Achive.php April 30, 2025 - The Cyber Shark
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Archives for April 30, 2025

Tackling cyber frauds: Finance Ministry includes I4C under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for information sharing

Finance Ministry

The Finance Ministry has empowered I4C to share information under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), enhancing coordination with the Enforcement Directorate to combat cyber fraud. This move aims to trace money trails and crack down on rising transnational cyber scams targeting citizens. According to the anti-money laundering law, the government has given the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) permission to communicate with the Enforcement Directorate and receive information to identify money trails and stop cyber scams.   The Home Ministry created I4C to serve as the primary hub for reducing cybercrime in the nation. I4C seeks to strengthen collaboration between various law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to increase India’s overall ability to tackle cybercrime. In compliance with Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Finance Ministry’s Revenue Department added I4C in a notification dated April 25.   As a result, I4C was able to communicate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other law enforcement organisations more easily. This information sharing would help identify the masterminds behind the international cyber frauds that target the general public and are becoming more and more common. Phishing websites, false social media identities, and sponsored search engine advertisements are all being used in these types of online scams.  These con artists also send an OTP or a webpage link to a victim’s email or phone.  The victim’s phone or computer is compromised when they share the OTP or click on the link. The government has requested that individuals use the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 in the event of fraud to report such websites.

Google Notebook LM AI podcast expands to more languages, including Hindi

Notebook LM AI

Google has expanded its Notebook LM AI podcast feature, Audio Overviews, to support over 50 languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Maithili, and Konkani. The tool uses Gemini’s multimodal AI to convert complex texts into podcast-style conversations, making learning more accessible. More languages are now supported by Google’s Audio Overviews function in Notebook LM, the AI-powered note-taking and research tool.  More than 50 other languages are currently supported by the feature, including major Indian languages like Hindi, Maithili, Konkani, Urdu, and Marathi.  According to the business, this multilingual capability is made possible by multimodal Gemini’s inbuilt audio support. The change was revealed in a blog post by the US-based software corporation.  The whole public can now use the functionality.  Overviews of Google Notebook LM Audio: How it Operates Imagine a scenario in which a user comes across a complicated paper or article and finds it challenging to understand.  In this scenario, the user can utilise the Audio Overviews capability and submit the content to Google Notebook LM. The uploaded content will be converted by the AI into a dialogue between two AI-generated hosts, like a podcast.  Rather than reading the material out loud, the hosts engage the audience in conversation while breaking down complex ideas as needed.  This method makes learning more approachable and helps to simplify complex information. The resulting audio transformed a four-minute read into a nine-minute podcast when Business Standard tested the function with one of its articles on direct-to-mobile (D2M) phones.  The audio sounded human because the two AI hosts spoke naturally, pausing and stuttering realistically.  In order to customise the podcast to their requirements, customers could also designate the topic of the discussion. Audio Overviews are now accessible in over 50 languages thanks to this upgrade.  Google first expanded Notebook LM to more than 200 countries last year. Overviews of Google Notebook LM Audio: How to Use Go to the Google Notebook LM official website. Select “Create New.” You can use Google Drive to upload your work by copying and pasting text or by pasting a link. Select “Generate” from the “Audio Overview” menu. Listen to the podcast that the AI created using your content.

Rajasthan Education Department Website Hacked by Alleged ‘Pakistan Cyber Force

Rajasthan Education Department

The Rajasthan Education Department’s website was hacked on April 29, 2025, displaying provocative messages allegedly from the “Pakistan Cyber Force.” Authorities have launched an investigation, while experts call for urgent cybersecurity reforms amid rising attacks on government digital assets. JAIPUR: On 29 April 2025, a cyberattack targeting the Rajasthan Education Department’s official webpage changed the homepage to show some divisive messages posing as the “Pakistan Cyber Force.” In one of the letters, the Pahalgam terror attack was described as an “inside job,” meaning it was orchestrated from within.  Another person called the incident a “false flag by the Indian government, designed to incite conflict and religious division.” Additionally, the hackers made derogatory remarks on Himanshi Narwal, the late Lieutenant Vinay Narwal’s widow, whose picture sitting next to her husband’s body was recently widely shared on social media. Shortly after the breach was discovered, the department’s website was removed. In reaction to the cyberattack, Education Minister Madan Dilawar declared, “The Education Department’s IT wing has been activated.” The website has been taken down for the time being, and recovery work is moving quickly. We have also reported the incident to cybersecurity agencies. To determine the group behind the cyber attack and the degree of the damage, an enquiry has been started. “At this time, there is no proof that any private information has been disclosed. To guarantee the security and integrity of our data, a thorough audit of every system is being carried out,” he continued. Experts Demand Immediate Reforms in Cybersecurity The persistent exploitation of government digital assets has sparked concerns from cyber specialists. They estimate that fraudsters have taken over more than 20 lakh pages connected to state departments nationwide. It is estimated that more than 8 lakh of these pages—including some from the Home Department and district-level police units—have been hacked in Rajasthan alone. Experts emphasise the urgent need for strong digital security frameworks and improved monitoring to safeguard government web infrastructure in light of the growing sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks.