'AI, disruptive technologies will increase gravity of cyber risks': Ajit Doval at BRICS meet

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday attended the 'Friends of BRICS' meeting in the South African capital of Johannesburg. In the meeting, the issue of cybersecurity was discussed at length. In addition to BRICS, the following Friends of BRICS countries - Belarus, Burundi, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Cuba - also participated in the discussions.

Doval highlighted the need for collective efforts to deal with challenges emerging from cybersecurity. "The Global South in particular needs to overcome limitations of resources. In this regard, India will always remain at the forefront and work closely with the Global South," he said.

Doval also emphasised that the gravity of cyber risks will increase exponentially with the advent of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data and Internet of Things.

He spoke about the connection between cyber criminals and terrorists, including the use of cyber space for financing, money laundering, radicalizing, lone wolf attacks, recruitment and secured communications.

"The younger population was particularly vulnerable to the spread of extremist ideologies via social media sites as they are technology savvy and have impressionable minds," he noted.