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A Cashless Society, Cyber Security and the Aam Aadmi
Cyber security, in the near future, will be the main component of the state’s overall national security and economic security strategies. Unfortunately, we are now entering the world of the unknown both as citizens and as part of organisations. Our public institutions are certainly not geared for the foreseeable challenges in a post-demonetisation and internet-obsessed world, where digital money is being encouraged to drown out the use of physical cash.
In the wake of demonetisation, “digitisation” and its accompanying terms have entered common usage. Terminology such as networks, passwords, userIDs, mobile applications (apps), cards, digital transfers and computer security of all types, is being used routinely. Earlier, most of these terms were used by a few geeks, techies and an infinitesimal percentage of ordinary people. Today, they have occupied centre stage and stride across our collective consciousness.
The notion that paper cash is “bad” is being encouraged and its replacement, cybercash (digital payment methods), is being touted as the silver bullet that will cure all the evils that beset India. Paper currency is fungible. A ₹500 note can be exchanged, kissed, caressed, folded or hoarded. It can be exchanged for another note, or multiple ₹100 notes, or ₹10 coins. There is solidity to it.
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