Preventing Spread of Fake News using Reverse Image Search

Special session of Cybersecurity Centre of IT&E Department in October 2018

    In the meeting of Advisory Committee on Cybersecurity held earlier this month, there was a workshop on how to make simple cross checks to prevent Fake News from spreading. Mr J Dasgupta, a former journalist who has been trained by Google in Delhi explained that using Chrome browser's image tab, reverse image search could be made on any digital picture and if it has ever appeared earlier on the net, it is likely to show up. I have tested this with an image myself and seen that it works.
    We were told that for multiple persons, the best approach is to crop out only one person's image and then put it on reverse image search.
    We were also advised that we should not forward any suspicious images before checking alternative multiple sources and that we should use common sense and logic and not assume that since the sender of an image is known to us, his forwarded image is genuine.

    On a slightly different matter, we were informed that the website https://cybercrime.gov.in/ can be used to report, even anonymously, cybercrime complaints relating to women. MAKAUT, the Maulana Abul Kalam University of Technology, West Bengal submitted a proposal to be associated with the department's Cybersecurity Cell. MAKAUT, incidentally, runs several cybersecurity courses routinely.
    We also decided to develop some simple DO's and DONT's for guidance of people and departments when cyberattacks happen especially in critical infrastructures like power, traffic, transportation, metros, airports etc.
    We have also published a tender seeking applications from institutions who want to help set up a helpline for cyber-crime victims