Cybercrimes - Can we control them by providing right education to our students?

 

The fast-paced technological advancements have pushed us into the digital age which is marked by the use of super computers, mobile phones of latest technology, unlimited information and potential of utilizing the available data in multiple ways. Gone are those days when people used to stand in ques in banks to withdraw money or carry cash for purchasing purposes. People enjoy online marketing from the comfort of home and also have an option to return the items in case they do not like them.  Proportion of cash transactions have reduced considerably. People rely on credit cards/debit cards, online banking channels or other payment gateways like Paytm etc for making their purchases or receiving funds. The information about anything is easily available upon a single click from internet. Students of the current generations depend more on the search engines for their doubts rather than searching the books or interacting with their teachers or mentors to get their doubts resolved.

The economic and social changes instigated by the industrial revolution were gradual and took several years to get imbibed into the society. The outcomes of the digital era are very rapid and give no time for some members to learn or adapt to the new technology. By the time one learns and gains mastery in a particular technological aspect, there is a change in the whole technology. In countries like India, where the literacy rate is very low in some states, people are facing difficulties in keeping pace with the technological changes. Every change comes with its own merits and demerits; same is with technological changes too. On one side, people appreciate the ease in all sorts of money operations, whereas the other darker side points towards the rampant increase in the number of cybercrime cases.

We have a number of mobile apps that encourage banking transactions from home. Even bank employers encourage their clients to use internet banking. A simple device like mobile is connected to our bank accounts. In case, it is hacked we have the potential to lose our deposits or savings in a few seconds. The information about our phone number is circulated to many databases. We often keep getting calls from unknown persons about paper-free bank loans, property sales, or about some goods that have been ordered or about making easy money in a couple of days or weeks. Many of them could be from cyber criminals. In many of the cybercrimes, it has been noticed that the victim has innocently passed the information about the OTP that he/she has received. Sometimes, well-educated people also become a victim to such fraud. The master mind criminal tries to hack the phone and then the victims bank account through the phone. In some of the cases, the personal computers have been hacked by the criminals to get access into the mail account and get all the valid information like bank details and related credentials. The question that often bothers the current generation is that: “Is my information secure”?

Whatever may be the risks associated with the technological changes, we are now forced to learn the new developments and keep ourselves safe. Our future generation, that is, the students, should be properly trained in schools to understand the technological advancements and make right use of it. Unfortunately, in some of the cybercrime cases, students have misused parent’s money in some gaming apps and have made their parents paupers within no time. Now-a-days, such gaming apps are shamelessly advertised by some celebrities, which lure the young minds towards the idea of making easy money.

Almost all the schools have started computer science as one of the subjects starting from the school level. Usually, our school children are taught about a few basics of some computer languages and initials of cyber security as a part of the school curriculum. Most of the students also opt computer science as one of the subjects, as it is scoring and easy to cram. It is time to ponder how is such education going to help students in their future life. Will they be able to handle technological advancements? Are they being sufficiently taught about data privacy and the impacts of losing data? Can a tenth-class student guide elders at home about the areas in which one has to be cautious so that the personal information does not get misused?  Does our education system provide information about various gaming apps that lure students towards illegitimate money earning behaviour?

There are loopholes in our cyber education system. If we can correctly identify them, our education will become more meaningful. Our students will not be left in search for job after they pass out of schools and colleges with advanced degrees. As a parent, I feel that some amendments are necessary in computer science subject. My objective in writing this article is to draw attention of several parents or students towards these amendments. As the saying goes “Little drops make the mighty ocean”, perhaps several common views put together can bring about a revolution in our education system.

Unlike earlier generations, students of the current generation have ready access to tabs, mobiles and laptops. Most of them are aware of password security, but all of them might not be aware of the information that can be downloaded and what is apt for their age. It is true that students search for all possible queries related to their subjects through search engines like Google. Teachers and educated elders should teach them about validating the authenticity of the information and when to limit their search.

Earlier it was a practice in many schools to have banks associated with schools and colleges. Students used to carry money and pay the school and college fees through these banks. In this process, they used to learn all the steps related to banking transactions and at the same time how to keep money safe in banks. The students of the current generation should also be trained about e-banking. Students can be encouraged to open their own account with minimal balance. They can be asked to make some transactions under the guidance of elders so that they understand the importance of password security and the correct time to disclose the information about OTP.

There was a time when sex education had become very essential to reduce the spread of HIV/ AIDS.  Currently, cybercrimes are also spreading in our society like a strong virus. In order to fight with this, we need to instruct students about certain dangerous gaming apps that can captivate the young minds and control them. Some basic ethical concepts like “easy money doesn’t last long” should be deeply ingrained in the young minds, so that they strongly say a “no” to such apps that encourage gambling.

The syllabus should be thoroughly revised to meet the current demands. Instead of learning some old programming languages, students can be encouraged to learn concepts related to artificial intelligence. They should be given an opportunity to experiment and exhibit their knowledge.

