Cyber Safe East India – Workshop on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women Entrepreneurs (Phase – II)

Background:
With the advancement and widespread adoption of digital technology worldwide, business and cash transactions have also shifted to digital platforms. The shift towards digital transactions is becoming more prominent in doing business during the pandemic. More importantly, the widespread adoption of digital technologies has been observed in developing countries like India. In India, the rapid adoption of digital technologies by consumers has attracted micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt digital technologies. India’s MSME sector has huge growth potential in the economy due to doing business online and being able to explore global markets. MSMEs in India are increasingly using online and digital tools for their business and entering new markets. However, MSMEs, the backbone of the economy, should be aware of security-related issues and should be well-equipped to deal with cyber-attacks that compromise the data/privacy of enterprises.

All digital technologies, online business transactions, confidential data information, etc. Cyberspace is a vast internet-driven network, where every single digital platform user has their own vulnerabilities and can be easily tricked by cybercriminals. The massive increase in digital technology adoption by the MSME sector also increases the threat of cyber-attacks.

The current initiative will be instrumental in:

Identify cyber security needs of MSMEs and women entrepreneurs to combat against data breach/cyber-attacks,
Provide a platform for the MSMEs and women entrepreneurs, where they can understand the importance of cyber security practice and develop concrete strategies for their online transactions and data safety,
Designing appropriate counter strategies for them to make them aware of cyber threats and help them to get knowledge about the use cyber tools to keep their enterprises safe, and
Collating and disseminating best practices of cyber security for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs to safely navigate the digital space.

About Project

Objective:

The main objective of this initiative is to focus on educating and raising awareness among MSMEs and women entrepreneurs about various cyber security threats and ways to protect against such cyber threats and crimes. Apart from MSMEs and women entrepreneurs, these programs will also attract participation from other communities including business associations, chambers of commerce, college students, professionals working in the area, etc.

Activity:
CUTS is conducting four (4) cyber security capacity-building workshops for the MSME’s and Women entrepreneurs in four (4) Indian cities namely Darjeeling (West Bengal), Gangtok (Sikkim), Shillong (Meghalaya) & Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh). These cities are located at strategic locations bordering the neighbouring states of Bangladesh, Nepal, and China.

Each workshop will be for a whole day (6 hrs) with approximately 40-50 participants from relevant stakeholder categories viz. MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, business associations, chambers of commerce, college students, professionals working in the area etc.

Women entrepreneurs from the existing projects that U.S. Consulate has on women entrepreneurship like the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) would be invited to participate in the training programmes.

Other objectives include:

Building on the Digital India Campaign platform to address key issues of using e-commerce, entrepreneurship, cyber risks, challenges and opportunities.
Facilitate interaction among stakeholders within the knowledge network, on a sustainable basis to interact on the use of cyber security tools, even beyond the project’s timeline.
Disseminate the ‘Compendium of Good Practices on Cyber Security’.

Disseminate the key elements of the Indo-US Agreement on Cyber Security Coordination, which aims to maintain an interchangeable, secure, and reliable cyberspace environment, as well as to identify, coordinate, share and implement best practices in cyber security.

CUTS International

Established in 1983, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International) is a non-profit non-governmental organization, engaged in promoting consumer sovereignty in the framework of social justice, economic equality and environmental balance, within and across borders. It is a leading Southern voice working on three verticals: Rules-based trade; Effective regulation; and Good governance. More information is available here: http://www.cuts-international.org/pdf/Programme_Brochure.pdf

CUTS operate out of 14 Centers spread across India, Africa, South East Asia, Europe and USA. More information is available here: http://www.cuts-international.org.

CUTS Calcutta Resource Center (CUTS CRC) is leading the implementation of the alongwith CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment, and Economic Regulation (CUTS CCIER). More details available at (https://www.cuts-crc.org/) and http://www.cuts-ccier.org/).

Partner organisations

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
14th Floor, Biscomaun Tower,
West Gandhi Maidan,
Patna – 800001, Bihar (India)
E-Mail: infocdacpatna@cdac.in

CUTS has also engaged experts from Cyber Resilience Institute, USA to conduct the training season.

Apart from this, while conducting the training programme, CUTS will seek cooperation from local administrative bodies, MSME departments, local associations, chambers of commerce etc.

Expected Outcomes

Enhancing the capacity of MSMEs and women entrepreneurs to combat cyber-attacks,
Encouraging and informing about new cyber security warfare strategies for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs on cyber security practices,
Contribute to Digital India initiatives by creating awareness of cyberspace challenges, risk of data breach, safe use of e-commerce platforms etc.
Build capacity to adopt secure digital technologies and conduct online business transactions by MSMEs and women entrepreneurs.

Research Outputs/Event

Workshop on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women entrepreneurs
Shillong, Meghalaya, April 19, 2023
Workshop on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women entrepreneurs
Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, February 25, 2023
Workshops on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women entrepreneurs
Gangtok, Sikkim, November 09, 2022
Workshops on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women entrepreneurs in Darjeeling, West Bengal
Darjeeling, West Bengal, November 07, 2022

Media

Workshop on cyber security for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs held in Shillong
The Meghalayan, April 19, 2023
Workshop to mitigate cyber threats in Gangtok
Sikkim Express, November 09, 2022
The U.S. Consulate Genral Kolkata and CUTS International Partner to Mitigate Cyber Threats for Women Led Small Businesses in Darjeeling
Indian Education Dairy, November 07, 2022