Salma Berrada

Salma writes about account security, privacy and internet services. She follows authentication, recovery options and the practical consequences of product design.

Latest

A document connects to a separate Virtual ID card, showing a replaceable identifier rather than a new Aadhaar number

Aadhaar Virtual ID · Nov 1

Aadhaar Virtual ID: Generate, Retrieve and Use a VID

What Aadhaar VID replaces, how generation differs from retrieval and when masked Aadhaar serves a different purpose.

Drawing of a phone declining an incoming call next to a block sign and a panel of Do Not Disturb preference switches

Spam calls · Oct 29

DND Registration: How to Stop Spam Calls and SMS in India

A text to 1909 sets your Do Not Disturb choice; a complaint within seven days is what gets a spammer cut off.

A search results panel with one phone-number result outlined and marked as blocked, linked by a dashed line to the back of a bank card with its printed helpline and a tick, illustrating why customer care numbers should come from the card or official app rather than a search engine.

customer care fraud · Oct 27

Fake Customer Care Number Fraud: How It Works and Where to Call

How fake helpline numbers in search results and social media lead to fraud, and where to find the genuine ones.

Illustration of a laptop mirroring a phone screen, a phone with a blue remote cursor inside a dashed screen-capture frame, and a crossed-out Wi-Fi symbol for disconnecting

screen sharing fraud · Oct 24

Screen-Sharing App Fraud in India: Stop Remote Access

How remote-access scams expose bank and UPI details, what to stop first, and where to report financial fraud.

A phone with greyed-out signal bars and a cross, a replacement SIM card in front of the original, and a message bubble holding a four-digit one-time password

SIM swap · Oct 23

SIM Swap Fraud in India: Warning Signs and Action

If your phone suddenly loses service, check for an unauthorised SIM replacement and secure your bank and email accounts.

Illustration of a fingerprint card, a blue padlock and a payment terminal showing a blocked scan, linked by dashed lines

Aadhaar · Oct 22

Aadhaar Biometric Lock: How to Lock, Unlock and Why

Locking Aadhaar biometrics blocks fingerprint, iris and face checks until you unlock them, a guard against AePS fraud.

Illustration of a phone showing a payment QR code, a UPI ID with an @ handle and a magnifying glass with a tick, showing a payment ID being verified.

SEBI · Oct 19

SEBI @valid UPI Handles: How to Check Before You Pay

SEBI-registered brokers and funds collect UPI payments through @valid IDs that you can verify on SEBI Check.

Flat illustration of a consent form with toggles, a shield with a padlock and a clock marked 72 h

DPDP Rules · Oct 18

DPDP Rules Explained: What They Require and When

The DPDP Rules set consent notices, 72-hour breach reports, data erasure and 90-day limits, phased in to May 2027.

Illustration of a server with an alert badge, a clock with six hours shaded and an envelope with a shield, standing for incident reports to CERT-In

CERT-In · Oct 16

CERT-In's Six-Hour Rule: Reporting Cyber Incidents in India

Indian organisations must report cyber incidents to CERT-In within six hours. Who is covered and what else applies.

A message bubble with a suspicious link and an eye badge, beside three SIM cards, one marked with a cross.

Sanchar Saathi · Oct 15

Chakshu and Sanchar Saathi: Fraud Calls, SIMs, Lost Phones

The DoT portal for suspicious calls, SIMs in your name and stolen phones. Money already lost goes to 1930.

A phone showing an unauthorised debit beside a three-stage timeline for reporting within three working days, four to seven days, or later.

Banking fraud · Oct 12

Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transaction Liability

RBI rules tie customer liability to the cause of the debit and how quickly it is reported.

A phone showing a rupee loan app, an arrow, and a directory list with one entry ticked under a magnifying glass

Loan apps · Oct 11

RBI-Approved Loan Apps: How to Check a Lending App in India

The RBI lists the loan apps that regulated lenders report. How to check an app and what the rules say.

Phone showing the Indian cyber fraud helpline 1930

cyber fraud · Oct 9

Cyber fraud complaint: call 1930 and report online

For financial cyber fraud in India, call 1930 quickly and complete the acknowledgement on cybercrime.gov.in.

Illustration of a phone video call from a figure in a uniform cap, an arrow, and a shield with a crossed-out video camera

Cybercrime · Oct 6

Digital Arrest Scams: What Indian Agencies Say and How to Report Them

Fake officials, a parcel story and a video call you must not leave: how the scam works and where to report it.

A printed letter under a magnifying glass beside a phone showing a verification form with OTP boxes and a confirmation tick

SEBI · Oct 4

SEBI Document Verification Now Asks for a Letter's Subject

SEBI's letter-verification tool now requires the subject, along with the number, official, date and recipient.

A hardware security key and house keys beside a phone and blue fabric.

Passkeys · Sep 27

Passkeys Explained: Signing In and Recovering Access

How a passkey verifies a sign-in, how to plan recovery, and where it fits with OTPs under India's RBI rules.

A document with separate paths towards a search magnifier and a model-training box.

Web publishing · Sep 15

Cloudflare Separates AI Training Preferences From Search Access

Cloudflare's new training preference keeps eligible search crawlers accessible, with limits by operator.

An archive, an old lock and a new key beside a cryptography planning checklist.

Post-quantum cryptography · Aug 25

US Treasury Creates a Task Force for Finance's Quantum Transition

Treasury's task force will coordinate cryptographic migration, vendor readiness and digital-asset risks.

A plain access card passing through a gate beside a sealed identity envelope.

Privacy · Jun 24

Mozilla's PACT Proposal Tries to Separate Website Access From Identity

Mozilla proposes anonymous credentials to help websites limit abuse without tracking visitors.

Browser tiles connected to an identity key and a policy book.

Browser management · May 29

Google Opens Chrome Enterprise Management to MCP Clients

What Google's Chrome Enterprise MCP server can change on its own, what it refuses, and how to run it read-only.

Magnifying glass examining small faults in a browser-shaped glass panel.

Firefox · Apr 22

Mozilla Reports 271 AI-Found Fixes in Firefox 150

Mozilla reports 271 fixes from an AI evaluation, with validation and deployment still essential.

Identity badge, a folder and an access gate representing permissions for AI tools.

AI security · Mar 20

Microsoft Extends Zero Trust Guidance to AI Agents and Their Data

Microsoft adds AI security guidance while an automated AI assessment remains in development.