What Steps is the Centre Taking to Strengthen Cybersecurity?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 9,798 cybersecurity audits conducted nationwide.
- Strengthening critical sectors such as power and BFSI.
- 200 cybersecurity organizations empaneled for audits.
- Implementation of Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP).
- Regular workshops to enhance awareness and preparedness.
New Delhi, July 27 (NationPress) The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) along with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) has successfully executed 9,798 cybersecurity audits aimed at bolstering security across vital sectors including power, energy, and the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sectors in India, as reported by the government.
The Indian government is acutely aware of the potential cyber threats to both the digital and physical infrastructure within the country.
Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, emphasized in the Rajya Sabha, “The policies of the Government of India focus on ensuring a secure, reliable, and accountable cyberspace for all users. Numerous initiatives have been launched to protect critical infrastructure sectors like power, transport, and banking, ensuring their seamless and secure operation.”
CERT-in has enlisted 200 cybersecurity organizations to perform these audits.
The cyber agency also provides essential guidelines for establishing State and sector-specific Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs). Operational sector-specific CSIRTs, such as CSIRT in Finance (CSIRT-Fin) and CSIRT in Power (CSIRT-Power), are in place to manage cybersecurity issues and enhance resilience within their respective sectors.
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has created a suite of homegrown cybersecurity tools for mobile security, forensics, log collection, and analytics, aiming to diminish dependence on foreign solutions, the minister stated.
CERT-in has also developed a Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) for all governmental entities to combat cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism. The CCMP offers a strategic framework to coordinate recovery from a cyber-crisis and improve resilience.
Moreover, guideline documents and templates have been released to facilitate the creation and execution of state-level or sectoral Crisis Management Plans.
CERT-in conducts regular workshops for government bodies and key organizations to increase awareness of the cybersecurity threat landscape, enabling them to prepare and implement the CCMP effectively. To date, 205 CCMP workshops have been conducted.