Introduction:

A cyber or cybersecurity threat is a malicious act that seeks to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life in general. Cyber threats include computer viruses, data breaches, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and other attack vectors. Cyber threats also refer to the possibility of a successful cyber-attack that aims to gain unauthorized access, damage, disrupt, or steal an information technology asset, computer network, intellectual property or any other form of sensitive data. Cyber threats can come from within an organization by trusted users or from remote locations by unknown parties.

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India’s preparedness and challenges faced:

• The attacks can be more tangible causing damage to physical or digital infrastructure.
  • This includes a country’s water system or electric grid.
  • Cyber tentacles can spread to political parties, universities and private businesses and Citizens.
  • Potentially worrisome cyber incidents include interference in political affairs, leaks and espionage and the compromising of critical national infrastructure.
• A 2017 study conducted by Symantec found that India ranked fourth in online security breaches, accounting for over 5 per cent of global threat detections. In the beginning of 2017, the newly launched Bharat Interface for Money application (BHIM app) reportedly faced spam threats.
• The real danger to India lies in targeted cyber-attacks coming from adversarial nation states.
  • Countries like China can bring immense assets to bear in carrying out sophisticated cyber-attacks. The success of Stuxnet, which damaged the Iranian centrifuge facility at Natanz is an example.
• Cyber warfare is characterized by an absence of clarity.
  • India can never be certain about the capability of the other side and also the chances of success if we launch a cyber-counterstrike.
• There is a push towards greater digital dependence with demonetization a cashless system is being propagated. Aadhaar and the wider platforms such Digital India and Smart Cities will push things further along. India is the world’s second largest digital nation with more than 350 million Indians are online and millions more will be getting connected in the years to come.
• India is not even a signatory to some of the basic international frameworks on Cybersecurity like the Convention of Cybercrime of the Council of Europe which not only European nations but Japan, US, South Africa have become signatories to, except India.
• Indian laws are not in tandem with the ever-changing global cyberspace.
  • The laws are old and hence need to be more dynamic in nature to deal with issues like cyber-espionage, data theft and so on.
  • The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act 2000) is the sole law that deals with cyberspace in India and was passed way back in 2000.
  • Also, the Cyber Law of India has been subject to amendments on various occasions but hasn’t served the changing dynamics and the growing threats and manifestations of cyberwar.

Measures needed:

• A Defence Cyber Agency could be the first step the government plans to for critical infrastructure and military networks that are increasingly becoming dependent on the Internet, thus increasing vulnerabilities.
• The Defence Cyber Agency will work in coordination with the National Cyber Security Advisor. It will have more than 1,000 experts who will be distributed into a number of formations of the Army, Navy and IAF. According to reports, the new Defence Cyber Agency will have both offensive and defensive capacity.
• Equally important is cyber propaganda. During the Doklam conflict, China tried its best to unleash cyber propaganda on India and indulged in complex psy-ops
• Critical cyber infrastructure needs to be defended and the establishment of the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre(NCIIPC) is a good step in this direction
• Individual ministries and private companies must also put procedures in place to honestly report breaches. It is only then that the NCIIPC can provide the requisite tools to secure these networks. This partnership must be transparent and not mired in the usual secrecy of intelligence organizations.
• The upgrading of the Defence Cyber Agency to a Cyber Command must be implemented at the soonest.
• A robust ecosystem must be built to secure India from acts of state and non-state actors, including protocol for grievance redressal in international forums.
• Better capabilities must be built to detect and deflect attacks.
• The computer emergency response team (CERT) must be strengthened and aligned with military and foreign affairs operations.
• Building a joint task force between the government and key technology players will be crucial.
• The government should push for the creation of a global charter of digital human rights.
• A national gold standard should be created, which ensures that Indian hardware and software companies adhere to the highest safety protocols
• Impart cybercrime investigation training and technological know-how to the various law enforcement agencies.
• Cyber awareness must be spread and there should be multi-stakeholder approach- technological inputs, legal inputs, strengthening law enforcements, systems and then dealing with transborder crime involves lot of international cooperation.

Conclusion:

Most of the Indian banking industry and financial institutions have embraced IT to its full optimization. Reports suggest that cyber-attacks are understandably directed toward economic and financial institutions. With innovative, technology led programmes such as AADHAAR, MyGov, GeM, Digital Locker the new India is the land of technological prowess and transformation. Government and the private sector jointly have to give cyber security some priority in their security and risk management plan.