Nation should ensure digital space does not become playground of dark forces: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the nation should ensure that digital space does not become a playground of dark forces.

"Cyber attacks are significant threat to the global community. We need to ensure that the vulnerable section of the society does not fall prey to it," Modi said while addressing at the inaugural session of the fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS).

He further said the major focus area should be to build cyber warriors who will remain alert for the miscreants.

The theme of the two-day GCCS conference is Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development.

Saying that internet has provided 'ease of living' to Indians, Modi added: "Empowerment through digital access is an objective that the Indian government is focused on."

"We believe in mobile power or M-power to empower our citizens," he added.

The Prime Minister said financial inclusion through Jan Dhan Yojna, unique identification through Aadhaar and mobile phones have helped to reduce corruption and bring in transparency in the country.

Regarding India's IT talent pool, Modi said: "Indian IT talent has been recognised worldwide. Indian IT companies have made name for themselves. Women form significant part of IT workforce and the IT sector contributed to gender empowerment."

He also added that technology breaks barriers and silos.

Incepted in 2011 in London, the second GCCS was held in 2012 in Budapest with focus on relationship between internet rights and internet security, which was attended by 700 delegates from nearly 60 countries. The third edition of GCCS was held in 2013 in Seoul with commitment to Open and Secure Cyberspace. The fourth version GCCS 2015 was held in 2015 in The Hague, Netherlands which saw participation from 97 countries.

Earlier the government said the GCCS 2017 is going to be four times bigger than its previous edition in terms of its magnitude. The last conference held in The Netherlands saw about 1,800 delegates, and this year over 10,000 delegates participated in person. There is also be virtual participation from over 2,800 locations across the world.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also participated in the event.

--IANS

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