Chinese Cybersecurity and Cyberdefense

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India’s Cybersecurity – The Landscape

Cyberspace presents all the conditions for a perfect storm; it is open, global but insecure. Usage is at an all time high with users ranging from individuals to corporations to governments, all using the same pipes for the transmission of some or all of their data and communications, and equally subject to the inherent vulnerabilities in cyberspace. Governance is at a nascent stage, with negotiations in different fora proceeding at an excruciatingly slow pace as differences arising from a number of different perspectives have to be resolved. At the same time, the number of attacks with politico-military objectives is on the rise, leading to a steady militarization of cyberspace with many countries forming Cyber Commands to undertake offensive actions in and through cyberspace.

While India was among the first countries to have an Information Technology Act, and to set up a Computer Emergency Response team (CERT), and even to locate responsibility for cybersecurity within the National Security Council, it has subsequently lagged behind other countries in responding to cybersecurity threats.

India has been at the receiving end of various forms of cyber threats; from attacks on critical infrastructure, to cybercrime, to the latest manifestation of the misuse of social media. Responses at the official level have been marked by several mis-steps. Till recently, there was an inadequate appreciation of the cybersecurity threats at the official level, ...