Heather Adkins, Vice President of Engineering, Google Security
Reports show a significant surge in cyber fraud, with scammers leveraging advanced techniques like AI-generated content, deep fake videos, and voice cloning to create highly convincing fraudulent schemes.
New Delhi: Worried about online threats? Here are expert tips from Google’s cybersecurity pro to help you navigate the web safely and securely.
Heather Adkins, Vice President of Engineering, Google Security, advises users to amp up online security by opting for strong passwords, rather one-time passwords where possible, and updating software regularly be it mobile phones or other devices.
“Choose a good password, and if you are offered the ability to use a one-time password instead, please do that. It really does make it much harder for a threat actor…Second, update software on your mobile phone, and on your computer. Pay attention to those updates…Your vendors are issuing them to help protect you,” Adkins told PTI.
Adkins, who is also a founding member of the Google Security Team, also encourages users to question everything unusual.
“Question everything that you see, if it’s coming to you online, if you’re getting a message from a friend that just seems a little unusual, do reach out to that friend and ask them if it was really them. Be careful of what you see online…we don’t want anyone to get tricked by these scams,” Adkins said.
Adkins’s comments come at a time when online scams in India are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated.
Reports show a significant surge in cyber fraud, with scammers leveraging advanced techniques like AI-generated content, deep fake videos, and voice cloning to create highly convincing fraudulent schemes.
UPI-related frauds reportedly cost Indians over Rs 1087 crore in 2024 and industry estimates project that Indian entities could lose up to Rs 20,000 crore to cybercrime in 2025, if left unchecked, according to a Google blogpost.
The US-headquartered search giant on Tuesday unveiled its Safety Charter for India, outlining the many ways in which AI is eliminating vulnerabilities and closing the gap between attackers and defenders. It highlighted the company’s investment in products and programs that are keeping users safe.