'India ahead of many in countering cyber threats'
Google Security's Heather Adkins highlights the dual role of generative AI in cybersecurity
NEW DELHI: Generative AI, while being used by cyber criminals to further their activities, will also help create stronger and swifter counter-measures, making the internet safer to use, according to Heather Adkins, global VP of engineering for Google Security.
Adkins, who spent over two decades at Google, also believes that rise in geopolitical tensions may fuel state-backed cyberattacks, making the world more vulnerable.
However, she added that Indian govt has been at forefront of taking measures to counter cyber threats effectively, ahead of many other countries. This will also see Google Security set up an engineering centre in India.
Talking to TOI on the sidelines of the 'Safer with Google India Summit', Adkins said while companies create tools to tackle cyber threats, it is equally important to sensitise users about measures to identify malicious and fraudulent content.
"Unlike the physical world where you have instincts and senses to identify something dangerous, the online world does not have a parallel. We have to build that."
Speaking about state-sponsored cyber threats, she said they can sometimes be more focused and successful with capabilities to deploy large teams towards such activities. "It's a question of who has more time. And, if you think about a well-funded nation state, may be they'll create a project, put 100 people on it, and they just work on that project throughout the day...
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah?
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
So, they often know more because they have more time, not because they're smarter.
I would say they're more likely to be successful."
On Gen AI and whether it aids cyber criminals too, Adkins said, "There's no doubt that we're seeing an increase in tempo and sophistication of attacks... But I also feel that today, more than ever before, enterprises have better tools. If I think about starting a company 23 years ago, cybersecurity looked primitive then.
Today, most of the solutions you're going to buy have security built into them. So, you're in a much better place than you were, say, 20-30 years ago.
"
She said that Gen AI will give "defenders" a "leg up" over the threat actors. "We will be able to leverage Gen AI to protect infrastructure in new ways that we've never thought of before and also at a speed that we've never been able to achieve before."
On India, she said govt here is "very engaged" on cyber safety. "... it's a hot topic. They've done a very good job in getting involved quickly and partnering with companies. The workforce here and education levels in India are pretty high. There are parts of the world I go where they're just now starting to think about cyber security and they're much further behind India."
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sowing Sustainability: Cotton, culture and the quiet return of natural farming
In the sprawling cotton fields of Vidarbha and the Deccan plateau, where generations have battled erratic rains and relentless market prices, a quieter transformation is underway. It doesn't involve high-yielding GM seeds or agri-drones. Instead, it begins with a cow, a clay pot, and a question: What if the land didn't need fixing, just listening to? This is the promise of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)—a grassroots farming method that revives ancient Indian agricultural practices, rooted in low cost, chemical-free cultivation. Championed by Subhash Palekar, ZBNF leans on four pillars: Jeevamrutha, Beejamrutha, mulching, and soil aeration. No synthetic fertilisers, no borrowed money, and no illusions about short-term yield miracles. Cotton, traditionally a water-hungry, pesticide-heavy crop, has found an unlikely new rhythm under ZBNF. ' We don't spray death anymore,' says a farmer. 'We brew life ." The shift is cautious, but real—input costs have fallen, soil health has improved, and farmers report a return of earthworms and birds, long lost to chemical warfare. It's not just a farmers' movement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Across the country, a broader alignment is quietly emerging—one where value-based businesses are now investing in value-driven farming. Patanjali, for instance, has extended its Ayurvedic and swadeshi ethos into agricultural sourcing. While best known for toothpaste and ghee, the company has, over the years, built procurement networks that prefer organically grown herbs and cotton. It has encouraged clusters of farmers to transition to natural methods—not as a CSR checkbox, but as part of its supply chain philosophy. A senior buyer associated with the Patanjali ecosystem put it simply: ' When your final product claims purity, the raw material cannot come from poi soned land .' Acharya Balkrishna, in Patanjali Organic Kranti, highlights the transformative impact of Patanjali's holistic farming methods on a cotton farmer's three-acre land. He notes that the farmer experienced a 20–25% increase in cotton production while reducing input costs by nearly 50%, as the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides was eliminated. The return of earthworms and the reduction in insect attacks indicated improved soil health and ecological balance. Moreover, the farmer's organic cotton attracted premium buyers, enhancing his income. Acharya emphasizes that beyond productivity gains, this approach restores the soil's loamy texture, improves moisture retention, reduces water usage, and fosters biodiversity, thereby creating a sustainable and rewarding farming system that benefits both the environment and the farmer's well-being." The company's textile ambitions, too—slowly expanding under the radar—appear aligned with this thinking. Cotton that's been grown without chemicals, processed without synthetic dyes, and woven by traditional units fits into a larger narrative of Bharatiya resurgence: not anti-modern, just differently modern. In fact the modern buyer is now consciously looking for wearable products that are 'clean' and eco-friendly. According to fashion influencer Piyusha Sharma , " With increasing awareness about how clothes are being produced using chemical cultivation methods, most buyers like me are making a conscious shift toward wearing only natural fabrics that are grown through traditional and organic methods. It's my way of supporting sustainable practices and choosing what's better for both the planet and my body." For farmers too, it is a shift that is changing the way they are looking at agriculture, " With Zero Budget Natural Farming, I no longer depend on expensive chemical inputs. The soil is alive again, my crops are healthier, and I've reduced my costs to almost nothing. It's farming the way nature intended" says Ramesh Kumar, farm owner from Kurnool. Of course, ZBNF isn't a silver bullet. The transition is tough. Yields dip initially, the labour is intensive, and support systems are still catching up. But as soil fertility returns and dependency on credit diminishes, what grows is not just cotton—but dignity. In a country where farm crisis headlines often drown hope, stories like these feel almost old-fashioned. And yet, they are quietly rewriting the future—one acre, one cow dung ferment, one ethically-sourced kurta at a time. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Perplexity AI now available as a search option in Firefox: Here's how to use it
