Virgin Media, a British telecom company, announced on Tuesday that there was an issue affecting its broadband services after hundreds of users reported widespread internet connectivity disruptions and the company's website seemed to be down.&nbsp;

The Downdetector website had received over 28,000 reports of Virgin Media outages as of Tuesday morning, most of which were from customers who said their internet was down, as reported by Reuters.&nbsp;

Customers, particularly those dependent on internet and phone connections for work, were suffering as a result of the issue, which's cause was not immediately clear.

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Looks like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/virginmedia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#virginmedia</a> is having issues nationwide. One of those rare instances where working from home becomes problematic
— Chris Scullion (@scully1888) <a href="https://twitter.com/scully1888/status/1643146000557588480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Looks like Virgin Media is having issues nationwide. One of those rare instances where working from home becomes problematic,” one Twitter user said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-not-likely-to-attend-king-charles-coronation-ceremony-578417">Joe Biden not likely to attend King Charles’ coronation ceremony</a>

“I’m self-employed and work from home. Who at your company shall I invoice for the money I will lose today while your internet service is down?,” tweeted another person.&nbsp;

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Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/virginmedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@virginmedia</a> , I'm self employed and work from home. Who at your company shall I invoice for the money I will lose today while your Internet service is down?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginMediaoutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirginMediaoutage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WFH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WFH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/broadband?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#broadband</a>
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Virgin Media&nbsp;in a statement on&nbsp;Tuesday morning said,&nbsp;“We’re aware of an issue that is affecting broadband services for Virgin Media customers as well as our contact centres. Our teams are currently working to identify and fix the problem as quickly as possible and we apologise to those customers affected.”

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;UK Home secretary Suella Braverman speaks on detention of its nationals in Kabul

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Several users reported being able to reconnect to the internet after rebooting their router or modem, while the Virgin Media website was back after being down earlier albeit in a considerably reduced version, reported the guardian.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

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Virgin Media, a British telecom company, announced on Tuesday that there was an issue affecting its broadband services after hundreds of users reported widespread internet connectivity disruptions and the company's website seemed to be down.

Virgin Media, a British telecom company, announced on Tuesday that there was an issue affecting its broadband services after hundreds of users reported widespread internet connectivity disruptions and the company's website seemed to be down. The Downdetector website had received over 28,000 reports of Virgin Media outages as of Tuesday morning, most of which were from customers who said their internet was down, as reported by Reuters. Customers, particularly those dependent on internet and phone connections for work, were suffering as a result of the issue, which's cause was not immediately clear. Looks like #virginmedia is having issues nationwide. One of those rare instances where working from home becomes problematic — Chris Scullion (@scully1888) April 4, 2023 × “Looks like Virgin Media is having issues nationwide. One of those rare instances where working from home becomes problematic,” one Twitter user said. ALSO READ | Joe Biden not likely to attend King Charles’ coronation ceremony “I’m self-employed and work from home. Who at your company shall I invoice for the money I will lose today while your internet service is down?,” tweeted another person. Hi @virginmedia , I'm self employed and work from home. Who at your company shall I invoice for the money I will lose today while your Internet service is down?#VirginMediaoutage #WFH #broadband — James Moriarty (@Editor_James) April 4, 2023 × Virgin Media in a statement on Tuesday morning said, “We’re aware of an issue that is affecting broadband services for Virgin Media customers as well as our contact centres. Our teams are currently working to identify and fix the problem as quickly as possible and we apologise to those customers affected.” ALSO WATCH | UK Home secretary Suella Braverman speaks on detention of its nationals in Kabul Several users reported being able to reconnect to the internet after rebooting their router or modem, while the Virgin Media website was back after being down earlier albeit in a considerably reduced version, reported the guardian. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

British telecoms firm Virgin Media suffers major outages across UK, cause still unclear

Web hosting and security company Cloudflare announced on Saturday that it would block Kiwi Farms, a website linked to anti-transgender harassment campaigns.

The announcement casts uncertainty on the future of the off-topic online forum, even though some of its members had already started looking into alternatives since they knew Cloudflare might take action.

