Kerala needs to strengthen its pool of skilled cybersecurity professionals as cyberattacks and digital fraud pose growing risks to individuals, organisations and governments, senior IPS officer Manoj Abraham said at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026 in Kochi.
Abraham, a 1994-batch DGP-rank IPS officer of the Kerala cadre and Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, highlighted the cybersecurity skills gap while speaking at the second edition of the summit on September 5. He said stronger human resources were needed to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
The summit was organised by F9 Infotech in association with the Government of Kerala and Kerala Startup Mission. It brought together policymakers, law enforcement officials, cybersecurity professionals, technology leaders and industry representatives.
Proposal for Conducting Cyber Crisis Drill, Tabletop Exercise (TTEx) & CCMP Readiness Exercise
389% Rise in Ransomware Victims, 4.8 Million Cyber Jobs Unfilled
Abraham said cyberattacks could affect critical infrastructure and organisations without the use of conventional force, underlining the need to build a larger workforce capable of defending against such threats.
“There is a 389 per cent rise in ransomware victims worldwide year-on-year, while reported financial losses due to cyber fraud in India alone stood at ₹19,813 crore in 2025,” Abraham said.
He added that the world was facing a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, with 4.8 million cybersecurity jobs remaining unfilled globally.
“We are at a juncture where we need more defenders to take on cyber attackers,” he said.
According to Abraham, Kerala has an advantage in addressing the skills shortage because of its existing pool of technology professionals and skilled talent.
Cyber Fraud Complaints Cross ₹56,000 Crore in Three Years
The summit also highlighted the need to expand cybersecurity awareness and training beyond technology companies and specialised institutions.
Hibi Eden, MP, appreciated F9 Infotech’s initiative to provide cybersecurity training, awareness programmes and certification free of cost to government educational institutions across Kerala.
F9 Infotech founder Jayakumar Mohanachandran said cybersecurity should extend beyond corporate boardrooms and technology conferences.
According to Mohanachandran, more than ₹56,000 crore has been reported in cyber fraud complaints across India over the last three years. During the same period, India’s cyber fraud response systems helped save more than ₹11,000 crore across 32 lakh complaints.
He said the focus should extend beyond stopping the next cyberattack to building a digital future that people can trust.
Summit Focuses on AI Security, Cloud and Cyber Resilience
The Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026 covered cybersecurity and digital resilience, AI security and emerging cyber threats, cloud security, Zero Trust architecture, cyber risk management, cybersecurity awareness and skills, and protection of businesses and institutions.
The official programme included discussions on AI-powered enterprise security, national cyber resilience and emerging threats, along with live cyberattack simulations.
Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, KSIDC chairman C Balagopal, Digital University Kerala Vice-Chancellor Saji Gopinath, Data Security Council of India CEO Vinayak Godse and senior F9 Infotech officials were among those who attended the summit. The event was also supported by the Data Security Council of India, TiE Kerala and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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