Use of Internet and social media by non-state actors for subversive activities is a major security concern. How have these been misused in the recent past? Suggest effective guidelines to curb the above threat.

The decentralized and egalitarian nature of internet and social media has empowered not only the netizens but enabled anti social elements to undertake subversive activities. Cyber incidents have witnessed a steep rise with the increasing penetration of technology. Non-state actors have been using social media and internet to spread rumors, fake news, propaganda, raise funds, indoctrinate and recruit members. End to end encryption technologies have provided enhanced secrecy and made real time interception by security agencies very difficult.

Recent misuses include,

• Ransomware infection by wannacry program exploiting windows vulnerabilities
• Attempts to spread communal tension in Uttar Pradesh and Bengal were witnessed.
• To organize stone pelting and violence in Darjelling
• Foreign(especially Pakistan) based groups/agencies have used social media to network and spread rumors and unrest in India.
• Hacking and defacement of government websites.
• Banks recalled and reissued millions of debit and credit cards because they were compromised.
• Indocrination and recruitment of Indian youth by ISIS and the successful travel by a few to Iraq and Syria
• Online training and self education has resulted in the rise of lone wolf  attacks across the world.

Guidelines to curb the threat include,

• Effective and efficient online monitoring and reporting mechanism to respond timely and counter rumors and fake news propagandas.
• Using robust mechanisms to enable users to flag and report unsuitable content to facilitate their removal at earliest.
• To Educate and spread awareness among social media users and enabling them to think critically and verify facts.
• To recogonize and designate critical infrastructure and create fail safe mechanisms to prevent large scale disruptions.
• Strengthening CERT-In(Computer Emergency Response Team-India) and to recruit, prepare, train and equip ethical hackers to safeguard the critical networks and respond to threats.
• Engaging with tech firms and carporations and persuading them to cooperate to check misuse of social media and Internet .
• Announcing bounties for bug reporting to enthuse and incentivize continuous vulnerability reporting and analysis of the network systems .