An error message that read, "Due to an imminent and emergency threat to human life, the content of this site is banned from being accessed using Cloudflare's infrastructure," emerged when someone attempted to access Kiwi Farms' website Saturday evening.

The action was taken as a result of pressure exerted on Cloudflare by a trans Twitch streamer who had been the target of abuse from Kiwi Farms users.

Fans' favourite streamer Clara Sorrenti, also known by the handle Keffals, reacted in a tweet on Saturday: "Cloudflare no longer supports Kiwi Farms. Soon, our campaign would release a statement."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/artemis-relaunch-preparations-at-kennedy-space-centre-for-debut-test-flight-of-next-gen-moon-rocket-512522">Artemis relaunch preparations at Kennedy space centre for debut test flight of next-gen moon rocket</a>

In a blog post announcing the move, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince did not specifically mention Sorrenti but did note that Kiwi Farms' misuse of the company had increased as a result of her campaign.

“This is an extraordinary decision for us to make and, given Cloudflare’s role as an Internet infrastructure provider, a dangerous one that we are not comfortable with,” Cloudflare’s statement said.

“However, the rhetoric on the Kiwi Farms site and specific, targeted threats have escalated over the last 48 hours to the point that we believe there is an unprecedented emergency and immediate threat to human life unlike we have previously seen from Kiwi Farms or any other customer before.”

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, NBC News reported &nbsp;that Sorrenti is one of Kiwi Farms' expanding list of targets and that their harassment tactics may be used against political adversaries as well.

Josh Moon, the owner of Kiwi Farms, did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on Saturday. Cloudflare's decision was "done without any debate," according to a post on the Kiwi Farms Telegram account.

"The message I've received is a vague suspension notice. The message from Matthew Prince is unclear," the post stated. "If there is any threat to life on the site, I have received no communication from any law enforcement."

In particular, its content delivery network and mitigation of distributed denial of services attacks, or DDoS, a frequent cyberattack that floods websites with fictitious internet traffic and renders them unusable, are two of the many vital resources that Cloudflare offers websites. 
As one of the major suppliers of these services, Cloudflare has a crucial role in the internet activities of radicals, which has made the firm a flashpoint.

The corporation, though it has in the past, has generally been reluctant to take action against specific websites or internet operations due to worries that it possesses enormous control over who is able to operate on the internet.

Neo-Nazi message board the Daily Stormer would no longer get services, according to a statement made by Cloudflare in 2017.

Users of Kiwi Farms had been preparing for the Cloudflare ban for weeks and had set up backup websites, accounts, and communities on Telegram in case the site went down.

According to posts made on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/siemens-ready-to-fix-the-leaks-in-the-nord-stream-1-pipeline-says-gazprom-512680">Telegram</a> about a potential site shutdown, the user base of Kiwi Farms appears committed to continuing to track trans people online, even though accessing and adding to the site's ten-year-old archive of personal information on political adversaries will be significantly more challenging.

Also WATCH |&nbsp;Fire risk leads to massive Ford SUV recall, around 0.5 million vehicles recalled in 1 week

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Web hosting and security company Cloudflare announced on Saturday that it would block Kiwi Farms, a website linked to anti-transgender harassment campaigns. The announcement casts uncertainty on the future of the off-topic online forum, even though some of its members had already started looking into alternatives since they knew Cloudflare might take action.

