In the present interconnected world, cyber
security capabilities of India must be urgently developed.
In fact, Indian
critical infrastructure and cyber security challenges and issues
have assumed so much significance that Indian government declared the
establishment of National
Critical Information Protection Centre (NCIPC) of India.
The best way to ensure critical
infrastructure protection in India is to make it a part of
national
cyber security policy of India. Various cyber
security issues of India must also be part of such cyber
security policy of India. Further, besides energy, defense,
transportation and telecommunication, the financial sector which
includes banks and stock exchanges must be suitably protected in
India. Unfortunately, till now cyber
security challenges of India remain unredressed.
The reliance of consumers and businesses on the
cyberspace and interconnected networks would continue to increase.
Critical industries like electric, water, oil and natural gas,
transportation, automotive, and aerospace are increasingly dependent
upon Industrial Control Systems like Supervisory Control And Data
Acquisition (SCADA).
In fact, SCADA has become the new
cyber attacks battlefield against India. An attack upon
SCADA is essentially an attack upon the critical infrastructure of a
nation. The SCADA systems may involve a human machine interface
(HMI), a supervisory system managing the processes, remote terminal
units (RTUs) interacting with the supervisory systems, programmable
logic controller (PLCs) usable as field devices, etc.
Initially, running on proprietary control these have
evolved with the availability of low-cost Internet Protocol (IP)
devices, thus increasing the possibility of cyber security
vulnerabilities and incidents.
The arrival of technology and augmented
accessibility of broadband connectivity together with smart phones
have eased the way in which consumer interacts and transacts online.
Moreover, with the mass use of e-governance applications under the
mission mode projects (MMPs) where citizen services are being
provided online, human
rights protection in cyberspace of digital citizens
(netizens) must be ensured. This has resulted in the emergence of
some very unique “Digital
Issues” that were not available before the traditional
governmental functioning.
Businesses are trying to cater this digital citizen
by providing a whole host of applications operating at various
platforms through various channels. Cyber security of these
platforms, channels and applications are utmost important for the
government and industry to ensure trust in the customer.
We must focus on the national cyber security elements- Framework, Machinery, Responsibility and Operations for all the critical information sectors like power, energy and finance. Suitable deliberations must take place with cyber security stakeholders of India on operating technologies like smart grid and industrial control system; the security and privacy imperatives of e-commerce, m-commerce and e-governance application and platforms. The cyber security ramifications at the global level must also be analysed. If Indian government is willing to protect t its critical infrastructures all these issues must be kept in mind.