Google still accounts for the majority of search queries on the internet, but lately, the tech giant has been losing its market share to competitors and AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, which reportedly account for around for about one per cent of search queries. And while most browsers are yet to get support for these AI search engines, Mozilla seems to be jumping on the bandwagon by adding Perplexity AI to its popular internet browser, Firefox. As part of the Firefox 139 update, Mozilla has added an option that lets users switch to Perplexity AI to make searches directly from the address bar via the unified search button. While the non-profit organisation did not make a formal announcement, but has confirmed the news in a thread on its 'Connect' community forum. Compared to traditional search engines like Google, which present a list of URLs you can click on, AI-powered search engines like Perplexity can summarise multiple search results in a visually appealing format. Also, these search engines are pretty accurate when it comes to identifying typos and grammatical mistakes. Mozilla says Perplexity search offers direct and conversational answers, similar to Google's AI Overviews feature. While the test is currently limited to the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, users can also add Perplexity AI, users can easily add the AI-powered search assistant using a simple workaround. If you are interested in using Perplexity as a search engine, open Firefox and head over to ' Now, type in your search query in the address bar, but instead of hitting enter, select 'Search with Perplexity' from the dropdown suggestions. When you make a few searches using this method, Firefox will automatically ask if you want to add Perplexity as a search engine. One added, you will also be able to use the @perplexity keyword shortcut to search more quickly. According to Windows Report, Mozilla says that if the experiment is positively received by users, they may add more AI-based answers or search options to Firefox. If you are interested in trying out AI-powered search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, here's how to do it.
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Air India Crash: Boeing 787's emergency power system was likely active before crash
Investigators believe Air India Flight 171 had an emergency-power generator operating when it crashed last week, raising questions about whether the plane's engines functioned properly during takeoff, Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The preliminary finding, according to people familiar with the probe, gives investigators a new line of inquiry as they study a crash that killed all but one of the plane's passengers. In all, at least 270 people died following the crash, including some on the ground in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The Air India flight reached an altitude of 625 feet in clear conditions before it stopped transmitting location data, just 50 seconds into the flight. Efforts to contact the cockpit after it issued a mayday call drew no response. What is the emergency system? The emergency system is known as a ram air turbine. It is a small propeller that drops from the bottom of the 787 Dreamliner's fuselage to serve as a backup generator. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Might Want To Buy Baking Soda In Bulk After Reading This Read More Undo Engines normally produce electricity for an aircraft and help run its flight-control systems. The power generated by the RAT can enable crucial aircraft components to function. The system can deploy automatically in flight if both engines have failed or if all three hydraulic system pressures are low, according to an airline's Boeing 787 manual reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. It can also deploy if cockpit instruments lose power or problems emerge with the aircraft's electric motor pumps. Live Events DGCA gives clean chit to Boeing 787 fleet India's Aviation watchdog, DGCA on Tuesday also held a detailed review meeting with top Air India and Air India Express executives on Tuesday with regard to the crash. The top aviation regulator said surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns in the wake of the fatal plane crash. ALSO READ: DGCA gives clean chit to Boeing 787 fleet, flags maintenance concerns at Air India At the review meeting, the DGCA flagged concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported at Air India. On the "Enhanced Safety Inspection of B787-8/9 fleet of Air India, the DGCA said that a total of 24 aircraft successfully completed the required check till 3PM of June 17. An additional two aircraft are planned for completion today, with one more scheduled for Wednesday, it said and added that the remaining six aircraft include two aircraft (VT-ANG and VT-ANT), which are presently grounded at Delhi. ALSO READ: Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India, Boeing may face 'unlimited' liability if found negligent The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service. Four of the 33 aircraft are currently undergoing major checks at various MRO facilities and will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from the respective maintenance hangars, DGCA said. On June 13, a day after the B787-8 crash that killed 241 people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, comprising 26 787-8 and seven 787-9. "The recent surveillance conducted on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards," DGCA said in a statement. As many as 66 flights that were to be operated with B787 aircraft were cancelled from June 12 to June 17. During this period, the airline operated 248 flights with B787. To address the maintenance-related issues, DGCA has issued certain directions to the Tata Group-owned airlines. "The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations," the statement. Air India and Air India Express operate over 1,000 flights daily. The regulator has recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates. This is expected to enhance overall decision-making and reduce downstream disruptions. The meeting was convened to review the operational robustness of the airlines and ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations. Meanwhile, the Iranian airspace closure has disrupted flight operations by Indian carriers to European and Gulf countries. "The impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was reviewed. The closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. "The operators have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimize disruptions," the statement said. The DGCA also said that passengers should be informed well in advance regarding delays and cancellations. "Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels," it added.
