injured his finger. To bandage the wound, Draupadi, also known as Panchali, tore a piece of her saree and tied it on Krishna's finger. Krishna was touched by her selfless gesture and promised to always protect her, a promise he fulfilled during Drapadi’s time of greatest need. 

Today, in the evolving world driven by technology in all aspects of life, the nature of threats has evolved. In this digital age, physical safety alone is no longer enough. Alongside the traditional vow, there is now a growing need for another promise, the promise of Cyber Raksha (Cyber Safety). As we celebrate the spirit of Raksha Bandhan, this year also take the pledge of offering and taking care of the Cyber Suraksha of your sibling. 

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Ek Vaada Cyber Raksha ka 

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All the brothers and sisters share the bond of mutual care and responsibility. In the evolving threats of cybercrimes, they must understand the vulnerabilities they might face and the cyber safety tips they should be aware of to protect themselves. You must promise to guide, protect each other from online dangers, and help understand the importance of digital safety.  Hence, this Raksha Bandhan, let’s also tie a knot of cyber awareness, responsibility, and digital protection,  because true raksha in today’s age is not only about protection in the offline world, it is about protection in both the offline and online world. 

CyberPeace has curated the following best practices for you to consider in your life and also to share with your sisters and brothers.

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Password Security

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‍It is most important to realise that cybercrooks mostly have their eyes on your passwords to target and gain access to your accounts or information. Scammers try multiple ways to get access to your passwords by way of various methods such as OTP frauds, Fake login pages (spoofing), Social engineering, Credential stuffing, Brute-force attacks, phishing, etc. 

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Quick Tips 

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• Use strong passwords.
• Regularly update passwords.
• Use separate passwords for different accounts.
• Use secure & trusted password managers.
• Use two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
• Make sure not to save passwords on random devices.

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Social Media Security

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‍There are endless cyber scams that take place through social media, such as identity theft, cyberbullying, cyber stalking, online harassment, data leaks, suspicious links leading to phishing and malware, exposure to inappropriate content, etc. It becomes important for netizens to protect their accounts, data, and online presence on social media platforms from the growing cyber threats.

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Quick Tips

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• Review app permissions and do not give any unnecessary app permissions.
• Keep your account private or customise your privacy settings as per your needs.
• Be cautious while interacting with strangers.
• Do not click on any suspicious or unknown links.
• Make sure to log out in case you have to log in to your social media on an unfamiliar device, and update your password to prevent unauthorised access.
• Always use Two-Factor authentication for your social media accounts.
• Avoid sharing too much of your personal information on the public story or public posts. This can be used by cybercriminals for social engineering.
• Use the report & block function to protect yourself from spam accounts and unwanted interactions.
• If you encounter any issue, report it to the ‘Platform’s reporting mechanism at the ‘Help Centre’.
• One can also reach out to the platform’s grievance officer.

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Device Security

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In today’s world, the interconnectedness is unavoidable, your devices, be it smartphones, tablets, laptops are not just tools, they are digital extensions of yourself. They contain your discussions, recollections, private information, and frequently your financial and professional information. Safeguarding your devices in the digital world can be equated with safeguarding your physical possessions against undesirable encroachments. Just like a sibling would never let anyone invade your privacy, you too must promise to keep your devices secured against malicious threats like malware, spyware, ransomware, and unauthorized access.

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Quick Tips

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• Update your apps, browsers, and operating systems frequently; these updates frequently contain security vulnerabilities.
• Install reliable anti-virus and anti-malware software, then perform routine device scans.
• Do not download files or apps from unidentified sources.
• Avoid using open or unprotected public Wi-Fi for private activities like email or banking. 
• Employ screen locks (passwords, biometrics, or PINs) to stop unwanted physical access.
• Enable remote wipe or ‘find my Device’ functions in case your device is lost or stolen.

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Digital Payments Security

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‍Rakshabandhan is all about giving, but let’s not make it easy for cyber fraudsters to take! Convenience can come at a great cost. It often comes with a danger of fraud, phishing, and money-stealing schemes, as evidenced by the rise in digital payments and UPI transactions. But by being cautious, one can avoid being defrauded.  Whether you’re gifting a sibling online or shopping for festive deals, promise yourself and your loved ones that you’ll transact wisely and safely.

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Quick Tips

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• Never give out your bank credentials, CVV, OTP, or UPI PIN to anyone, even if they seem trustworthy before extensively verifying their credentials.
• Before completing a transaction, confirm the account information or UPI ID.
• Refund or payment links sent by WhatsApp accounts or unknown numbers should not be clicked. 
• Use only trusted apps (like BHIM, PhonePe, Google Pay, etc.) downloaded from official app stores.

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Email Security

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Your email serves as a key to your digital kingdom and serves as more than just a tool for communication. Your email frequently connects everything, from banking to social networking. Scammers use phishing assaults, malware attachments, and impersonation frauds to target it first.  Just like a sibling watches your back, watch your inbox. Make a vow not to fall for the digital bait.

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Quick tips

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• Never open attachments or links in emails that seem strange or suspicious.
• Subject lines that evoke fear, such as “Account Suspended,” “Urgent Action Required” should be avoided. 
• Verify the sender’s email address at all times because scammers frequently use little misspellings to deceive you.
• Set up two-factor authentication and create a secure, one of a kind password for your email accounts.
• Avoid using unprotected Wi-Fi networks or public computers to check your email.
• Avoid responding to spam emails or unsubscribing through dubious links as this could give the attacker your address. 

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Common scams to watch out for

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Festive deals scams

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As the festive season sales surge in India, so does the risk of cyber scams. Cyber crooks exploit the victims and urge them to share OTPs under the guise of preventing fraudulent activity, sharing malicious links to get sensitive information. 

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Mis-disinformation 

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The spread of mis-disinformation has surged on social media platforms. It spreads like wildfire across the digital landscape, and the need for effective strategies to counteract these challenges has grown exponentially in a very short period. ‘Prebunking’ and ‘Debunking’ are two approaches for countering the growing spread of misinformation online.

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Deepfake and Voice cloning scams

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By using the Deepfake technology, cybercriminals manipulate audio and video content which looks very realistic but, in actuality, is fake. Voice cloning is also a part of deepfake. To create a voice clone of anyone's, audio can be deepfaked too, which closely resembles a real one but, in actuality, is a fake voice created through deepfake technology. 

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Juice Jacking

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Cybercriminals can hack your phone using or exploiting some public charging stations, such as at airports, Malls, hotel rooms, etc. When you plug your cell phone into a USB  power charger, you may be plugging into a hacker. Juice jacking poses a security threat commonly at places that provide free charging stations for mobile devices. 

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Suspicious links & downloads

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Suspicious links & downloads can lead you to a phishing site or install malware into your system, which can even lead to compromise your device, expose sensitive data, and cause financial losses.

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Conclusion

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This Rakhi, ensure your and your sibling’s online safety and security by being cybersafe and smart. You can seek assistance from the CyberPeace Helpline at helpline@cyberpeace.net

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