The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a detailed report from the cyber cell of the Kerala Police on cybersecurity issues reported in connection with online education.
The move assumes significance in the wake of a recent incident in which obscenity was streamed in the middle of an online school session. Apparently, leakage of credentials helped someone infiltrate the session.
“We are not just looking into this incident. All other related cybersecurity issues, including students’ addiction to online gaming, will be given focus. Once the report is received, we plan to hold an exhaustive discussion of stakeholders, including cyber experts, on how to address these dangers,” said Manoj Kumar K.V, commission chairperson.
Police advisory
Meanwhile, the police have issued an advisory asking stakeholders, including school authorities, parents, and students to safeguard the links of online sessions.
“While there is the probability of the link getting leaked, the chances are less since hardly any financial incentive is involved. The greater probability is for students to share it with friends, thus leading to the leak,” said police sources.
‘Lack of awareness’
Nandakishore Harikumar, a cybersecurity expert, said the incident pointed to serious lapses in credential management on the part of teachers, students, or parents. He attributed it primarily to the lack of basic cybersecurity awareness and lacuna in the practical application of cybersecurity measures.
“There is the probability of parents inadvertently sharing the link with others or their email account getting compromised in the event of the links being shared over email. There is also the possibility of students sharing it with others as a prank,” said Mr. Harikumar.
He said it would be hard to crack the identity of infiltrators adopting fake names.
