The NIIT Foundation and Cisco have launched a new program called Cyber Suraksha Plus . This program aims to teach people about cybersecurity and help them build careers in this field. It plans to train 27 lakh students by the year 2028 , making India safer online.
This new program comes as cybercrime is increasing rapidly across India. According to the India Cyber Threat Report 2025 by DSCI, cybercrime cases reported on national platforms have grown significantly. The number of cases escalated from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024 .
| Year | Cybercrime Cases (in Lakhs) |
| 2022 | 10.29 |
| 2023 | 15.96 |
| 2024 | 22.68 |
Cybercriminals are targeting many areas. The report shows that the healthcare sector was attacked the most, making up 21.8% of all attacks. Next was the hospitality sector with 19.6% , and then banking with 17.4% . These attacks often target organizations that handle personal and financial details of people. Older citizens, students, and small business owners are most at risk of falling for scams like phishing and other online frauds.
India now has a huge number of internet users, with more than 1 billion people online by June 2025 . This makes it very important for everyone to know about digital safety. To help with this, the NIIT Foundation and Cisco started the original Cyber Suraksha program in 2022 . This program has already reached more than 10 lakh learners in 27 states and five union territories . About 40% of these learners were women. The program also helped vulnerable groups like senior citizens, disabled people, and frontline workers.
What is Cyber Suraksha Plus?
Cyber Suraksha Plus builds on the success of the first program. It focuses on giving students training that directly leads to careers in cybersecurity. Students will learn about important topics like:
- System security (how to protect computer systems)
- Ransomware protection (how to stop attacks that block access to data)
- AI-powered security (using Artificial Intelligence to fight cyber threats)
- Cloud security (protecting data and services stored online)
The program aims for wide reach, offering training in many languages and making sure everyone can access it.
Leaders Speak
Harish Krishnan , Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer for Cisco Systems India & ASEAN, spoke about the program. He said, "Cybersecurity is key to trusting our digital world. Programs like Cyber Suraksha Plus are vital to build skills and prepare young Indians for global cybersecurity jobs."
Sapna Moudgil , CEO of NIIT Foundation, added, " Cyber Suraksha Plus wants to make digital safety fair for everyone. It helps young people and vulnerable communities gain confidence and skills for the digital age."
Through this work, the NIIT Foundation and Cisco share a goal: to build a "Viksit evam Cyber Surakshit Bharat" . This means a digitally strong and cyber-secure India for all.
