DoT Hosts Cyber Security Awareness Webinar to Strengthen Telecom Sector Resilience

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is celebrating October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. As part of the campaign, the Director General Telecom (DGT HQ), DoT, organised an insightful webinar on 24th October 2025 to promote a culture of cyber awareness and resilience in the digital ecosystem. The sessions brought together industry experts, professionals, and participants from across the telecom sector to deliberate on emerging cyber threats, governance challenges, and strategies for building phishing-resilient organisations.

The event was graced by Ms. Sunita Chandra, Director General Telecom, and Sh. Suresh Puri, Additional Director General, DGT HQ, along with other senior officers from DGT HQ and DoT HQ. Around 250 participants from DoT field units, Telecom Service Providers, and Internet Service Providers attended the webinar, reflecting strong engagement across the telecom community. DG Telecom emphasised the collective responsibility and user awareness necessary to ensure cybersecurity, while the Addl. DG apprised attendees of the ongoing actions regarding the commissioning of the Telecom-CSIRT setup and readiness by DoT field units.

Cyber Security Expert Dr. Rohit Gautam highlighted that phishing remains one of the most prevalent and damaging forms of cyberattack, accounting for nearly 90% of breaches worldwide. He explained how human-centric attacks such as phishing, vishing, and deepfake-enabled frauds continue to exploit user trust, causing estimated global economic losses of over $9.5 trillion annually. Key takeaways included identifying social engineering attacks, spotting suspicious messages, and real-world examples of homograph and AI-powered phishing attacks.

Industry Expert Sh. Abhijit Tripathy explored how Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) form the backbone of an organization’s cyber resilience. The discussion simplified GRC concepts and demonstrated how people, processes, and technology can work in harmony to strengthen organizational security.

Cyber Security Expert Sh. Sampat Ray focused on the evolving landscape of mobile-based cyber threats and phishing attacks. His presentation highlighted the alarming growth of AI-enabled malware, fake mobile applications, and voice phishing (vishing) scams targeting both individuals and enterprises. He also covered the rise of sophisticated phishing attacks using deepfake audio and AI-generated messages, along with preventive measures to mitigate such threats.

The webinar successfully underlined the importance of collective responsibility, informed decision-making, and sustained vigilance in securing the nation’s telecom infrastructure.