As Goa's IT ecosystem grows, so does its attack surface. Recognizing this, GIBA launched its first-ever Cybersecurity Summit in partnership with CERT-In and the Goa Police Cyber Cell. The event, held at Goa University's 500-seat auditorium, drew 350 cybersecurity professionals, IT managers, and government officials.
The morning keynote by Gulshan Rai, India's former National Cyber Security Coordinator, set a serious tone with a deep dive into the evolving threat landscape facing Indian businesses. He emphasized that mid-sized companies — exactly the profile of most GIBA members — are increasingly targeted precisely because attackers perceive them as having weaker defenses.
The live hacking demonstration by the ShieldStack team was the most talked-about session. In under 15 minutes, they demonstrated a full attack chain against a simulated e-commerce platform — from initial phishing email to data exfiltration — before showing how each step could have been prevented.
The afternoon policy track focused on India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) and its practical implications for IT companies. A panel of legal experts and compliance officers walked through the key requirements, timelines, and penalties, with specific guidance for startups and SMBs.
The summit concluded with GIBA announcing a new Cybersecurity Readiness Program offering subsidized security audits for member companies, in partnership with CyberSafe Goa and NetGuard India.