McAfee India VP On Practicing Responsible Online Behavior, Internet Safety For Kids, And More

Cybercrime has gone through the roof amid the coronavirus pandemic as hackers are leveraging the sensitive times to their advantage. Since many governments across the globe were compelled to impose lockdown to mitigate the spread of the virus, it led to more people (working professionals, students, businessmen, etc) resorting to remote working. And as everyone is confined at home, there’s been a sharp surge in online activities, whether it be interacting with others on Instagram, watching videos on TikTok, or having meetings and classes on online video apps. This sudden spurt around reliance on the Internet has opened up a plethora of opportunities for hackers to scam and exploit people, especially children who are heavily dependent on the internet during the pandemic.

We interviewed Venkat Krishnapur Vice President, Engineering & Managing Director, McAfee India, who gave us insight into keeping data safe during remote working, need for digital awareness among kids, educating kids against cyberbullying, and more.

McAfee is a global computer security software company that offers data center, cloud defense, threat intelligence network, cybersecurity solutions, and security information management among other services. Venkat Krishnapur is the Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director, McAfee India. Having started his career in 1985, he comes with a rich experience of 34 plus years in the industry and is a veteran in the software/ software-assisted industry.

Since people have resorted to remote working amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a surge in hack attacks and data breaches. Kids have also resorted to online learning, making them more prone to cybercrime. What can be done to ensure better protection of one’s home network?

Krishanpur: McAfee Work from Home report analyzed cloud trends and threats from January to April which highlights that the education sector has been highly targeted, given the increase in digital adoption.