SOA Deemed to be University recently hosted the 'National Conclave on Cyber Security, AI and Emerging Technologies - Securing Tomorrow's Intelligent Systems' at its campus on April 29 and 30. The event brought together prominent leaders from government, industry, academia, and defense sectors, creating a collaborative platform to engage in strategic dialogues aimed at shaping a secure and intelligent digital future for India.
Organized in partnership with the Atal Incubation Centre-SOA Foundation, the conclave aimed to enhance cooperation, foster innovation, and align policies to bolster India’s defenses against evolving cyber threats. "This initiative aspires to contribute meaningfully towards building a trusted, self-reliant, and future-ready digital ecosystem for the country," stated Prof. Manas Kumar Mallick, Director of the AIC-SOA Foundation. The conclave emphasized the essential role of responsible and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence in navigating the complexities of modern technology.
Vinaytosh Mishra, the Director General of Police for the CID-Crime Branch in Odisha, delivered a keynote address emphasizing the importance of pre-assessing the threat probabilities associated with new technologies. He highlighted the necessity of incorporating security measures into technology development from the outset. Mishra raised concerns about the significant financial impact of cybercrime, citing a staggering Rs 22,000 crore lost to such activities in just one year. He urged technology companies to allocate a portion of their profits towards crime prevention and problem-solving related to the technologies they create.
The conclave featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including Vinayak Godse, CEO of the Data Security Council of India; Lt Gen. M U Nair, former member of the National Security Council Secretariat (PMO); and Kishore Narang from the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva). They were joined by Vikram Tiwathia, Senior Advisor at COAI; N K Goyal, President of the Cybersecurity Association of India; Dr. Debabrata Nayak, Director at PwC India and Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, the Vice-Chancellor of SOA, noted that the rise of AI brings both opportunities and challenges, prompting the university to launch training programs focused on cybersecurity for its students.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SOA and the Cybersecurity Association of India during the event to formalize their collaboration in developing a robust cybersecurity and AI ecosystem. Lt Gen. Nair remarked on India’s impressive digital public infrastructure, with over 22,640 million UPI transactions recorded in March alone, totaling Rs 2,952 lakh crore. He cautioned that while government policies can guide technological advancement, the emergence of new technologies will invariably introduce fresh challenges that require proactive academic debate and forward-thinking solutions.
The two-day conclave also featured an engaging session on the rise of DeepFakes, led by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Founder and CEO of FaceOff Technologies. Dr. Sahu provided insights into the complexities of synthetic fraud and demonstrated real-time detection capabilities, underscoring the urgent need for effective countermeasures against such threats.
The key outcomes of the conclave included strategic recommendations for enhancing cybersecurity frameworks, establishing guidelines for AI governance and data protection, and fostering partnerships between industry, academia, and government to drive research and innovation. Additionally, the conclave aimed to create a national knowledge network to facilitate ongoing collaboration and engagement beyond the event, ultimately contributing to a more resilient digital infrastructure across various sectors.
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