Cybersecurity in India
- People who have access to the internet are becoming more prevalent in India. India is currently the second-largest internet market in the world despite its unrealized potential. Although the development of technology and the internet has many advantages, it has also resulted in a rise in cybercrime that affects people all over the world. The Pegasus espionage episode and the Wannacry attack both highlighted India’s vulnerability to the dangers of cybercrime.
India’s cyber security is impacted by the following problems and risks:
- Cyberterrorism is defined as a planned, violent attack with political motivations against information, computer systems, computer programmes, and data.
- Digital data threat: As internet sales increase, online scammers are more driven to operate. In addition to collecting data, businesses frequently produce intellectual property, which is in and of itself a desirable goal (such as customer information, the results of product surveys, and general market intelligence).
- A nation-state or international organisation engaging in cyberwarfare involves attacking and attempting to harm the computers or information networks of another nation-state.
- Issues with Cybersecurity Infrastructure: Like any other connected system, most devices and technical systems are susceptible to hackers. Despite the National Vital Information Infrastructure Protection Center’s existence, the government has not yet selected and put protective measures for critical information infrastructure into place (NCIIPC).
- lacking any professionals China is the only nation that surpasses India in terms of the number of Internet users worldwide (Internet World Stats, 2017). In contrast to its internet user base, India has a relatively small community of cyber-security experts.
- Inefficient law enforcement: India’s cyber security approach has been haphazard and non-systematic up until this point. Despite the existence of several organisations, laws, and programmes, their execution has fallen short.
- Lack of Collaboration: There are too many agencies with overlapping responsibilities in the field of cyber security, which causes inadequate cooperation between these organisations.
The government of India is acting to improve cyber-security:
- The Information Act of 2000 is the primary statute in India for preventing cybercrime and online business (as revised in 2008).
- 2013 National Cybersecurity Policy The strategy offers a strategic direction and a vision for defending the country’s online.
- The India-based CERT-In (Cyber Emergency Response Team): Since 2004 CERT-In has been in operation. It acts as the nation’s focal point for addressing any new problems relating to computer security.
- I4C, or the Indian Centre for Coordination of Cyber Crime
- The Union Government has made the decision to launch 14C. It will serve as the main coordination point for the battle against cybercrime.
- Swachhta Kendra Digital: Customers can use the Cyber Swachhta Kendra, a portal for malware removal and system analysis, which was originally introduced in early 2017.
- India’s Digital Surakshit: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT) announced the Cyber Surakshit Bharat programme to raise public awareness of cybercrime and develop capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT personnel across all governmental agencies.
- The government declared the Cyber Warrior Police Force (CWPF) would be established in 2018. It is made to be raised in line with the paradigm of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
- Plan for the Prevention and Reduction of Cybercrimes Against Women and Children: The Ministry of Home Affairs established the initiative with the goal of preventing and reducing cybercrimes against women and children.
How to Continue:
- For applications, equipment, and infrastructure, increased testing capability and expertise are critically needed.
- The development of human resources must be given top priority in the near future in order to enhance the number of professionals capable of successfully managing the nation’s cyber security.
- R&D: Investments should be made in R&D to provide more cutting-edge technologies in order to combat the growing threats to cyber security.
- Administration and policy: Strong policies must be drafted and applied correctly. For efficient operation and improved communication between departments and stakeholders, duties and responsibilities should also be clearly defined.
- Public education on cyber security threats should be a regular endeavour for the government and major corporations.
- To better address cyber security, there has to be more cooperation between the public and private sectors.
- In our increasingly linked society, cybersecurity is crucial. Even if the government has taken a number of preventative measures, the nation’s cyber-security may still use some work. An effective policy must be in place, and it must be implemented well.