Web hosting and security company Cloudflare announced on Saturday that it would block Kiwi Farms, a website linked to anti-transgender harassment campaigns. The announcement casts uncertainty on the future of the off-topic online forum, even though some of its members had already started looking into alternatives since they knew Cloudflare might take action. An error message that read, "Due to an imminent and emergency threat to human life, the content of this site is banned from being accessed using Cloudflare's infrastructure," emerged when someone attempted to access Kiwi Farms' website Saturday evening. The action was taken as a result of pressure exerted on Cloudflare by a trans Twitch streamer who had been the target of abuse from Kiwi Farms users. Fans' favourite streamer Clara Sorrenti, also known by the handle Keffals, reacted in a tweet on Saturday: "Cloudflare no longer supports Kiwi Farms. Soon, our campaign would release a statement." Also read | Artemis relaunch preparations at Kennedy space centre for debut test flight of next-gen moon rocket In a blog post announcing the move, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince did not specifically mention Sorrenti but did note that Kiwi Farms' misuse of the company had increased as a result of her campaign. “This is an extraordinary decision for us to make and, given Cloudflare’s role as an Internet infrastructure provider, a dangerous one that we are not comfortable with,” Cloudflare’s statement said. “However, the rhetoric on the Kiwi Farms site and specific, targeted threats have escalated over the last 48 hours to the point that we believe there is an unprecedented emergency and immediate threat to human life unlike we have previously seen from Kiwi Farms or any other customer before.” As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, NBC News reported that Sorrenti is one of Kiwi Farms' expanding list of targets and that their harassment tactics may be used against political adversaries as well. Josh Moon, the owner of Kiwi Farms, did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on Saturday. Cloudflare's decision was "done without any debate," according to a post on the Kiwi Farms Telegram account. "The message I've received is a vague suspension notice. The message from Matthew Prince is unclear," the post stated. "If there is any threat to life on the site, I have received no communication from any law enforcement." In particular, its content delivery network and mitigation of distributed denial of services attacks, or DDoS, a frequent cyberattack that floods websites with fictitious internet traffic and renders them unusable, are two of the many vital resources that Cloudflare offers websites. As one of the major suppliers of these services, Cloudflare has a crucial role in the internet activities of radicals, which has made the firm a flashpoint. The corporation, though it has in the past, has generally been reluctant to take action against specific websites or internet operations due to worries that it possesses enormous control over who is able to operate on the internet. Neo-Nazi message board the Daily Stormer would no longer get services, according to a statement made by Cloudflare in 2017. Users of Kiwi Farms had been preparing for the Cloudflare ban for weeks and had set up backup websites, accounts, and communities on Telegram in case the site went down. According to posts made on Telegram about a potential site shutdown, the user base of Kiwi Farms appears committed to continuing to track trans people online, even though accessing and adding to the site's ten-year-old archive of personal information on political adversaries will be significantly more challenging. Also WATCH | Fire risk leads to massive Ford SUV recall, around 0.5 million vehicles recalled in 1 week

Cloudflare disables controversial message board Kiwi Farms citing 'targeted threats'

The way the Internet is governed is about to change from today. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US initiated rollback of the rules, which were meant to keep the Internet service providers from slowing down or blocking internet traffic, in December and it will come into full effect from June 11.

Supporters of net neutrality say the concept will take a hit.

The rules were implemented in 2015, during Barak Obama's tenure, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai had called these rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake. In May this year, the FCC said the new regulations approved in December, will give providers broad new power over how consumers can access the internet.

The revised rules were a win for internet service providers, whose practices faced significant government oversight and FCC investigations under the 2015 order. But the new rules are opposed by internet firms like Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc.

Comcast Corp, Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc have pledged to not block or discriminate against legal content after the net neutrality rules expire. A group of 22 states have sued the FCC over the repeal.

AT&T has even said that it backs an open internet and "actual bipartisan legislation that applies to all internet companies and guarantees neutrality, transparency, openness, non-discrimination and privacy protections for all internet users."

The FCC decided in 2015 to reclassify internet service providers as common carriers under a 1996 law. But unlike how utilities are treated, the FCC decided not to impose rate regulations or require broadband providers to file notice of pricing plans.

What is net neutrality?

It is a move to prevent internet service providers from manipulating connection to certain websites - especially the ones in paid-partnerships with the carriers.

Net neutrality pressed for equal access and speed to all Web pages alike with an aim to fight against any influences from deep-pocketed companies.

What can happen after the new rules come into effect?

A move against net neutrality creates a scenario that empowers carriers and internet service providers to deliberately bolster established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo.

Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has spoken in favour of free and non-discriminating internet space.

The revised rules were a win for internet service providers, whose practices faced significant government oversight and FCC investigations under the 2015 order.

