INDIAN national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday (24) invited collective efforts to deal with cybersecurity-related challenges at the Friends of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) meeting held in Johannesburg in South Africa.
The 78-year-old Doval said the gravity of cyber risks will grow exponentially with the advent of disruptive technologies such artificial intelligence, Big Data and Internet of Things. He also spoke about linkages between cyber criminals and terrorists, including the use of cyberspace for financing, money laundering, radicalising, lone-wolf attacks, recruitment and secured communications, officials said.
Doval noted that younger people are particularly susceptible to the spread of extremist ideologies through use of social media sites because they are technology-savvy and have impressionable minds.
In the meeting, the issue of cybersecurity was discussed at length, they said.
Besides Doval, South African minister in the presidency responsible for State Security Agency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev; and director of the office of China's Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi were also present at the event.
National security advisors of Belarus, Burundi, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Cuba were also present at the meeting.
Doval also held several bilaterals with his counterparts from BRICS and Friends of BRICS countries.
South Africa is hosting the BRICS Summit next month.
(With PTI inputs)
