NIIT Foundation, in partnership with Cisco, marked a major milestone under the Cyber Suraksha initiative, empowering 1.5ย million learnersย with essential cyber safety awareness and skills. The Cyber Suraksha Plus Milestone Event, held in Mumbai, underscored the growing importance of digital resilience in protecting youth and underserved communities amid rising cyber threats.
The event featured beneficiary testimonials, the launch of the Cyber Suraksha Programme Booklet, capturing the initiativeโs journey and nationwide impact and discussions on the role of large-scale awareness programmes in strengthening Indiaโs cybersecurity readiness.
Senior leadership from Cisco, includingย Mr. Brian Tippens, Senior Vice President & Chief Social Impact and Inclusion Officer;ย Mr. Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India & Southeast Asia; andย Mr. Tarun Anthony, Project Manager, Cisco CSR, addressed the gathering, underscoring the importance of inclusive partnerships in building a secure digital future.
The milestone event brought together leaders from the technology, governance, and cybersecurity ecosystems, includingย Shri Yashasvi Yadav, Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Department,ย Shriย Raj Shekhar Joshi, Vice Chairman, SETU Ayog, Government of Uttarakhand;ย Mr. P. Rajendran, Co-Founder, NIIT Limited; andย Mr. Vinayak Godse, CEO, Data Security Council of India.
A key highlight was a virtual address by Indiaโs Chess Grandmasterย Mr. Viswanathan Anand, who drew parallels between strategic thinking in chess and preparedness in the digital world. โJust as success in chess depends on anticipating risks, staying safe online requires awareness and informed decision-making,โ he said.
From a law enforcement perspective,ย Shri Yashasvi Yadav,ย Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Departmentย emphasized the growing threat of cybercrime, noting, โCyber-crime is now the largest organized crime syndicate in the world. With the rise of AI and quantum computing, cybercrimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Cybercrime today affects citizens across age groups and geographies, adding that awareness and preventive education form the first line of defense against cyber threats.โ He extended hisย congratulationsย to Cisco for reaching this important milestone and reinforcing the nationโs cybersecurity posture.
Speaking about the initiative,ย Mr. Brian Tippens,ย Senior Vice President & Chief Social Impact and Inclusion Officer, Cisco,ย said, โAs Indiaโs economy digitizes at scale, technology must be a bridge to opportunity, not a barrier. Through our longstanding collaboration with NIIT Foundation on the Cyber Suraksha initiative, we are scaling AI and cybersecurity training and creating pathways for underserved individuals to build the skills needed to navigate an increasingly digital world.โ