The way the Internet is governed is about to change from today. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US initiated rollback of the rules, which were meant to keep the Internet service providers from slowing down or blocking internet traffic, in December and it will come into full effect from June 11. Supporters of net neutrality say the concept will take a hit. The rules were implemented in 2015, during Barak Obama's tenure, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai had called these rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake. In May this year, the FCC said the new regulations approved in December, will give providers broad new power over how consumers can access the internet. The revised rules were a win for internet service providers, whose practices faced significant government oversight and FCC investigations under the 2015 order. But the new rules are opposed by internet firms like Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc. Comcast Corp, Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc have pledged to not block or discriminate against legal content after the net neutrality rules expire. A group of 22 states have sued the FCC over the repeal. AT&T has even said that it backs an open internet and "actual bipartisan legislation that applies to all internet companies and guarantees neutrality, transparency, openness, non-discrimination and privacy protections for all internet users." The FCC decided in 2015 to reclassify internet service providers as common carriers under a 1996 law. But unlike how utilities are treated, the FCC decided not to impose rate regulations or require broadband providers to file notice of pricing plans. What is net neutrality? It is a move to prevent internet service providers from manipulating connection to certain websites - especially the ones in paid-partnerships with the carriers. Net neutrality pressed for equal access and speed to all Web pages alike with an aim to fight against any influences from deep-pocketed companies. What can happen after the new rules come into effect? A move against net neutrality creates a scenario that empowers carriers and internet service providers to deliberately bolster established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo. Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has spoken in favour of free and non-discriminating internet space.

Net neutrality repeal takes into effect from today: What it means for you

Jammu and Kashmir government today banned 22 social networking sites and applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on the ground that these were being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble.

The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal.

&quot;In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier,&quot; he said in the three-page order.

The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr.

An earlier report said the government had suspended internet services in Kashmir for a month but this was not correct.

To ban the social networking sites and Apps, Goyal invoked the powers conferred on Government under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules 2007 to ban these sites and applications.

&quot;On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed,&quot; the order reads.

It said, &quot;the anti-national and inimical elements largely succeed in transmitting unverified, objectionable and inflammatory material and content through the medium of these social networking sites.&quot;&nbsp;

It was being &quot;felt that continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquility in the state,&quot; the order said.

&quot;It was also observed during law and order disturbances of 2016 in the Kashmir valley that anti-national and subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence, which caused large scale damage to life and property,&quot; it added.

The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media.

Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups.

The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces.

(PTI)

The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal

Jammu and Kashmir government today banned 22 social networking sites and applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on the ground that these were being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble. The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal. "In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier," he said in the three-page order. The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr. An earlier report said the government had suspended internet services in Kashmir for a month but this was not correct. To ban the social networking sites and Apps, Goyal invoked the powers conferred on Government under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules 2007 to ban these sites and applications. "On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed," the order reads. It said, "the anti-national and inimical elements largely succeed in transmitting unverified, objectionable and inflammatory material and content through the medium of these social networking sites." It was being "felt that continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquility in the state," the order said. "It was also observed during law and order disturbances of 2016 in the Kashmir valley that anti-national and subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence, which caused large scale damage to life and property," it added. The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media. Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups. The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces. (PTI)

Social media banned for 1 month in Kashmir

The Essar leaks &mdash; a series of damning revelations on the illegal phone-tapping of politicians and industry leaders by the corporate giant &mdash; have wreaked the sort of havoc that the proverbial Pandora&rsquo;s Box would find difficult to match. The victims, some of the most influential names in the country, were clueless that the erstwhile Hutchison Essar Limited, a mobile service provider, was eavesdropping on their conversations at the behest of its major business partner. For once, the high and mighty appear as vulnerable as the common man who is equally in the dark about his breach of privacy. The Essar tapes &mdash; limited in scope of operations &mdash; offered merely a sneak peek into the clandestine world of surveillance, where every move, every spoken word, every detail of a person&rsquo;s life is recorded and stored for future use. The reality of mass snooping, carried out on a global scale, is too horrifying to contemplate. It is immensely expansive and mind-bogglingly complex, constituting a parallel universe that&rsquo;s frighteningly close to our everyday existence. Let&rsquo;s just say that a supreme Eye-Ear power is the new god. It has silently entered the home and workplace and planted itself bang in the middle of our lives. In this age of electronic surveillance entire populations are subject to intense scrutiny through extremely sophisticated devices. At the top of the game is the United States of America, keeping an eye on every pie. 
 
