National Cyber Security Conference Held at Tamil Nadu Open University Chennai

Chennai, 31st August 2024: The National Cyber Security Conference, organized in collaboration with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Administration, was held at Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai. This significant event was an initiative of the National Cyber Security Research Council (NCSRC) in association with AICTE and Tamil Nadu Open University.

The conference began with a warm welcome address by Ms. Srinidhi from the National Cyber Security Research Council. This was followed by the inaugural address delivered by Prof. S. Arumugam, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Open University, who set the tone for a day dedicated to the critical issue of cyber security.

Hon’ble Dr. Kalanidhi Veerasamy, Member of Parliament for Chennai North Constituency, graced the event as the Chief Guest. In his address, Dr. Veerasamy shared his personal experiences with cybercrime, emphasizing how it can affect anyone—regardless of their education or background. He stressed the need for every department to have dedicated cyber security members and urged the public to advocate for the establishment and regulation of cyber security departments across all sectors in the country.

The felicitation address was delivered by Prof. G. R. SenthilKumar, Registrar of Tamil Nadu Open University, followed by insightful speeches from esteemed guests. Hon’ble Justice K. N. Basha, former Judge of the Madras High Court, Hon’ble Dr. Justice S. Vimala, former Judge of the Madras High Court, and Thiru Kumar Jayant, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary of the IT and Digital Services Department, highlighted the importance of raising awareness about cyber security and discussed the government’s latest initiatives aimed at safeguarding the public.

A special address was given by Dr. E. Khalieraj, Director of NCSRC, who is recognized as the driving force behind this event. Dr. Khalieraj emphasized the urgent need to protect the nation from cyber threats and the importance of individual vigilance in defending against various forms of cyber-attacks. He urged attendees to report cyber issues promptly rather than ignoring them. Dr. Khalieraj also called for a unified global cyber law to streamline processes and advocated for increasing and officially recognizing cyber volunteers in India, noting that the current number is insufficient to support effective cyber investigations.

Dr. Khalieraj’s efforts were strongly supported by G. Anirudh Balaji, Executive Director, Corporate and Public Sector, NCSRC, who played a key role in ensuring the event’s success. The conference proved to be an eye-opener for the hundreds of students who attended, providing them with valuable insights into the world of cyber security.

Special thanks are also due to Dr. Anantharamakrishnan Senthivel, Ph.D., Coordinator at Tamil Nadu Open University, for his crucial support in providing the venue and assisting the NCSRC with the event.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. J. Jeevitha, marking the end of a highly informative and impactful conference.

DLF Emporio’s Treasury of Trousseau: A 4-Day Luxury Wedding Showcase

Treasury of Trousseau, DLF Luxury Malls’ biggest marquee event yet, takes place at India’s first and finest luxury shopping destination DLF Emporio, New Delhi, from the 4th to 7th September from 11 am to 11 pm.

 Treasury of Trousseau is a grand 4-day celebration of Indian couture, craftsmanship bridalwear and global luxury, where the country’s leading couturiers, stylists, décor gurus, and culture mavens come together to showcase the best of luxury – perfect for the most celebratory milestone ‘The Big Fat Indian Wedding’ as well as one’s key celebratory moments. This flagship event is an unparalleled curated experience that brings to life an interactive one-stop destination to fulfil all luxury shopping needs and give wings to the weddings and celebrations of one’s dreams.

 “At DLF Emporio, luxury is a legacy we continually redefine. Treasury of Trousseau embodies this spirit, bringing together a myriad of Indian couture, global brands, style, and cultural artistry. By curating the essence of ‘The Great Indian Wedding,’ we continue to celebrate the momentous occasions in our guests’ lives and remain the ultimate luxury destination for all their needs.” says Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director & Business Head, DLF Retail.

 “Treasury of Trousseau is more than just an event; it is an iconic, immersive celebration of the grandeur of Indian weddings. We have brought together the crème de la crème of Indian fashion, international luxury, design, and craftsmanship under one roof, crafting an exemplary one-stop destination where our guests can fulfill all their desires during this cherished time. Our commitment is to continually create unparalleled experiences that elevate and enrich the lives of our esteemed guests.” says Saurabh Bharara, Vice President and Head at DLF Luxury Malls.

