What is the issue?
- India is growing at a rapid phase in Information and communication technology sector.
- So we need an integrated cyber-security approach to address growing concerns.
What is India’s share in digital tech?
- India is one of the key players in the digital and knowledge-based economy.
- We hold more than a 50% share of the world’s outsourcing market.
- India is world’s 3rd largest hub for technology-driven start-ups in the world.
- Its ICT sector is estimated to reach the $225 billion landmark by 2020.
- India has successfully implemented initiatives such as Aadhaar, MyGov, Government e-Market, DigiLocker, Bharat Net, etc.
What is the status of India in terms of cybersecurity?
- Increasing digital integration in commerce and governance made India the 5th most vulnerable country in the world in terms of cyber security breaches.
- Till June 2017, 27,482 cybersecurity threats had been reported in the country, according to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team’s (CERT) report.
- In India, in May 2017, a data breach at the food delivery App, Zomato, led to personal information of about 17 million users being stolen and put for sale on the Darknet.
- Similarly, hackers stole data from 57 million Uber riders and drivers.
- There are rising number of viruses and malwares are also being developed, which gives the attackers cross-platform options.
What are the measures taken by India?
- India has ranked 23 out of 165 nations in the commitment of nations to cyber security, which is a significant achievement .
- India is planning for an integrated cybersecurity policies and frameworks and creating adequate infrastructure to tackle cyber threats.
- To address the rising cyber threats in India, the nation had hosted 15th Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team conference and 5thGlobal Conference on Cyberspace 2017 in Delhi.
- In the recent summits India reaffirmed a global call to action for all United Nations member nations to not attack the core of the Internet even when in a state of war.
- The government is keen to fund cybersecurity research, it announced that it will award a grant worth Rs. 5 crore to start-ups working on innovations in the field of cybersecurity.
Source: The Hindu