Surveillance is neither new nor exclusive 
 
Months after British writer George Orwell&rsquo;s dystopian novel 1984 was published, the Orwellian nightmare had started to unravel. The notorious seven-year McCarthy era, beginning in 1950, set into motion the witch-hunting of thousands of US citizens accused either of being a Communist or of being a &lsquo;fellow traveller&rsquo;. The bastion of free speech and democratic ideals had fallen to scaremongering. A paranoid nation had revealed itself, and over the years this fear has returned to the haunt successive US governments with alarming regularity. Simply put, America&rsquo;s obsession with surveillance, both within the country and way beyond its shores, stems from the apprehension of losing its domineering role in geopolitics. 
 
Two watersheds in American history have generously contributed to the understanding of modern-day surveillance: 9/11 and Edward Snowden&rsquo;s unmasking of US&rsquo;s global intelligence operations. The former, an unprecedented assault at the heart of US, had given birth to a new enemy &mdash; Islamic fundamentalism &mdash; and ushered in a new era of hostilities, with the Cold War being buried. The latter struck at the heart of US&rsquo;s spy programmes, carried out through extensive internet and phone surveillance of millions of Americans. US&rsquo;s National Security Agency (NSA) tapped into the servers of nine internet firms, including Google and Facebook, to sweep up information. The Right to Privacy in the most robust of democracies had been completely disregarded in the name of national security. 
 
Barring UK &mdash; the Sancho Panza to US Don Quixote&rsquo;s misadventures &mdash; the rest of Europe is still relatively inexperienced in matters of surveillance. But, the shift to greater governmental supervision has begun in the light of recent terror attacks. 
 
Indian spooks 
 
In an increasingly integrated world, India couldn&rsquo;t have remained immune to the temptations and the so-called imperatives of intelligence gathering, especially in view of the rising threat of Islamic terror attacks. The absence of privacy laws made it easy to create an elaborate apparatus that would enable the government to peer into the lives of its own people. Most surveillance in India is carried out through mobile networks, given that 78% of the population have access to mobile phones. Armed with five laws, especially the Information Technology (IT) Act, the government has gone about collecting information on an extraordinary scale. The four sections of the IT Act, namely 44, 66A, 69, 80 pose a serious threat to a person&rsquo;s freedom from governmental interference. The maze of licensing agreements &mdash; evident in a jamboree of abbreviations such as ISP, UAS, MLATS with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Technology Service Providers (TSPs) &mdash; satiates the government&rsquo;s appetite for information. Ironically, the government stores these data in a manner that&rsquo;s vulnerable to cyber attacks. All this while the country&rsquo;s intelligence agencies have complete access to your profile; they are privy to details that you might hesitate to share with your spouse. How&rsquo;s that for guarding your life against hostile forces? 
 
Moving ahead, your banal life is of avid interest to other organisations as well who are hungry for details that might throw light on your consumption patterns. You have unwittingly given up your privacy when you opted for a mobile connection or a bank account or sent your first email. 
 
Privacy Index data 
 
Perhaps not the most exhaustive of sources, but the EMC Privacy Index can be a starting point for a robust discussion on a crucial right. In its 2014 study that covered 15,000 people across 15 countries to rank nations &ldquo;based on consumer perceptions and attitudes about data privacy, and willingness to trade privacy for greater convenience and benefits online&rdquo;, Indians seemed particularly eager to share their details for improved online experience. This is a marker of our lack of awareness about the far-reaching consequences of such actions. No wonder, elected governments of the most populous democracy have encountered feeble resistance against surveillance. It&rsquo;s a classic case of missing the forest for the trees. 
 
Drawing the line 
 
Two years ago, the UPA government was busy giving final touches to Right to Privacy Bill, 2014, which aims at protecting individuals against misuse of data by government or private agencies. It had invited various stakeholders, including its ministries, to air their concerns and misgiving. The bill is still being discussed and debated. 
 
The Big Question: Where does the government draw the line in its quest for national security? Without the requisite checks and balances, it will only function in an autocratic manner, silencing voices that raise the uncomfortable issue of privacy. Are we then increasingly heading towards a police state?