 Treasury of Trousseau will have curated showcases by the biggest names in Indian fashion, such as Amit Aggarwal, Arjan Dugal, Falguni & Shane Peacock, Rahul Mishra, Shivan & Narresh, and Suneet Varma, and exquisitely designed pop-ups of luxury wedding picks by celebrity stylist Rhea Kapoor. The interactive event will offer private appointments with celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania for bridal styling, Dr. Kiran Sethi MD and dermatology partner Isya for advanced skin treatments and solutions, celebrity makeup artist Meera Sakhrani for bridal makeup consultations, and international brow expert Brows By Suman for brow transformations. The event will enthral audiences with panels on fashion styling by Rhea Kapoor, beauty and wellness for brides by Mira Kapoor, and wedding décor by renowned creative director and wedding planner Punit Jasuja. The event also features invite-only lunches hosted by designers Surekha Jain, Dabiri Couture and Ridhi Mehra, a whisky tasting and pairing experience and watches showcase by Sandeep Arora, Kapoor Watch Co. and Läderach, a showcase for watches hosted by Ethos Watches, as well as celebrations hosted by Jumeirah.

 In a distinguished highlight, Bulgari will present its new Mangalstura 2.0 collection in an exclusive preview over cocktails, offering guests an opportunity to explore their latest luxury wedding jewellery and accessories creation.
Adding to the grandeur, luxury chocolatier Läderach will delight attendees with their selection of exquisite chocolates, providing a heavenly touch to the event’s celebratory atmosphere and gifting experiences.

 This pioneering event is made more momentous by celebration partner Glenfiddich, hydration partner BODH Waters, hospitality partner Jumeirah, automobile partner Mercedes Benz Silver Arrows, horology partner Ethos Watches and art partner Masha Art.

 Brides and grooms-to-be looking forward to attending this unmissable 4-day event can register via the dedicated Treasury of Trousseau event website to receive their invite. Guests can also book private appointments with Anaita Shroff Adajania, Meera Sakhrani, Dr. Kiran Sethi MD, and Brows By Suman via this website.

Urban Vault Leases 1,00,000 Square Feet of Prime Office Space in Brigade Summit, Whitefield, Bengaluru

Bengaluru August 31, 2024: Managed co-working firm Urban Vault has leased 100,000 square feet of prime office space at Brigade Summit, one of the iconic mixed-use projects by Brigade Group, in Whitefield, Bengaluru. This move aims to expand its business and meet the rising demand for managed workspaces.

With this leasing transaction, Urban Vault—a self-funded, bottom-line-driven company that provides managed workspace solutions to corporates—has entered the Whitefield area. Whitefield is a key residential and commercial hub with modern infrastructure, hosting many tech companies, shopping malls, and entertainment options, making it a popular choice for both corporates and professionals.

At present, Urban Vault has over 20 lakh square feet of office spaces and more than 30,000 desks in its portfolio. The company has a big presence in Bengaluru and it is all set to enter Pune, Gurugram and Hyderabad market by end of FY25.

“We have taken 1,00,000 square feet office space from Brigade Group to open a new centre in Whitefield,” Urban Vault, Co-founder and CEO, Amal Mishra said.

The new facility, comprising of more than 2000 desks. Per seat cost would be around Rs 9,000 and above per month.

“Post-COVID, the demand for prime office space has revived significantly. Large and medium sized corporates are preferring hassle-free managed office space from operators like us,” Mishra said.

Among 7-8 major cities of India, he said Bengaluru has always been a preferred location for global and domestic companies because of availability of English-speaking tech professionals coupled with strong supply of prime office spaces at an affordable rent.

“Moreover, MNCs are setting up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Bengaluru and other major cities in a big way, creating a huge demand for Grade A office space,” Mishra said.

To cater to this robust demand for managed office space, Urban Vault is planning to enter Pune, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai market besides further strengthening of its presence in Bengaluru.

The company is looking for spaces in these new cities to expand its portfolio, which in turn will help it in growing the company’s turnover.

“We are in preliminary discussions with many commercial real estate developers and individuals landlords for taking office space on lease in these 4 key markets,” Mishra said.

The company hopes to expand its geographical reach by end of this fiscal.

During 2023-24 fiscal year, Urban Vault clocked a turnover of more than Rs 100 crore, with an impressive 18% profit after tax (PAT) and consistent year-over-year growth. Its occupancy level in the operational centres stands at 91 per cent.

