Cyber Attacks are Rising, But There is an Ideal
- Over the past few weeks, our rapidly expanding digital networks’ fragile underbelly has come to light. The first ransomware attack was directed at India’s leading institution, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). When the systems finally went online more than two weeks later, over 40 million health records were impacted.
- Soon after, the ransomware organisation BlackCat broke into the parent company of Solar Industries Ltd, one of the Ministry of Defence’s munitions and explosives suppliers, and stole over 2 Terabyte of data.
Growing vulnerability:
- These days, ransomware is a prominent component of the majority of destructive assaults. In this case, the perpetrators ask for enormous quantities of money in exchange for revealing secret information. According to data, similar attacks have affected more than 75% of Indian organisations, with each breach costing an average of 35 crore. By 2023, it is predicted that cybercrimes would have caused $8 trillion in damage to the world economy.
- There are other forms of malware that can infect any kind of computer system. All crucial infrastructure, including as banking, power, and transportation, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to attacks from rival governments and non-state actors as the line separating the real and digital worlds is fast blurring.
- Malicious software, also referred to as malware, is any programme or file designed to intentionally harm a computer, network, or server. Malware includes things like spyware, ransomware, Trojan horses, computer viruses, and worms.
- Until a ransom is paid, ransomware, a type of malware from cryptovirology, threatens to reveal the victim’s personal information or to permanently block access to it.
- In 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) released a set of guidelines for companies to abide by when connected to the internet. They included naming a pointsperson with domain expertise to correspond with CERT-In and the necessity to report cyberattack incidents as soon as they were found.
- The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team is housed within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Indian Government (CERT-IN or ICERT). It serves as the focal point for managing threats to cyber security including hacking and phishing. It enhances the security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.
- The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2022, which is now in draught form, calls for fines of up to 500 crore rupees for data breaches. Defense Cyber Agency (DCyA), which is geared for both offensive and defensive manoeuvres, has been established by the Indian armed forces. In India, there is a separate cyber command and control centre for each state.
- Nevertheless, the majority of organisations lack the tools necessary to detect cyberattacks. India also suffers a severe scarcity of cybersecurity professionals. India is expected to employ around 3,000 people in this business total, compared to the 1.2 million workers in the United States.
- The possibility for digital security breaches and the power of dangerous viruses will only increase with the advent of 5G and quantum computing. India’s cybersecurity policy would be good to keep an eye on these developments.
To understand the world, you must:
- Because the vast majority of cyberattacks originate from outside of our borders, international cooperation is crucial to preserving the security of our digital environment. Also, it would be a cause with broad appeal.
- India has already approved cybersecurity agreements with the United States, the European Union, South Korea, Russia, and other countries. There are initiatives to encourage cooperation in cyber event responses, technology collaboration, capacity building, and the enhancement of cyber resilience, even in international frameworks like the Quad and the I2U2 (of which India is a member).
- Two procedures have already been established by the UNGA to handle security issues in the context of information and communication technologies (ICTs):
- Every member state is a part of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG), which Russia established through a UN resolution.
- The Group of Governmental Experts (GGE), a group of 25 countries representing all the major areas, was called upon by the United States in a resolution that was enacted.
- The two competing permanent members of the UN Security Council, which are among India’s most important strategic allies, hold extremely divergent opinions on a variety of Internet-related topics, such as openness, restrictions on data flow, and digital sovereignty.
- Nonetheless, member states have concluded that the two resolutions are complimentary rather than incompatible based on acceptance. These UN organisations will have a difficult time conducting fruitful discussions in light of the unstable global conditions of today.
Conclusion:
- The G-20 meeting this year in India, which will feature representation from all the major world powers, offers a chance to strengthen global cyber security. India could attempt to create a set of universally recognised basic cybersecurity requirements.
