N. K. Mehta

My second article published in ET CISO. MSMEs need to understand the cybersecurity requirements as mandated by the government and make a plan to get the audit from a CERT-In empanelled vendor done by Sept 2026. #msme #etciso #article #cybersecurity #certin

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Cybersecurity agencies are warning of a growing fraud technique involving OTP forwarding through malicious APK files hosted outside the country, posing serious risks to mobile banking and digital payment users.  In this attack, victims are tricked into downloading an Android application from unofficial links shared via SMS, WhatsApp, email, or fake customer-support calls. For more news: https://lnkd.in/g-DgjpXv

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🚨 Cybersecurity Awareness | Public Advisory on Document-Based Cyber Attacks & Operation Sindoor 📄🛡️ In recent days, rumors and misinformation have been circulating across Indian social media platforms and local networks claiming that PDF, DOC, and other document files are being used in the name of "Operation Sindoor (.pdf, .doc, etc...)" by Pakistani actors to cyberattack India. ❗️This has caused needless panic, especially among law enforcement, students, corporate users, and the general public. 🔍 As a cybersecurity researcher and investigator, I’ve conducted a fact-based technical analysis to address this concern. Based on current intelligence and available indicators: ✅ Most circulating documents are either non-malicious, outdated, or flagged due to over-sensitive scanning heuristics. ✅ The fear is being amplified via half-baked reports and unverified claims, and this could divert attention from real, active threats. 📘 In the interest of public awareness, I’ve authored a detailed report explaining: Common myths vs. actual attack vectors involving documents Case studies (e.g., Follina, Dridex, Emotet) for context. How to spot and defend against real malicious documents. Why the current claims are technically irrelevant in today’s context 💡 Let’s stop the spread of fear and start promoting verified, technical, and actionable information in Indian cyberspace. 🛑 Don’t forward unverified messages. 🔐 Stay secure, stay informed. #CyberSecurity #OperationSindoor #CyberAwareness #DocumentExploits #PDFHacks #InfoSec #Misinformation #IndiaCyberDefense #PublicInterest #APT #DigitalLiteracy #OSINT #CyberInvestigation

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Cybersecurity Compliance Alert for MSMEs On 1st September 2025, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) released a Cyber Audit Checklist for MSMEs, comprising 15 Elemental Cyber Defense Controls supported by 45 baseline recommendations. Why this matters for MSMEs: As the backbone of India’s economy, MSMEs are particularly vulnerable to cyber risks. This framework establishes a minimum cybersecurity baseline designed to help enterprises: ✔ Safeguard critical business data and digital assets ✔ Reduce financial and reputational exposure ✔ Meet statutory and regulatory requirements ✔ Build stronger trust with customers and supply chains The framework covers: • Asset & Network Security (firewalls, VPNs, phishing safeguards) • Endpoint & Mobile Protection (licensed software, malware alerts, USB restrictions) • Incident Response & Reporting (including mandatory CERT-In reporting within 6 hours) • Logging, Monitoring & Employee Training (180-day logs, bi-annual awareness sessions) • Vendor, Data & Backup Management • Governance, Password & Access Controls • Annual Vulnerability Audits & Risk Assessments MSA Legal’s Perspective: Cybersecurity compliance is now as critical for MSMEs as tax or financial compliance. Businesses should view these controls as a starting point and strengthen them further based on their operational needs. Early adoption not only reduces risks but also positions MSMEs as resilient, trustworthy partners in today’s digital-first economy. Read the official checklist here: Cert-In - Guideline 🤝 At MSA Legal, we work closely with MSMEs to integrate regulatory, contractual, and risk management frameworks. If your organisation would like to assess its current cybersecurity posture or align with CERT-In’s baseline requirements, our team would be glad to assist. #CyberSecurity #MSME #CERTIn #Compliance #BusinessContinuity #RiskManagement #DataProtection #DigitalIndia #MSALegal

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Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended timeline till August 31,2025 for implementation of Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework #CSCRF for #SEBI Regulated Entities #RE #Radware offers comprehensive 360^ Platform including #WAF, #APIprotection, #botmanagement, #DNS, #DDoS , #CDN and #client-side (3rd Party) protection, ensuring security across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments with flexible deployment options. Our patented AI and machine-learning behavioral analysis technologies provide automated policy generation, real-time attack detection, and centralized management to safeguard applications against evolving threats while maintaining low latency and high availability and helps organizations in their #SEBI #CSCRF compliance. https://lnkd.in/gBZYg6Rn

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🚨 A Major Regulatory Shift Is Just Around the Corner for India's Surveillance Industry. #Cybersecurity #CCTV #Surveillance #MeitY #STQC #BISCertification #EssentialRequirements #IndiaCompliance #SmartSecurity #NationalSecurity #MakeInIndia #PhysicalSecurity #DataProtection #SecurityTechnology #RegulatoryCompliance #April2026 #SurveillanceTechnology #InfoSec #IoTSecurity #DigitalIndia

