Dr. Balsing Rajput

Superintendent of Police

Cyber, Maharashtra State, Mumbai

WHAT IS

CYBERSPACE?

IS THERE HIDDEN INTERNET ?

SOCIAL MEDIA "Websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate and share information / content on the internet using a computer or mobile phone" (Cambridge Dictionary )

Allows to form virtual social groups, one to many communication, one to one communication, close group communication

Types of

social

media

platforms

used for

exchanging

information

INSTANT MESSAGING PLATFORMS : IMP

SOURCE OF FAKE NEWS

MISUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN ELECTIONS

•Trolling and Cyber bullying

•Defamation and shaming

•Fake news

•Coordinated and syndicated misinformation campaigns

•Psychological operations (PSYOP) through targeted messages

& coordinated efforts

•Bots and artificial intelligence tools are running campaigns

•Data Harvesting

•Social engineering

Who are the Perpetrators ?

REAL LIFE

EXAMPLES

Subverting election machinery of USA

Elections : Challenges of Social Media

• Hacking • Fake News • Crime

• PSYOPS• Social

Engineering

What is the Solution?

There is No Silver Bullet to all Problems in Cyberspace

Framework considered for Proposing Solutions

Protection

Prevention

Detection

Response

Mitigation

Legal Action

1. PROTECTION OF DIGITAL ASSETS OF COMMISSION

• Election commission information assets and systems should be declared as

Critical Information Assets as per IT Act

• Computer Systems of State Election Commission Should be declared as

Protected Systems as per Section 70 of IT Act

• This will attract provisions of IT act for hacking and will also make CERT In

and NCIIPC to take measures for protection of IT assets of Commission

• It Will attract regular Cyber Security Audits and Protection Measures

2. Fake News : Mechanism to Detect and

Prevent • Creation of Web Portal to report fake news from public and parties

(Crowd sourcing )

• Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) will have Expert member for SM and Online news

• Team at Commission or MCMC will review the content for effect on elections, and then it will be sent for fact-checking.

• Facts checking Report to be called from concerted department within 48 hours to commission

• Commission to post the correct content or actual stand of department. Will also ask department to put it in public Domain

• Stopfake.org is a web portal, a Experiment by Ukrainian media may be worth emulating by election commission

3. BLOCKING THE FAKE NEWS CONTENT :

AS PER IT ACT• Section 69 A: Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any

information through any computer resource

• Any content on SM or Internet which can has negative effect on voting or

elections or halt the electioneering process or cause violence: MCMC

Committee will cross check then will recommend for blocking

• Member from Law enforcement and Security experts to be made part of

MCMC

• SEC in Judicial powers will direct the MEiTY committee for blocking it, as per

GoI notification of 2011

• SEC Will put advisories for general public through its portal and SM

4. Regulation and Monitoring of Social

Media for elections

Three Pronged Strategy

1. Declaration by parties and Candidates about SM

2. Internet Information Monitoring and Analytics of

Social Media

3. Expenditure and Advertisement on SM and

Regulations

4.1. Declaration :

Use of SM in elections by parties and candidates -

Measures • Candidate and party to give in writing to EC about official SM Use, Mode, Accounts and Platforms

• Considering proxy accounts which may be used by political parties/ candidates, authenticity of Social Media

accounts should be limited to the declared account details furnished by the contesting candidates.

• Separate Annexure in Nomination form for Social Media platforms used by candidate:

• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.

• Commercial websites and blogs

• Mobile advertisement networks, Online ad networks

• Influencer payouts and IT Cell team or agents appointed

• Pre-certification for non paid and paid advertisements on SM used by candidates/parties by the MCMC and

approval number should be displayed in the footnote of the ad and Message.

4.2. Internet and Social Media

Monitoring

Unit • Establish Internet and Social Media Monitoring Lab with tools and technology for real time

tracking or ‘listening’ to Social Media conversation.

• EC should create in house/ hired team that will look after monitoring and action

• Social Media Coordinator- should be appointed from EC who will be the nodal figure of Social

Media communication with District and other agencies

• MCM Committee may be restructured to include a Social Media, Cyber security and Law

enforcement expert as a member.

• Special Audit Team- to be appointed from within EC for social media audit of parties and candidates

in pre, during and post election

• To establish a Core Team and Expert team to prepare Policy, SOPs, Protocols, Response

• ‘Crowd sourcing’ can be a very effective tool. Taking help from citizens active on Social Media

might be useful in reporting malpractices and misuse.

4.3. Social Media and Internet: Expenditure declaration

&Monitoring• Expenditure Declaration and Monitoring for Social Media Use and Ads

Content and cost aspects of software for tracking can be segregated in the following manner-

A) Content can be passed on to MCMC committee

B) Cost can be passed on to District Expenditure Monitoring Committee

• An expense account statement for all declared Social Media handles/accounts should be provided

by the candidates/parties to support the same.

• New Guidelines to Social Media paid advertisements under the Model Code of Conduct to be

considered in expenditure account.

• SM and online advertisements expense should be simultaneously declared in book of account for

expenditure. Non compliance attract action.

• Social Media / online advertisements must have the agency name on the ads and ad is to be

provided to the DEO/ CEO.

• PIB / DGIPR to give ‘notional cost / rate ’ of Social Media advertisements.

5. Election Commission:Social Media Policy

• Social Media Policy to be prepared for Use of Social Media for information dissemination, training and

education.

• Social Media Planning in three different phases: Non election period, Election period and Post election

period.

• Content Development should be on a daily, weekly, monthly & annual basis. A Social Media calendar

should be created by EC

• Social Media Team/ Branch to be established at Commission with own and hired resources

• It should start at EC level first in the standard format, however, existing initiatives at the SEC and District

levels should be allowed to continue

• A pilot implementation of the EC policy for use of SM may be implemented.

• The engagement should start in steps and phases. There should be a clear list of its do’s and don’ts.

• EC should proactively participate on the Social Media platform to engage, empower and mobilise voters.

6. Voter Bribing through E-

Transactions • Peer to Peer information exchanging platforms for

money transfer

• Wallet Money transfer : New money exchange platforms

• Design code of conduct for that in coordination with

domain companies

• Platform for getting Information from Public about

online money transfer.

• Banks and wallet companies to be involved in

monitoring transactions

7. Cyber Security Observer • Cyber Security Observer for state elections to observe cyber security

measures

• Role and SOP of his conduct and reporting to EC

• Will scrutinise complaints from candidates and parties before passing

on to LEA

• Will supervise hacking attempts, manipulation and social engineering

in digital domain

• Security of the Digital tool used for electioneering needs to be

supervised.

• Needs independent opinion of observer and investigation during

elections.

8. ELECTION CYBER SECURITY

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN• Cyber Hygiene during elections: Do’s

& Don’ts

• Digital Literacy

SM Interactive Engagement with Voters

• Developing Trust in digital systems

• Stakeholders Sensitisation

9. Cyber Security of elections• EC: Digital assets, data and computer systems

• Cyber Security Plan :

• Incident Response Mechanism

• Cyber security crisis management plan

• Cyber Security Architecture (CSA) review

• Vulnerability Assessment of all applications, devices and

systems

Cyber Security Approach

Cyber Security

Technology

Process People/ Voters

Laws

10. Expert Study Group to Review

Model Code of Conduct

• Set up Expert group for study and recommendation

• Will prepare the SOP and changes in Model code of Conduct

• Members from Academic, Government, Police, Cyber Security

Experts, legal luminaries, Media , Auditors, others agencies

Thank You