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India is facing growing threat to its national security from adversaries resorting to a new kind of cyber-warfare and, therefore, an offensive approach involving “super cyber force” and “surgical strikes” is required, according to a report by non-government organisation Prahar.
The report, titled The Invisible Hand, projected that if unchecked, cyberattacks on India was likely to rise to one trillion per annum by 2033, reaching 17 trillion by 2047.
Stating that cyberspace is the new battlefield, the report suggested that India must go on the offensive. “Other interventions include sophisticated tech infrastructure, skill improvement, whitelisting digital apps and platforms, and educating citizens. Until India creates a holistic cyber policy and execution strategy, restricting identifiable legitimate platforms could push citizens into the hands of dark web operators,” it said.
The report noted that in 2023, the country experienced over 79 million cyberattacks, ranking it third globally in terms of the number of such incidents. In the first quarter of 2024, reports indicated a sharp rise in cyberattacks with over 500 million incidents blocked in just three months. In the first four months, Indians lost more than ₹1,750 crore to cyber criminals, reported through over 7,40,000 complaints on the national cybercrime reporting portal, said the report.
A Prahar release quoted retired Joint Secretary Bhargav Mitra as saying: “The happenings in Bangladesh are a grim reminder of the challenges that a determined and conniving adversary can present for India’s national security. It seems that Bangladesh was probably the last link in the proverbial chain to encircle India and keep it tied down to the South Asian region.”
Abhay Mishra, Prahar national convenor and president, mentioned two types of cyberattacks: one involving traditional hackers who exploit vulnerabilities in systems for financial gain or disruption and another insidious one that targets citizens, recruiting them to engage in anti-national activities through manipulation, coercion, or threats.
Anuj Agarwal, Member Supreme Court Bar Association and chairperson of the Centre for Research on Cyber Crime and Cyber Law, said: “Limiting legal domestic online platforms with outright bans or unwarranted restrictions only drives users deeper into the shadows, where they are more vulnerable to exploitation by the offshore platforms…we need to revive community governance to address many of these issues…informed users are empowered users.”
Retired Indian Police Service officer Muktesh Chander, a Ph.D. in Cyber Security from IIT Delhi, added: “Cyberspace is also a domain of warfare – the fifth domain. A situation has arisen where not only individual hackers or disgruntled people, but also state-sponsored actors and states themselves are engaging in activities that sabotage important parameters of the economy. We have seen this in Estonia, and in various conflicts between different countries. The latest example is the cyber-warfare we have seen between Ukraine and Russia. We have been monitoring this for a long time,” he said.
“The report also provided a way forward to tackle this new cyberworld threat – to secure its position as a global cyber power, India must develop an agile, comprehensive cybersecurity framework that blends defensive measures with offensive capabilities. Involving communities, updating legal frameworks, and fostering a resilient cyber workforce are essential steps,” Prahar said in its release.
Published – October 30, 2024 02:16 am IST
