Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu, Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender, DGP (Cyber Security Bureau) Shikha Goel and others virtual launch of Cyber Fusion Centre (CFC) at the cyber security conclave SHIELD 2025 held in Hyderabad on Tuesday (February 18, 2025)
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Telangana is set to launch a new digital security policy in line with India’s personal data protection policy, Telangana IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu shared while speaking at the cyber security conclave SHIELD 2025 held in Hyderabad on Tuesday (February 18, 2025).
The State is also in talks to set up a Cyber Defence Centre to protect citizens from the growing cybersecurity menacethe Minister added.
₹7 billion worth of cybersecurity stack
He stressed India must now focus on manufacturing cybersecurity technologies. “We get about ₹7 billion worth of cybersecurity stack and yet the Indian market remains in single digits. It is time now to move from the traditional approach. We must not be dependent on our external partners for these technologies,” he said.
Computers and mobile phones are the new treasures, underscored Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. The Chief Minister said financial frauds and deep fakes on social media are the two critical concerns that need to be addressed urgently.
The State also added three new facilities – Cyber Fusion Centre (CFC), Child Protection Unit (CPU) and Security Operation Centre (SOC) in the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), which were inaugurated by the Chief Minister and the IT Minister.
National Cyber Security Coordinator and Special Secretary, Government of India Lt. Gen. MU Nair said that while the reach of wireless telephone connections and particularly 5G network has grown exponentially over the years, the country’s cybersecurity remains vulnerable, “probably because it was an afterthought at the time of rolling out the networks”.
Cybersecurity experts today need to be more involved and proactive as the response time is very short. The time between the attack and data exfiltration has to be low to ensure recovery, the official added.
The official said that the lack of skilled professionals in multiple sectors in the cybersecurity ecosystem is further complicating the challenges. He urged youth to explore cybersecurity as a prospective career as well as stressed for continuous upskilling for those working in the domain already. “Graduate and postgraduate programs in various sectors in this area are needed so the demand-supply mismatch can be addressed,” he said.
93% tele-density in India
Former Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), R.S. Sharma said India has 93% tele-density (number of people using telecom connection), rising from about 37% only a few years ago. This growth comes on the back of 1.16 billion mobile connections and over 900 million internet connections in the country.
Around 500 individuals including experts from law enforcement agencies, global tech giants, policymakers, and industry professionals from 14 different States came together for the SHIELD 2025 held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) in a bid to outpace cybercriminals.
Attendees flocked to the ‘Technology Experience Zone’, where futuristic AI-driven investigation tools ranging from deep- learning-powered threat detection to password-less authentication using biometric neural networks, were on display.
The most eye-catching feature was the Humanoid Robo, an AI-powered interactive machine designed to engage with delegates, offering real-time demonstrations of how artificial intelligence can predict, prevent, and respond to cyber threats.
The section featured live cyberattack simulations, where Red Teaming and Blue Teaming experts recreated real-world hacking scenarios and demonstrated how to counteract them in real-time.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, DGP (Cyber Security Bureau) Shikha Goel visiting stalls at the cyber security conclave SHIELD 2025 held in Hyderabad on Tuesday (February 18, 2025)
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL
AI-powered surveillance drones
Another highlight were the AI-powered surveillance drones, which experts said were being used to protect critical infrastructures, monitor public spaces, and assist law enforcement in tracking cybercriminals. Equipped with facial recognition, thermal imaging, and real-time threat assessment, these drones are set to take cybersecurity to new heights.
Published – February 18, 2025 02:47 pm IST
