The recent cyber
security updates by Perry4Law and PTLB have indicated that
there has been an extraordinary surge in the cyber attacks at a
global level. Malware like Stuxnet,
Duqu,
Flame, Uroburos/Snake,
Blackshades,
FinFisher,
etc have been messing up with computer systems located in different
parts of the world.
For instance, Ebay faced sophisticated cyber
attacks and as a result of the same it is facing legal
actions in United
States and European
countries. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) has reported
that a hacking group had recently attacked a U.S. public utility and
compromised its control system network.
India is also not safe from these cyber attacks as
cyber security attacks ate global
in nature. Experts believe that the Indian cyberspace must
be protected
on a priority basis. This would not
be an easy task as the new government has received a
paralysed cyber security infrastructure in India in heritage.
Further, cyber security skills
development is also missing in India and we do not have
the appropriate cyber professionals to deal with sophisticated cyber
attacks.
According to experts, there is an urgent need to
formulate cyber
warfare policy of India (PDF) so that cyber warfare issues
can be effectively managed. Critical infrastructure protection is
also required
to be ensured in India.
The cyberspace landscape of India is fast changing
and if we cannot match its progress we would be left far behind in
the cyber security initiatives. Cyber security of India must be
strengthened at the policy and legal fronts so that there is a
holistic growth and development in this crucial field. Let us also
hope that the new government would consider cyber security as an
essential part of the national
security policy of India.
