Become an Enabler for the World Tomorrow!!

As devices are spread across numerous locations, it will be difficult to ensure the operation, remote management and updating these devices. Data processing, networking and storage will consume enormous amounts of energy, and disposal of devices which are not very easy to recycle will be a challenge. So there are environmental issues to think about.

If a security issue is found in a device, it is likely that the thousands of already deployed, in-the-field, devices will remain un-patched due to a variety of reasons like connectivity, size, etc. In fact, sustained support of this nature may be cost-prohibitive for the manufacturer.

With cybersecurity on the rise, we need to step back and formulate global governance norms. We need to find answers to basic questions like—Who owns the data? Who has stewardship of the data? Who determines what data standards are to be set, where is the data to be kept? Who has access to the data? Who has the rights to monetise it? 

This is the right time to propose the idea of an International Cyber-Treaty Organisation (ICTO) that would set up ‘rules of the road’ for international cooperation on crime, together with an appropriate fund to finance cooperation as needed; ‘rules of the road’ and a process to assess when a country has gone over the line in acts of cyber-war, together with an appropriate sanctions regime; and a ‘privacy bill of rights’ for citizens worldwide that prevents unwarranted intrusion into their private lives.

Technology, used responsibly, can be both an accelerator and an enabler for the world of tomorrow. It provides new opportunities to foster innovation that boost economic and social prosperity of developed and emerging economies. To enable this for the future we need to begin with our schools and the education system. We should, like several countries are already doing, introduce into the curriculum coding and programming skills in an interesting and engaging manner. We also need to build curriculum that teaches our children ‘cyber ethics’ in our schools so that we raise responsible citizens of the future. Education and skilling will have to keep pace with tomorrow’s needs if the Indian economy is to enjoy sustained growth.

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