Hacking raises digital, cyber security issues: Congress

The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of digital and cyber security after the Twitter handles of the party and Vice President Rahul Gandhi were hacked.

"Every right-thinking Indian is shocked by such despotic and vulgar attempts, which reflect the extremities of a growing intolerant culture around us, which resorts to abuse and insult every time it has not answers to questions raised by those who disagree with a certain point of view," said Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"It is a systematic attack on free speech and right to disagree in our country," the All India Congress Committee Communications Incharge said.

Surjewala said: "Brazen hacking attempts also raise serious questions on the digital safety and privacy of millions of Indians, who use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram etc. as not only conversational platforms but also for exchange of ideas and dissemination of information."

"Truth is that every Indian's privacy is similarly under attack and the onus lies on the Modi government to do suitable course correction for protecting the privacy of everyone who is on social media," he added.

Surjewala also questioned the safety of the entire digital payment network.

"what is the safety of the entire digital payment network? Does it not prove the inherent cyber security risks that exist for all electronic transactions and payment gateways?

"Time has come for the Modi government -- which speaks of cashless economy -- to ponder over these important imponderables that have exposed the susceptibility of the entire digital financial platforms," said Surjewala.

--IANS

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