Govt warns of malicious calls from international numbers; telcos told to block calls

The DoT directs telecom providers to block such calls and urges citizens to report incidents. Concurrently, a report by GlobalData predicts a surge in social engineering-related cyber attacks in 2024, emphasizing the profitability and adaptability of hackers

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has issued an advisory alerting citizens to be vigilant against malicious incoming calls from international numbers. These calls falsely claim to be capable of causing disruption in India’s stock exchanges and trading, with the intention of creating panic among the public. The DoT has instructed all telecom service providers to block such malicious calls and urges citizens who receive them to report the incidents to the DoT at help-sancharsaathi [at] gov [dot] in or directly to their telecom service providers.

The recorded messages accompanying these calls advise individuals to sell Indian stocks before March 12, alleging an impending destruction of both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.

New Report Predicts AI cyber attacks

In a related development, a recently released report highlights the anticipated increase in social engineering-related cyber attacks in 2024. The report, issued on Thursday by data and analytics company GlobalData, emphasizes the profitability and ease with which these incidents are launched. The evolving trend in cybersecurity indicates cybercriminals adapting rapidly to technological advances, with social engineering attacks becoming more frequent and expensive in 2023.

Amy Larsen DeCarlo, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, noted that cybercriminals exploit human vulnerabilities within organizations, emphasizing that as AI and analytics progress, hackers will find innovative ways to capitalize on human weaknesses such as (mis)trust, the desire for expediency, and convenient rewards.

The report also expresses concerns about the potential exploitation of AI for malicious purposes, citing remarkable advancements in generative and synthetic AI. Threat actors can leverage AI to update malware algorithms swiftly, making it challenging for security software to recognize potential hazards associated with strategies like deepfakes.

As organizations grapple with constrained budgets in 2024, cybersecurity investments may be jeopardized, posing risks at a time when prioritizing defenses against evolving cyber threats is crucial, according to DeCarlo.