Cyber Security

   Cyber Security

Importance:

There is one important nuance in the treatment of cyberspace as a fifth potential theatre of war along with land, sea, air and space. The use of cyberspace depends on physical facilities like undersea cables, microwave and optical fiber networks telecom exchanges, routers, data servers, and so on. Protecting or attacking these is in the domain of the traditional arms of the military. Cyberspace as an independent theatre of war is about attacks that compromise the capability to use these facilities. The defence of cyberspace necessarily involves the forging of effective partnerships between the public organizations charged with ensuring the security of cyberspace and those who manage the use of this space by myriad users like government departments, banks, infrastructure, manufacturing and service enterprises and individual citizens.

Need:

In view of the rapidly growing threats to national security in cyberspace there is urgent need for the government to adopt a cyber security policy. The government should immediately adopt such a policy so that urgent actions in a coordinated fashion can be taken to defend India’s economy and society against cyber attacks. Cyber security policy will necessarily be an evolving document in view of the changing nature of cyber vulnerabilities, risks and threats. The government will need to review the document periodically. Cyber security should be regarded as an integral component of national security. Urgent attention should be given to the issues of cyber crime, cyber terrorism, cyber warfare.

Impact of a single cyber attack:

1. Mobiles, landlines, Defence networks shut down or behaving erratic, causing panic.

2. Communication, remote sensing and surveillance satellites are thrown out of gear. TV and other transmissions are disrupted, spreading alarm.

3.  Systems controlling power grid collapse affecting road and rail traffic tremendously, resulting in accidents and blackouts.

4.  The international air traffic control (ATC) system, based on communication networks and the Internet starts malfunctioning, resulting in air collisions of aircrafts.

5. Explosions and devastating fires in major oil refineries with extensive damage and loss of life. Pipelines are ruptured and oil flow is disrupted.

6. Data thefts, destructions and clogging paralyze the financial systems. Millions of transactions are distorted. Banks cut off the systems from the Internet. ATM machines across the country hang.

7. Health and civic services, dependent heavily on the Internet, collapse. Data in respect of emergency facilities are not available. Coupled with power and communication failures, the situation in hospitals is close to breaking point.

8. The safety systems of chemical plants, governed by computer systems, fail. Lethal clouds of noxious gases billow, creating panic and deaths.

9. Talking about the defence forces, there is complete dislocation due to failure of Communication and GPS systems.

Impact on the image of India:

It would expose India as weak and unprepared, unsafe to live in, an unreliable business partner and vulnerable in every sense of the word. India’s credibility as a country would be affected without a shot having been fired in anger. It is difficult to imagine a greater national humiliation.

Helplessness:

There would be no one to blame When investigated, these attacks will appear to have come from all over the globe as also servers within the country. Much as India would like to retaliate, there would be nobody who could be definitely identified. Even if identified, it could be denied.

Reforms: 

1. A Cyber Coordination Centre should be established at the operational level, staffed by personnel from the relevant operational agencies. This centre would serve as a clearing-house, assessing information arriving in real time and assigning responsibilities to the agencies concerned, as and when required.

2.  There is need to place special emphasis on building adequate technical capabilities in cryptology, digital signatures, testing for malware in embedded systems, operating systems, fabrication of specialized chips for defence and intelligence functions, search engines, artificial intelligence, routers, new materials etc. Cyber security should be mandatory in computer science curriculum and even separate programmes on cyber security should be contemplated, this will attract dedicated talents for the same.

3. The impact of the emergence of new social networking media, and convergence of technologies on society including business, economy, national security should be studied with the help of relevant experts, including political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and law enforcement experts.

4. Government should promote R&D in private industry through active government support for industry-led research projects in the areas of security. Establish enabling mechanisms to facilitate this.

5. Talking about the defence forces, raise a Cyber Command and build up offensive capabilities. Create a pool of trained people such as Cyber Battalions who can provide “surge capacity” to bolster the country’s resources during critical periods or in the event of hostilities.