Absence of privacy laws has made it easy for governments to snoop on citizens, it helps the state machinery

The Essar leaks — a series of damning revelations on the illegal phone-tapping of politicians and industry leaders by the corporate giant — have wreaked the sort of havoc that the proverbial Pandora’s Box would find difficult to match. The victims, some of the most influential names in the country, were clueless that the erstwhile Hutchison Essar Limited, a mobile service provider, was eavesdropping on their conversations at the behest of its major business partner. For once, the high and mighty appear as vulnerable as the common man who is equally in the dark about his breach of privacy. The Essar tapes — limited in scope of operations — offered merely a sneak peek into the clandestine world of surveillance, where every move, every spoken word, every detail of a person’s life is recorded and stored for future use. The reality of mass snooping, carried out on a global scale, is too horrifying to contemplate. It is immensely expansive and mind-bogglingly complex, constituting a parallel universe that’s frighteningly close to our everyday existence. Let’s just say that a supreme Eye-Ear power is the new god. It has silently entered the home and workplace and planted itself bang in the middle of our lives. In this age of electronic surveillance entire populations are subject to intense scrutiny through extremely sophisticated devices. At the top of the game is the United States of America, keeping an eye on every pie. Surveillance is neither new nor exclusive Months after British writer George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 was published, the Orwellian nightmare had started to unravel. The notorious seven-year McCarthy era, beginning in 1950, set into motion the witch-hunting of thousands of US citizens accused either of being a Communist or of being a ‘fellow traveller’. The bastion of free speech and democratic ideals had fallen to scaremongering. A paranoid nation had revealed itself, and over the years this fear has returned to the haunt successive US governments with alarming regularity. Simply put, America’s obsession with surveillance, both within the country and way beyond its shores, stems from the apprehension of losing its domineering role in geopolitics. Two watersheds in American history have generously contributed to the understanding of modern-day surveillance: 9/11 and Edward Snowden’s unmasking of US’s global intelligence operations. The former, an unprecedented assault at the heart of US, had given birth to a new enemy — Islamic fundamentalism — and ushered in a new era of hostilities, with the Cold War being buried. The latter struck at the heart of US’s spy programmes, carried out through extensive internet and phone surveillance of millions of Americans. US’s National Security Agency (NSA) tapped into the servers of nine internet firms, including Google and Facebook, to sweep up information. The Right to Privacy in the most robust of democracies had been completely disregarded in the name of national security. Barring UK — the Sancho Panza to US Don Quixote’s misadventures — the rest of Europe is still relatively inexperienced in matters of surveillance. But, the shift to greater governmental supervision has begun in the light of recent terror attacks. Indian spooks In an increasingly integrated world, India couldn’t have remained immune to the temptations and the so-called imperatives of intelligence gathering, especially in view of the rising threat of Islamic terror attacks. The absence of privacy laws made it easy to create an elaborate apparatus that would enable the government to peer into the lives of its own people. Most surveillance in India is carried out through mobile networks, given that 78% of the population have access to mobile phones. Armed with five laws, especially the Information Technology (IT) Act, the government has gone about collecting information on an extraordinary scale. The four sections of the IT Act, namely 44, 66A, 69, 80 pose a serious threat to a person’s freedom from governmental interference. The maze of licensing agreements — evident in a jamboree of abbreviations such as ISP, UAS, MLATS with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Technology Service Providers (TSPs) — satiates the government’s appetite for information. Ironically, the government stores these data in a manner that’s vulnerable to cyber attacks. All this while the country’s intelligence agencies have complete access to your profile; they are privy to details that you might hesitate to share with your spouse. How’s that for guarding your life against hostile forces? Moving ahead, your banal life is of avid interest to other organisations as well who are hungry for details that might throw light on your consumption patterns. You have unwittingly given up your privacy when you opted for a mobile connection or a bank account or sent your first email. Privacy Index data Perhaps not the most exhaustive of sources, but the EMC Privacy Index can be a starting point for a robust discussion on a crucial right. In its 2014 study that covered 15,000 people across 15 countries to rank nations “based on consumer perceptions and attitudes about data privacy, and willingness to trade privacy for greater convenience and benefits online”, Indians seemed particularly eager to share their details for improved online experience. This is a marker of our lack of awareness about the far-reaching consequences of such actions. No wonder, elected governments of the most populous democracy have encountered feeble resistance against surveillance. It’s a classic case of missing the forest for the trees. Drawing the line Two years ago, the UPA government was busy giving final touches to Right to Privacy Bill, 2014, which aims at protecting individuals against misuse of data by government or private agencies. It had invited various stakeholders, including its ministries, to air their concerns and misgiving. The bill is still being discussed and debated. The Big Question: Where does the government draw the line in its quest for national security? Without the requisite checks and balances, it will only function in an autocratic manner, silencing voices that raise the uncomfortable issue of privacy. Are we then increasingly heading towards a police state?

