Forestalling A Cyber Pearl Harbour

Institutional system for cyber security in India

• PMO/Cabinet Secretary:
  • National Security Council (NSC)
  • National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)
  • National Critical Info Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC)
  • National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)
  • Research & Analysis Wing (RAW)
  • National Information Board (NIB)
• of Home Affairs
  • National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC)
  • Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS)
  • National Disaster Mgt Authority (NDMA)
  • Central Forensic Science Lab (CFSLs)
  • Intelligence Bureau (IB)
• Ministry of Defence
  • Tri Service Cyber Command
  • Def Info Assurance & Research Agency (DIARA)
  • Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)
  • Defence Research Dev Authority (DRDO)
• Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology
  • Indian Computer Emergency Response Team CERT- IN
  • Centre for Development of Advanced Computing C-DAC

Extent of cybersecurity threat:

• State-sponsored cyber offensive: Recorded Future, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, found an increase in malware attacks from China targeting the Indian government, defence organisations and public sector.
  • Critical infrastructure targeting: At least 10 Indian distinct power sector organisations are said to have been targeted, in addition to two Indian ports.
  • Identification of the network infrastructure: , AXIOMATICA, SYMPTOTE, whose servers are known to be used by RedEcho, a China­linked activity group.
    • E.g. ShadowPad is depicted as a “back­ door ‘Trojan’ malware which creates a secret path from a targeted system to a command and control server to extract information”.
  • Ability to bring a nation to its knees: E.g. attack in 2016 on Ukraine power grid, coordinated by cybersecurity professionals, planned for months.
• Cyber espionage: A global ‘spearphishing campaign’ targeting organisations responsible for vaccine storage/transportation was unleashed by China, seeking sensitive information about vaccine research.
  • Exploiting the weakness: The Chinese group, Hafnium, has been responsible for exploiting a series of flaws in the Microsoft software (enabling trackers to gain access to the system.)
  • Cyber interference: allegedly done by Russia in the S. Presidential elections in 2016.

China: Epicentre of cyber attacks

• Spillover of antagonistic India-China relations: To keep India in thrall while outwardly demonstrating a conciliatory posture, like vacating from Eastern Ladakh.
• Widening gap between India and China: As India grows closer to the U.S., Cyber as a threat vector will be employed against countries that do not fall in line with China’s world view.
• Rising global ambition: China has forged a firm nexus between authoritarianism, global ambitions and technology, and is determined to transform the global order.

Way forward

• Active Defence: E.g. Post 2017 attack on U.S. security tools, U.S. preferred to indulge in ‘active defence’ by seeking to hack enemy networks.
• Adequate funding and capacity development: E.g. U.S. included a sum of over $10 billion for cybersecurity in COVID-19 Relief Bill, intended to improve its readiness and resilience in cyberspace
• Comprehensive cyber strategy: That fully acknowledges the extent of cyber threat from China.
  • China’s 2021 Defence Budget (amounting to $209 billion) gives special weightage to the Strategic Support Force (SSF), which embraces cyber warfare).