Gurugram, Jul 13: In a call to the global community, Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted the shifting landscape of security challenges, emphasizing the transition from “dynamite to metaverse” and “hawala to cryptocurrency.” Speaking at the ‘G20 Conference on Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, AI & Metaverse,’ Shah underscored the urgent need for G20 countries to transcend conventional boundaries and combat these crimes effectively.
Addressing the audience, Shah outlined the threats posed by cybercriminals leveraging darknet, metaverse, deepfakes, ransomware, toolkit-based misinformation campaigns, and strategic targeting of critical information and financial systems. He stressed that while the G20 has primarily focused on digital transformation and data flow from an economic standpoint, it is now crucial to comprehend the crime and security aspects and seek appropriate solutions.
According to Shah, these activities pose a significant national concern as they directly impact national security, law and order, and the economy. To effectively curb such crimes and apprehend the culprits, he emphasized the necessity of transcending geographical boundaries and taking unified actions.
The home minister proposed several measures to combat cybercriminals operating across borders, including establishing uniform laws across all countries, developing response mechanisms based on respective national legislation, harmonizing benchmarks, best practices, and regulations, and fostering greater coordination among cyber agencies worldwide.
Shah emphasized that an integrated and stable approach to cybersecurity policies would enable interoperability, enhance trust in information sharing, and bridge resource gaps and protocol discrepancies. He stressed the need for real-time cyber threat intelligence sharing among member countries, with active support from industry and academia, to safeguard critical national infrastructure.
While acknowledging the positive role of technology in bringing people, communities, and countries closer, Shah cautioned against excessive freedom that threatens national existence or isolationist structures like digital firewalls. He warned against anti-social elements and global forces exploiting technology to cause economic and social harm to citizens and governments.
In conclusion, Amit Shah’s address called for collective action and international cooperation to address the evolving security challenges in the digital era, urging G20 nations to prioritize crime and security issues alongside economic considerations.