In the name of surveillance

Increased technology usage and digitisation of the economy have escalated cyberattacks in India, and nearly 70 per cent of Nifty 50 companies are vulnerable to hackers, reveals a PwC survey. 
 
According to the report, out of the 50 companies studied, 34 (or 68 per cent) had identified vulnerabilities in at least one or more of their Internet-facing properties. 
 
The PwC survey about transgressions in Indian cyberspace of these companies further said, 525 email addresses belonging to the 34 companies were compromised, meaning hackers had access to those email addresses. 
 
&quot;Cybersecurity is no more restricted to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Security Officers (CSOs) but needs serious attention of the higher management,&quot; Sivarama Krishnan, the leader of cyber security at PwC India said. 
 
Furthermore, 200 IP addresses belonging to the 34 companies were blacklisted by various Internet Service Providers (ISPs), implying that the ISPs found these IPs to be involved in spreading malicious traffic on the Internet, sending spam emails, or acting as a botnet in large cyber attacks, the report noted. 
 
&quot;There is a perceptible shift in the way modern threats are carried out, and the types of responses needed, and the surge in cyber crimes, manifests how these attackers are extensively-equipped with resources besides having a high technical skill set,&quot; Krishnan added. 
 
Sectorwise, media &amp; entertainment, automobiles, consumer goods and energy had the highest number of vulnerabilities. 
 
&quot;Hackers today are just not the tech enthusiasts, but are more sophisticated and organised in their approach to probe their targets and companies need to, more than ever before, adopt sophisticated security analytical tools to prevent such crimes,&quot; Krishnan said. 
 
According to the report, transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year to 6,284 incidents per respondent. The average number of attacks in India is fast catching up with the global average of 6,853 incidents per respondent. 
(PTI)

Transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report says

Increased technology usage and digitisation of the economy have escalated cyberattacks in India, and nearly 70 per cent of Nifty 50 companies are vulnerable to hackers, reveals a PwC survey. According to the report, out of the 50 companies studied, 34 (or 68 per cent) had identified vulnerabilities in at least one or more of their Internet-facing properties. The PwC survey about transgressions in Indian cyberspace of these companies further said, 525 email addresses belonging to the 34 companies were compromised, meaning hackers had access to those email addresses. "Cybersecurity is no more restricted to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Security Officers (CSOs) but needs serious attention of the higher management," Sivarama Krishnan, the leader of cyber security at PwC India said. Furthermore, 200 IP addresses belonging to the 34 companies were blacklisted by various Internet Service Providers (ISPs), implying that the ISPs found these IPs to be involved in spreading malicious traffic on the Internet, sending spam emails, or acting as a botnet in large cyber attacks, the report noted. "There is a perceptible shift in the way modern threats are carried out, and the types of responses needed, and the surge in cyber crimes, manifests how these attackers are extensively-equipped with resources besides having a high technical skill set," Krishnan added. Sectorwise, media & entertainment, automobiles, consumer goods and energy had the highest number of vulnerabilities. "Hackers today are just not the tech enthusiasts, but are more sophisticated and organised in their approach to probe their targets and companies need to, more than ever before, adopt sophisticated security analytical tools to prevent such crimes," Krishnan said. According to the report, transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year to 6,284 incidents per respondent. The average number of attacks in India is fast catching up with the global average of 6,853 incidents per respondent. (PTI)

Rising cyberattacks affect majority of India's big companies