In the popular 2023 Korean movie, Unlocked a woman’s life is turned upside down when a stranger finds her lost smartphone, installs spyware, and uses all her personal information to commit a series of crimes, ruining her social, professional, and personal life. The suspenseful tech-thriller plot, has a relevant cautionary tale about smartphone security. The movie is an eye opener to what can happen when you fall prey to cybercrime.
Curiosity and urgency are among the main reasons one falls prey to cyber crime. Another reason cyber crime is on the rise is due to under reporting, especially when women are victims, they are overwhelmed with guilt and self-blame.
To mark International Women’s Month, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) conducted a cyber hygiene workshop for women journalists under the theme #OnlineButUnafraid. The workshop aimed at empowering media professionals with awareness and practical knowledge to navigate the digital space safely and confidently.
The motive was to carry forward the message to women folk, with practical tips. The initiative under the #OnlineButUnafraid campaign is TGCSB’s effort to promote a culture of digital confidence, responsible online behaviour, and proactive cyber safety practices, especially among women and professionals.
Women fall prey to three categories of cybercrimes — cyber stalking, online harassment and sextortion. And the only way to curb these crimes is by reporting at the earliest.
So, while women are good at screenshotting images of bags, clothes or shoes, it is essential to be proactive and take screenshots of cybercrime attempts. The more the evidence, the better the chance of nabbing the perpetrator at the earliest. The team at TGCSB stressed the importance of preserving evidence.
Shikha Goel, lPS, director, TGCSB said, “Our aim is to make women worry less about their social media presence. Fear and shying away from being online is not the solution; being aware and vigilant is. This workshop goes beyond having strong passwords and changing them frequently.”
She also stressed on the importance of ‘the golden hour’ where one reports suspicious moves or crime at the earliest. In case of financial crimes, the chances of blocking fund transfers and recovering stolen money increases drastically when a crime is reported immediately. Citizens can report through official channels, including the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and the online portal cybercrime.gov.in.
Shikha also mentioned that while cyber crimes against women in India showed a 25% increase, the rate of cyber crimes in Telangana declined by 3% in 2025. A total of 86,177 FIRs were filed in Telangana in 2025, and 21,639 of these were related to cyber crime.
The awareness workshop was led by Sunny NV, CEO, Vatins, an IT security service which works closely with Telangana Police. Sunny presented tips for cyber hygiene, emerging cyber threats, and practical safety measures. These included tips on keeping your digital footprint low, shifting to WPA3 (secure Wi-Fi standard) from basic home network configuration and understanding the seven layers of cyber security — networks, applications, cloud, email/social media/messaging, endpoints, human layer and finally compliance — around which our data revolves.
Tips to ensure digital hygiene
Strong, unique passwords for every application: A combination of alphabets, numbers and special characters. Change passwords at least once in a few months.
Enable two-factor or multi-factor authentication for WhatsApp, social media and cloud accounts. Enable fingerprint or face recognition unlocking wherever applicable.
Ensure Wi-Fi routers are secured with strong passwords and WPA2/WPA3 encryption.
Change username and passwords of CCTV cameras at home or office after installing.
To report cyber crime, call 1930 or check cybercrime.gov.in
The team presented real-life case studies to stress the need to conduct timely online checks to spot fake social media profiles, and highlighted how cybercriminals exploit trust, identity and digital behaviour. “Never be in a hurry to respond to anyone, even a friend asking for money. It is possible that their ID has been hacked. Similarly, do not be in a rush to click any link or scan a QR code to accept money. Double check the website and the URL. If it redirects to another link, then is the time to grow suspicious,” added Sunny.
The workshop also sensitised women on recognising early warning signs during online interactions, securing personal and professional digital presence, handling online abuse, and responding effectively to cyber incidents.
B Shivadhar Reddy, lPS, Director General of Police, Telangana, highlighted the growing scale and impact of cyber crimes and stressed the need for collective vigilance and proactive reporting. He encouraged women in media to not only safeguard themselves, but use their platforms to educate citizens about cyber safety and responsible digital behaviour.
Published – March 19, 2026 03:17 pm IST
