DSCI, Lockheed Martin to build cybersecurity awareness among SMB workforce

BENGALURU: Lockheed Martin and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) have announced the launch of a new cybersecurity education program for small and mid-size businesses to help them minimize risk from online threats.

DSCI promotes data protection among the Indian industry and is partnering with Lockheed Martin to heighten the cybersecurity awareness of businesses and their workforce. The endeavor will promote responsible online behavior will provide guidance on designing secure IT systems and securely managing their online presence. The program will spread discreetly across the country through a comprehensive and interactive cyber awareness portal to facilitate the journey of digital transformation of SMBs.

The press release says that this initiative includes development of an interactive Cyber Security Awareness Web Portal with resources for businesses to safely and securely manage their digital presence. It is also intended to drive engagement within the SMB community through materials for businesses to train their workforce using computer based training modules, video messages and computer games about online safety.

The partnership also includes stakeholder engagement activities. Under the program, DSCI will also forge alliances with relevant stakeholders including industry bodies, development centers, and technical education boards for reaching out to the target segments and ensuring impactful delivery of the program. These stakeholders will promote the program and key messages about online safety and security.

Dr Ajay Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) said, “I am glad that DSCI along with Lockheed Martin is launching a Cyber Security Awareness Program for Small and Medium Businesses in the country. With nearly 50 million units with over 110 million employments, and contributing over one-third of the manufacturing output in the country, this sector has wide reach in large number of verticals. A program for this sector can have huge impact on a significant part of business community in the country and a step towards realizing the vision of Digital India. I wish the effort all success.”

“Digital technologies will play a key role in enhancing SMBs competitiveness and their growth agenda. As SMBs and their workforce embark on their digital journeys, they need to protect themselves against cyberattacks,” said Rama Vedashree, CEO, DSCI. “We are pleased to partner with Lockheed Martin to build Cyber Security Awareness among the SMB workforce in India. This would contribute to two strategic programmes of the country namely Make in India and Digital India.

Commenting on the partnership Phil Shaw, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India, said, “Lockheed Martin is proud to partner with the Data Security Council of India given that the time is ripe for a national focused cyber awareness effort. Research indicates that only 23 percent of organizations are capable of responding effectively to a cyber incident yet the impact of a cyberattack could be wide-ranging and costly. With the increasingly interconnected nature of our critical infrastructure and data, organizations must approach cybersecurity more proactively than ever before in order to safeguard assets and data.”

DSCI and Lockheed announced this partnership at their flagship event, Best Practices Meet 2016, held at Bengaluru on June 23, 2016. The event was attended by over 300 professionals including policy makers, security experts, and decision makers from various verticals.