Take cybersecurity seriously

An FIR was registered and investigations ordered into the hacking involving the Twitter handles of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party. The Congress has even accused some ruling party members of a role in the “conspiracy”, as Internet users had fun trolling the party vice-president. The two Twitter accounts are suspected to not have the additional security features the platform offers, and it’s also possible the hackers accessed the email IDs linked to the accounts. What this episode reveals is how little we bother about cybersecurity, particularly key personalities, political parties and celebrities, who should be far smarter about it than millions of ordinary users.

To have politicised the issue without a moment’s thought may be attributed to the former ruling party’s sensitivity being somewhat reduced in today’s circumstances. Hacking is a dark art and a major digital evil of modern times, with individuals, companies, governments and nation states on the Internet. While 10-year-old autistic kids are known to possess the wherewithal to hack into so-called secure sites in the United States and Europe, there are also specialists who do the job in a more sinister way, including in covertly interfering with the election of the US President. Instead of raving about a spreading “fascist culture”, the Congress and its key leader would have been better advised to spend a little money and thought on making their footprint on the Internet a little more secure. Anyone’s digital safety can be compromised and it’s not only Indians who are under threat. It’s time everyone pays a lot more heed to cybersecurity.