I was able to touch only a few areas where changes can be incorporated. My blog is open for comments and ideas with respect to the amendments that can prepare our students for the upcoming technological developments in the right way.

 

Your Opinion

There are a large number of gaming apps available. Please share your experiences with the negatives of such gaming apps in the comments section.

 

In schools a revised syllabus of computer science is needed to meet the challenges of cybercrimes. According to you, what additions in the syllabus will be helpful to students.

Below is the link for class 9 CBSE computer applications syllabus for the year 2023 for reference.

 

https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain23/Sec/Computer_Applications_Sec_2022-23.pdf

There is no hope of doing perfect research (griffiths,1998,p97). Do you agree?

About the article  - To do a perfect research is a dream of every scientist. An unbiased research carried with an intention to do good to the society can do wonders in the society. History reveals that a true scientist had always struggled to prove his facts. Scientists of the modern world have lesser liberty to carry research in their fields of interest. This makes research biased and less beneficial to the society.

 

Man is the most curious animal on this earth. He constantly struggles to find something new which is beneficial to him. When this struggle is streamlined and supported with proper evidences, it takes the shape of research. He uses a set of materials and experimental protocol to come to a new conclusion. Research is done by the scientists to discover a new fact, to solve a predefined problem, to disapprove a previous statement etc. A true scientist starts with a motivation and it is well known that some scientists have struggled for their whole life to prove certain facts.

 

The phrase “There is no hope of doing perfect research” reflects a sense of depression and unsatisfaction. We never know the actual situations which forced Griffiths to come out with this statement. In case of many results obtained from research we land up with a question - Can the result be generalized to the whole population? Modern world is fast and to compete with others, people don’t mind climbing the steps of corruption. The areas of research are also being biased by few wealthy people and their passions or economic considerations. This can be well explained with the help of two examples cited below:

 

Case 1: There is a lot of hype created by the media about the usage of probiotic drinks. A lot of manufacturing companies promise that good health can be maintained by a regular intake of probiotic drinks. What exactly are these probiotics and why are they important for us?

Probiotics are a set of live microorganisms which include Lactobacillus bacteria, bifidobacteria and some varieties of yeasts which are beneficial for the health of human beings. These probiotics have a capacity to alter the harmful microorganisms and improve the host microbial balance. These are particularly used in case of infants who suffer from acute diarrhea or in case of healthy children who suffer from acute gastroenteritis due to various reasons. Many companies which produce the infant formula or other food items claim that they have probiotics added to their product. Scientists are forced to prove and advertise that a daily consumption of these probiotics in the form of infant formula or yakult drinks is good for heath. This kind of biased research will promote these products. There is no clinical trial which supports that the regular use of probiotics is beneficial, although it appears that regular usage does not harm an individual (Academy of Pediatrics Reviews Use of Probiotics, Prebiotics). The pressure created by these companies will force a scientist to walk away from perfect research and produce manipulated results

 

Case 2: We find a variety of fortified food items in the market being sold at very high prices. Prevalence of certain diseases like goiter, anemia, night blindness etc has been found to be endemic. The reason for this was traced to be the lack of certain vital micronutrients in local foods. For example, in some parts of the world, the soil is deprived of iodine. Hence, the crops grown in that area lack this nutrient. As a solution to this problem, science has come up with food fortification technology. During this process certain vital nutrients are added to food substances to complement the nutrient inadequacy. The market now is flushed with all kinds of fortified items which are sold at higher price e.g., fortified bread, fortified margarine, fortified wheat flour etc. This is increasing the consumption of processed foods which are not considered to be good for heath. A proportion of scientific research is working in favor of these companies. Can we not find a cheaper alternative for this? Certain alternative measures or complementary forms of intervention can help to remove the nutritional inadequacy (FAO TECHNICAL CONSULTATION ON FOOD FORTIFICATION: TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY CONTROL ROME, ITALY, 20-23 NOVEMBER 1995). As a part of these alternative measures people can be encouraged to develop home gardens. Kitchen gardening of green leafy vegetables can provide a cheap alternative to iron-rich foods and help reduce iron deficiency to a large extent. Research should be promoted to find cheaper alternatives to food fortification rather than promoting it as the only alternative to remove nutritional inadequacy.

 

Apart from scientists working in the field of science few social scientists work in the real world laboratory and assess the impact of education systems, social media, nutritional status of pre school children etc. If the results of such research are skewed by economic considerations, the consumers of the research (Governments being one of them) could come to conclusions and policies which are not beneficial to society. A true scientist understands the pleasure in discovering something novel and seeing the society getting benefited out of it hence his prime focus should be to do good to the society rather than filling his pocket. 

References

1. “Academy of Pediatrics Reviews Use of Probiotics, Prebiotics.” Medscape Medical News. Medscape. Medical News, 2 December. 2010. Web. 21 September. 2011.

2. “FAO TECHNICAL CONSULTATION ON FOOD FORTIFICATION: TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY CONTROL ROME, ITALY, 20-23 NOVEMBER 1995.” fao.org. fao.org, 20-23 November. 1995. Web. 21 September. 2011.