Alarmed by the rising tide of cybercrimes and threats to critical infrastructure from malafide players, the Indian government is taking urgent steps to tackle the menace. The focus is on heightened cybersecurity.
For a start, it is reorganising the cyber defence structure and dividing responsibilities among important stakeholders. An addendum to the Allocation of Business Rules of Government of India in September this year has given the overall responsibility for handling increasing cybersecurity threats to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). The NSCS, under the Prime Minister’s Office and headed by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval has been tasked with “providing overall coordination and strategic direction for cybersecurity,” according to a notification issued on September 27. Until now, the job was the concern of the Cabinet Secretariat.
Who Does What
A proposed National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA) will function under the chairmanship of the NSA. The National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) who functions under the NSA will be the Secretary of the NCSA, according to people familiar with the matter.
This marks a clear division of responsibility and eliminates confusion, redundancy and ambiguity in tackling cyber threats.
According to the notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will continue to handle cybercrimes The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)has been tasked with addressing cybersecurity in accordance with the IT Act while the Ministry of Telecommunication will oversee telecom network security.
The MeitY’s task includes support to other ministries in their cybersecurity structures. Ministry of Telecommunications will continue to handle issues related to policy, licensing and coordination of various communication services. The MHA has also received an expanded mandate to tackle cybercrime.
PM Flagged Threats
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has started flagging the issue at various forums. He first articulated his concern in his monthly radio broadcast programme ‘Mann ki Baat’ in October. He pointed out that Indians lost approximately ₹120.3 crore to ‘digital arrest’ fraud schemes during the first quarter of 2024, according to figures available with the government.
Last week, he repeated his worry to top police honchos during the annual conference of the Directors General of Police held at Bhubaneswar. During his address to the topmost police officers, the Prime Minister expressed concern about the potential threats generated on account of digital frauds, cybercrimes and AI technology, particularly the potential of deepfakes to disrupt social and familial relations. As a countermeasure, he called upon the police leadership to convert the challenge into an opportunity by harnessing India’s double ‘AI’ power of Artificial Intelligence and Aspirational India, a note from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Leap In Cybercrimes
The tide of cybercrimes is, indeed, rising fast. The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal recorded 0.74 million complaints between January 1and April 30 this year, following 1.5 million complaints logged in 2023. In2022, 0.96 million complaints were filed, showing a significant increase from the 0.45 million recorded in 2021.CEO of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Rajesh Kumar revealed that Indian citizens lost ₹120.3 crore through digital arrest scams, ₹1,420.48 crore to trading scams, ₹222.58crore in investment scams and ₹13.23 crore in romance scams during the first quarter of this year.
Spreading Awareness
Aware of the rising threats, last week, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Lt Gen. MU Nair (Retd) led a unique initiative to spread awareness and empower critical organisations in meeting the challenges in cyberthreats head on. A Press Information Bureau note said the Bharat National Cyber Exercise (NCX) 2024, a landmark event in India’s cybersecurity landscape, set new benchmarks in cyber resilience, collaboration and innovation. With over 600 participants trained, this initiative brought together cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, defence personnel, academia and industry leaders to collectively strengthen India’s cybersecurity readiness.
The event featured two major milestones: the launch of the National Cybersecurity Reference Framework by DG National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and the inauguration of the Bharat National Cyber Range 1.0, developed indigenously by Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gandhinagar. Alongside these initiatives, the Bharat CISOs Conclave and the Bharat Cybersecurity Startup Exhibition provided platforms for strategic discussions and showcased cutting-edge innovations in cybersecurity. During the valedictory ceremony, Lt Gen. Johnson P. Mathew, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, highlighted the significance of Bharat NCX2024 as a key initiative in securing India’s digital frontiers.
Lt Gen. Nair, in his summing-up remarks, emphasised the importance of the lessons learned, the strategic value of the initiatives launched and the role of such exercises in bolstering national cyber preparedness.