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♦️Secure Talk: 10 Common Cybersecurity Myths That Put Businesses at Risk ! If cybersecurity myths had a face, it’d be that goofy cartoon crook in a striped sweater, tiptoeing across your desktop with a USB stick and a smirk. Harmless? Not quite. Laughable? Until your systems are locked up and someone’s demanding Bitcoin. These myths slink into conversations everywhere—from conference rooms to corner cafes. They whisper in board meetings, echo in vendor pitches, and lurk behind “we’ve got it covered” bravado. The worst part? They sound logical. Reasonable, even. 👉But in today’s landscape—where cyberattacks evolve faster than your favourite OTT show drops a new season—clinging to these myths is like navigating a minefield in flip-flops. The truth? Misinformation is often more dangerous than the malware itself. 👉Here are ten cybersecurity myths quietly leading businesses into the lion’s den—and what you should be doing instead. 📌Myth #1: “We’re Too Small for Hackers to Bother With”: Let’s get one thing straight—cybercriminals don’t discriminate based on your office size or whether your startup still operates out of your cousin’s spare bedroom. Click to read more … https://lnkd.in/g8vVcka4

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https://lnkd.in/greAHFp8 The National Strategic Knowledge Grid The immediate practical innovation required is a National Strategic Knowledge Grid (NSKG). This unified digital platform would index all #strategic #publications in India, assign #standardised #author identifiers, and #track #citations. Currently, a researcher at the Defence Services Staff College lacks a #systematic way to determine whether a scholar at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) has explored their topic. The NSKG solves this through centralisation. Every publication receives a #Strategic #Author #ID.

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We at Qualys had phenomenal response to evolution of ROCon as industries' top cyber risk conference for operational success and getting things fixed rather than just dashboard tourism! Our ROCon conference in Mumbai saw over 800 cyber security professionals come to attend this engaging event. Keynotes and panels focused on the Risk Operations Center (ROC) as the future of Cyber risk management as a business risk. If you can't define your value at risk (VAR), how can you decide how much to spend on mitigating, accepting and transferring of residual risk? Then you are fighting infinite risk. What do you think of our mission to align technical risk factors to business risks and using the Agentic AI ROC to remediate targeted business risks quickly before bad guys' AI exploits it? Houston ✅ Mumbai ✅ .. where next? London? São Paulo? Dubai? Paris? Any suggestions? #ROCon25 #qualys

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From July 2025, CERT-In mandates annual cybersecurity audits for all Indian organizations with digital infrastructure. These include VAPT, remediation, and a “Safe to Host” certificate. This raises demand for professionals skilled in ISO/IEC 27001, OWASP, and governance. As threats grow, shifting from checkbox compliance to strategic cybersecurity is no longer optional—it's essential. How is your organisation preparing for it? Biswarup G. Rohit Jain Singhania & Co. (S&Co.) #Certin #TechLaw

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CERT-In SBOM Guidelines: How to Achieve Compliance - CERT-In is India's national cybersecurity agency issuing SBOM guidelines to strengthen software supply chain security and improve vulnerability response. - The guidelines apply to government, public sector, essential services, software vendors, and integrators, covering SBOMs, QBOM, CBOM, AIBOM, and HBOM. - SBOMs must include detailed data such as component name, version, supplier, dependencies, vulnerabilities, patch status, licenses, and usage restrictions for audit readiness. - Accepted SBOM formats under CERT-In are CycloneDX and SPDX, both machine-readable and standardized. - Achieving compliance requires a coordinated approach across development, security, operations, and compliance, with clear governance and roles. - Automation in SBOM generation and continuous updates integrated into DevOps pipelines are crucial for accuracy and scalability. - Common mistakes include treating SBOMs as static reports, missing transitive dependencies, and manual creation without automation. - Selecting a vendor involves ensuring support for CERT-In formats, CI/CD integration, audit-ready reporting, and secure SBOM sharing. - Sector-specific considerations include stricter mandates for financial institutions and regulations impacting supply chain and critical infrastructure. - OPSWAT offers solutions that automate SBOM generation, vulnerability detection, and integration with development workflows to simplify compliance. - Non-compliance risks regulatory fines and contractual restrictions, making SBOM adherence essential for business continuity and security. - CERT-In guidelines align with global standards like NIST and the EU Cyber Resilience Act, ensuring interoperability across borders. Read full blog for detailed CERT-In SBOM Guidelines: https://lnkd.in/d-ftJh6A Navneet Singh Arora Ashish Singh Manish Gautam #SBOM#CERT-IN#Cybersecurity#OPSWAT

