Faculty Achievements

On October 24, 2024, Ms. Sarik Ankitha, Head of the Criminology Department, conducted an interactive awareness session for around 300 parents at Canara School Urwa, focusing on cybercrime, social media, and mobile phone usage. She outlined various types of cybercrimes, including sextortion, where individuals are coerced into unauthorized recordings for blackmail, and phishing scams aimed at stealing sensitive information like bank details. Other types of cybercrime discussed were identity theft, where personal data is misused for fraud; cyber stalking, involving online harassment; and malware attacks, where malicious software is used to control or damage devices. Ms. Ankitha also covered keyloggers that record keystrokes to capture sensitive data, Trojan Horse malware hidden in legitimate applications, and morphing, which involves altering photos for malicious purposes. She highlighted job call scams, in which fake job offers solicit personal information, and defamation, where harmful online content damages reputations. Camera hacking, unauthorized video capture through malware, was also addressed, as were dating site exploitation through manipulation and blackmail, mobile recharge shop scams that misuse personal phone numbers, matrimonial fraud through fake marriage proposals, and app traps where unauthorized apps misuse data.

In addition to identifying these risks, Ms. Ankitha provided essential cyber safety tips. She advised parents to install antivirus software, avoid downloading suspicious files, use strong and unique passwords, limit personal information shared online, report inappropriate or harmful content, and exercise caution when using public Wi-Fi. Emphasizing that awareness and vigilance are essential, she encouraged parents to take proactive measures to protect themselves and their families from cybercrime.