India Faces Alarming Rise in Cyber Threats; Managed WAAP Solutions Essential for Protection

Bengaluru, 31st August 2024 –Indusface, an institutionally funded Application Security SaaS firm with over 5,000 customers across 95 countries, has released its ‘State of Application Security Report’ for Q2 2024 (April – June 2024). The report uncovers a 115% rise in cyberattacks, with the company’s AppTrana WAAP platform successfully blocking over 2.37 billion threats during this period. On average, 960K attacks were blocked per website.

Bot attacks rose by 213% in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023, with over 276 million incidents recorded. DDoS attacks also surged, reaching a total of 835 million, affecting 60% of all sites monitored. In total, 6 out of 10 sites witnessed a DDoS attack, whereas 9 out of 10 sites experienced a bot attack.

Power and energy companies faced up to 25 times more attacks than the industry average, likely because non-regulated industries with less stringent security requirements are soft targets for hackers.

The banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sectors witnessed 45%-60% higher bot attacks. 90% of BFSI sites and all healthcare sites were targeted by bad bots that are typically used for account takeover, card cracking, skimming, and other attacks.

SQL injection attacks are the top vulnerability in the banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare, and retail sectors, reinforcing the importance of protecting critical customer data, including PII, credit card information, and others that these applications host. Additionally, the manufacturing industry faced 10 times higher cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks than other sectors.

The report also reveals a staggering 1,200% increase in attacks targeting vulnerabilities, driven by the proliferation of cyber exploitation tools. The accessibility of technologies like LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT) has lowered the barrier for novice hackers, significantly intensifying the threat landscape. A total of 25K critical and high vulnerabilities were found, with 31% of these vulnerabilities open for 180+ days.

“Attacks exploiting known vulnerabilities have surged by 1200%, and bot attacks have risen by 200%. This increase could be attributed to the widespread adoption of large language models (LLMs), particularly among less experienced hackers. Despite these attacks largely following predictable patterns, we anticipate significant changes on the horizon. For instance, advanced bots are increasingly targeting enterprise applications, while SMBs are facing a rise in DDoS attacks. Blocking sophisticated bots remains challenging even for enterprises with robust security tools and dedicated teams, while SMBs often lack the budget for effective managed solutions to combat DDoS attacks.” Said, Ashish Tandon, Founder and CEO of Indusface.

“Given the recent debates around business continuity vs security, I hope that the leadership doesn’t compromise on security while also demanding security vendors to demonstrate fail-safe mechanisms” added Ashish.

Additionally, the Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) globally faced over 559 million attacks. DDoS is the number one attack vector, with each website/app seeing 124% more DDoS attacks compared to enterprise apps. This could be because DDoS attack monitoring requires either a managed WAAP or specialised, 24×7 security operations centres (SOC) which SMBs can ill-afford.

The report indicates the critical need for robust, managed security solutions. Of the total attacks, 59% were mitigated using application-specific security policies, highlighting the importance of tailored protection. The remaining 41% were shielded by out-of-the-box security policies.

LoanTap and South Indian Bank partner for Retail Loans

31st August, Mumbai: LoanTap, one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in India, has partnered with South Indian Bank (SIB), a major private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the customer experience by combining LoanTap’s agile, tech-driven approach with SIB’s extensive banking expertise.Under this collaboration, LoanTap will leverage its advanced platform to share qualified leads with SIB for retail loan offerings. A streamlined lead generation is anticipated to improve loan processing efficiency and deliver a more personalized customer experience.

This partnership is expected to drive growth in the retail loan segment, benefiting a broad base of customers across India. By bridging the gap between traditional banking and modern fintech solutions, this collaboration is a step forward in paving the way for more seamless and accessible financial services.

Mr. Ameet Venkeshwar, CBO, LoanTap, said, “We are excited about this alliance and expect it to enhance customer satisfaction while broadening access to retail loan products across the country. LoanTap’s tech-driven approach will complement South Indian Bank’s vision of providing innovative, customer-centric financial solutions. We are also positive that this move will drive significant growth for both LoanTap and South Indian Bank.”

South Indian Bank Official’s Quoted: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with LoanTap, which is poised to enhance our retail loan portfolio significantly. Their tech-driven approach aligns perfectly with our vision, and we are confident that this collaboration will propel us to new heights in delivering innovative and accessible financial solutions to customers.”