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🔒 Raksha Cyber Snapshot – 5th August 2025 The cyber threat landscape is evolving rapidly, with the SharePoint zero-day (CVE-2025-53770/53771) taking center stage. From credential leaks to deepfake-driven phishing attacks, this week’s brief outlines critical actions every cybersecurity team must take: ✅ Patch. ✅ Rotate all secrets. ✅ Hunt for persistence. 🎯 Highlights: SharePoint zero-day exploitation still active AI-powered social engineering on the rise Urgent credential and supply chain risk management needed 💡 Cyber Tip of the Day: “Patch, Rotate, Hunt – ALWAYS in that order.”

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Cyber Privilege India’s Most Trusted ISO-Certified Cyber Forensic & Digital Evidence Company In a world where cybercrime is rising faster than ever - impacting individuals, families, businesses, governments, and institutions - Cyber Privilege stands as a pillar of trust, truth, and technological justice. We are not just a cybersecurity company. We are a Private Digital Evidence Agency, operating with internationally recognized ISO standards, delivering court-admissible digital forensic evidence, and protecting victims from cyber fraud, digital abuse, and sophisticated cyber threats. Why Cyber Privilege Matters to the Public Cybercrime today is no longer limited to hacking or data theft. It includes: Online financial frauds and UPI scams Social media impersonation and identity theft WhatsApp, email, and cloud data misuse Crypto frauds and blockchain-based crimes Ransomware attacks on businesses and individuals Digital harassment, stalking, and online abuse Most victims do not fail because they lack intelligence— they fail because they lack access to trusted cyber forensic expertise. Cyber Privilege exists to bridge that gap. Operating at the Highest Global ISO Standards Cyber Privilege is structured, audited, and governed under international ISO/IEC frameworks, ensuring integrity, transparency, and technical excellence in every investigation: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security Management ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management Systems ISO/IEC 17025:2017 – Digital Forensic Laboratory Competence ISO/IEC 27042:2015 – Digital Evidence Analysis & Interpretation ISO/IEC 27037:2012 – Evidence Identification, Collection & Preservation These certifications are not logos—they are assurances to the public that every byte of evidence is handled with scientific discipline, legal accuracy, and ethical responsibility. Court-Admissible Digital Evidence You Can Trust Cyber Privilege is aligned with: Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 DPDP Act, 2023 Indian IT Act & BNSS Frameworks International digital evidence handling principles This ensures that our reports, certifications, and expert opinions are legally defensible, technically sound, and admissible in courts of law. Cyber Privilege supports: Citizens & families affected by cyber fraud Women victims of digital abuse and online exploitation Small businesses & startups facing cyber attacks Enterprises & data centers affected by ransomware Advocates & courts requiring certified digital evidence Law enforcement & intelligence agencies through expert support We operate with PAN-India reach and international technical alignment. A Message to the Public If you are facing a cyber incident, do not panic and do not delay. Digital evidence is time-sensitive, and early forensic action can make the difference between loss and recovery We are here to protect, investigate, and stand with you Cyber Privilege Global Standards. Digital Truth India’s Trusted Cyber Forensic Agency 24×7 Assistance 8977308555 IVR

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With the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 now in force and DPDP Rules expected imminently, organizations must prioritize PII security. Non-compliance risks penalties of up to Rs 250 crores for data breaches. Strengthen your data protection framework today—compliance is non-negotiable. #DataPrivacy #DPDPAct #CyberSecurity #Compliance Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF Academy)

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In a major cybersecurity incident this April, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) — the apex body managing agricultural education and research nationwide — fell victim to a serious data breach. The cyberattack targeted ICAR’s central website, its primary server located in Delhi, and a replication server based in Hyderabad, resulting in what officials have described as the loss of "crucial data." The breach has severely disrupted multiple core functions across ICAR. Among the most affected is sensitive recruitment-related information, covering roles ranging from Technical Officers to Deputy Directors General. https://lnkd.in/giVwXwsx

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‼️ Pakistan's APT36 unleashes "Vibeware" on Indian Government systems ‼️ Researchers have uncovered a new cyber campaign attributed to APT36, a Pakistan-linked threat group, that is targeting Indian government networks with large volumes of AI-generated malware. Security analysts say the operation focuses less on sophistication and more on overwhelming defenders with sheer scale. The campaign introduces what researchers describe as “Vibeware,” a term used to characterize low-quality malware generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. While many of the samples appear sloppy or partially functional, the massive number of variants increases the likelihood that at least some will evade traditional detection systems. Read more on NeuraCyb Cybersecurity Intelligence 🔻 #neuracyb #neuracybintel #cybersecurity #india #pakistan #apt36

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