Clipped from: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/women-on-the-fringe-learns-cyber-survival-tricks/article70446660.ece
The cohort educating women about cyber threats, cyber fraud and digital safety
Regonda Vijaya Shresta, a cybersecurity trainer, explaining women in Shamirpet near Hyderabad about cyber frauds and safety.
At first look, it appears to be a typical ‘kitty party’ or chit auction where neighbourhood women gather. A closer look reveals a serious discussion of cybercrime and how to handle cyber threats diligently.
A group of mostly women running petty businesses, housewives and students at Shamirpet village near here, like thousands of peers elsewhere, are exposing themselves to the cyberthreat landscape, highlighting a crucial economic and security shift.
Bitter stories
Padmini, a middle-aged woman, shares her brush with a cybercriminal. “I received a call saying I was selected as one of the ‘Best Couples’ and won ₹ 1 lakh. They told me to come to a Star hotel in Hyderabad to collect the prize and asked me to provide my Aadhaar and account details.
Another woman related how the bank account of a self-help group was hacked and ₹30,000 siphoned off. When her son-in-law checked the records, the bank claimed the money was drawn in his name, even though he hadn’t done it.
“We filed a report, but the money was never recovered. In such cases, the trainer advised that we should change the SIM card immediately if it has been compromised,” she said.
Every single woman in the cohort had a bitter story of cyber fraud to tell. Speaking to them in their own, relatable language, Regonda Vijaya Shresta, the trainer, explains how cyber fraud happens and what they should do to stay safe. She strikes a chord with the women in the cohort using local idioms and dialect, connecting with them instantaneously.
Types of frauds
During the six-hour cohort, they would learn about impersonation, WhatsApp-based scams, phishing calls, password issues, how to be safe while doing online payments, and other cyber frauds.
The cohort is part of ‘Cyber Rakshak’, an initiative by IT firm Kyndryl, that aims to educate women in villages and semi-urban areas about cyber fraud. Kyndryl is rolling out this programme in association with Common Service Centres of MeitY and Data Security Council of India (DSCI).
Awareness programme
It targets village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs), self-help group members, bank correspondents, home makers and students. The initiative has so far trained about 74,000 women across 18 States and 144 districts over the last three years. The ‘Cyber Sainik’ initiative trained about 20,000 students (from Class 6 to 12) and ‘Cyber Vahini’ (young women graduates in cybersecurity) about 200 girls.
“This is a mass awareness programme. This is a targetted and focussed initiative. Cyber Rakshak for rural women is a six-hour structured module (three modules of two hours each) of in-person learning, followed by two hours of personal independent learning and a test,” Geetanjali Gaur, Social Impact leader, Kyndryl India, told businessline.
They will get a Cyber Rakshak certificate from the National Institute of Electronics and IT, a MeitY body. More than 90 per cent of the beneficiaries have cleared the NIELIT examination.
Cyber Vahini is a four-month rigorous, in-house, lab-based training programme that also includes placement assistance. Over 80 per cent of the 200 girls were placed in cybersecurity roles in various companies.
Published on December 28, 2025
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