To strengthen and enhance India’s cybersecurity audit ecosystem, the three-day national annual conference, ‘CERT-In SAMVAAD 2025,’ organized by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) in collaboration with SkillsDA, was inaugurated by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Shri Brajendra Navnit, Principal Secretary, Information Technology and Digital Services Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Kamakoti Veezhinathan, Director, IIT-Madras, Dr. N. Subramanian, Executive Director, Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS) and Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In on May 19, 2025 at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. The event brings together empanelled information security auditing organizations, regulators and key stakeholders.

In his inaugural and keynote address, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY emphasized the need for innovation in auditing, improved risk assessment, capacity building and focus on audit of emerging technologies. He highlighted the importance of collaboration to address evolving cyber threats and strengthen India’s audit ecosystem. He also mentioned that CERT-In’s initiative offers a valuable opportunity for auditing organizations to upgrade practices and share knowledge, contributing to a more cyber-resilient India.

In his welcome address and context setting, DG CERT-In highlighted the significance of the event, emphasizing that this is the first conference of its kind across the globe uniquely designed for the auditing community. He elaborated that CERT-In has established a robust framework aimed at enhancing cybersecurity resilience across India’s digital infrastructure, including the empanelment of Information Security Auditing Organizations to conduct audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. He further emphasized that the conference, through discussions on frameworks, new audit methodologies and case studies, would help auditors enhance their skills and improve audit quality.

Dr. Kamakoti Veezhinathan, Director, IIT-Madras delivered a brief presentation emphasizing the importance of cyber resilience—ensuring the continuity of essential services and safeguards even during adverse situations, particularly in light of the evolving cyber threat landscape targeting Indian organizations across various sectors. He underscored the need for comprehensive architectures, frameworks and models to support cyber resilience programs among diverse stakeholders. He appreciated CERT-In’s efforts in organizing the conference and expressed hope that the event would significantly contribute to strengthening the capabilities of participating information security auditing organizations and improving overall auditing practices.

Dr. N. Subramanian, Executive Director, SETS highlighted the cybersecurity concerns associated with emerging technologies such as 5G/6G, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. He expressed confidence that CERT-In’s conference is a step in the right direction and will enable participants to effectively address these challenges and formulate robust cybersecurity strategies.

Shri Brajendra Navnit, Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu highlighted the cybersecurity initiatives undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu and emphasized the need for comprehensive audits that address the rapidly evolving risks to digital systems and sensitive data. He commended CERT-In for organizing this nationally significant conference, which brings together key stakeholders from India’s audit community to foster deeper understanding and facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas and methodologies.

The event included a panel discussion on ‘Cybersecurity Audits & Regulatory Expectations: Bridging the Gap’ moderated by Shri S.S. Sarma, Director Operations, CERT-In with Panellists from various Regulators. This engaging discussion provided auditing organizations with valuable and actionable insights into regulatory expectations.

The three-day event will feature parallel management and technical tracks, with over 70 presentations that would set the standard for cutting-edge cybersecurity audit practices. The management track would explore key topics such as human factors in auditing, C-suite risk management, governance frameworks and strategies for stakeholder communication. Meanwhile, the technical track would focus on emerging tools for automated audits, securing next-generation technologies (IoT, AI/ML, blockchain, quantum computing), SBOM implementation and innovative approaches to complex and continuous audit environments, including cloud systems, APIs and operational technology.

Through the conference, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the latest trends, tools and methodologies shaping the future of audits, particularly in cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT and blockchain. The participants would take away actionable insights on automation, tech-driven efficiency and adaptive methodologies for cybersecurity audits. These takeaways will empower organizations to remain at the forefront of cybersecurity auditing and drive improvements in audit quality.

The conference is being attended by esteemed dignitaries from Government, Industry and Regulatory bodies along with more than 300 representatives from CERT-In Empanelled Information Security Auditing Organizations.

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IR/RR/KR

(Release ID: 2129805)