Context:
The Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan released India’s first joint doctrine for cyberspace operations, acknowledging that cyberspace has emerged as a crucial and challenging domain in modern warfare.
Relevance:
GS III: Security Challenges
Dimensions of the Article:
- India’s First Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations
- Understanding Cyber Warfare
- Vulnerability of India to Cyber Attacks and its Cyber Security Challenges
- Cyber Security Measures Taken by the Indian Government
India’s First Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations
Overview
- China’s Capabilities:
- China has developed significant cyberwarfare capabilities, including the use of cyberweapons to disrupt or destroy the military assets and strategic networks of adversaries.
- India’s Position:
- India has been trailing in this field, with the government establishing only a tri-service Defence Cyber Agency in 2019, rather than the comprehensive Cyber Command sought by the armed forces.
Current Context
- Operationalisation:
- The doctrine is being introduced as the Army sets up specialized units within its six operational or regional commands to manage cyberspace operations.
- Guidance:
- It will direct the tri-services in planning and conducting cyberspace operations within the current complex military environment.
- Integration:
- The doctrine aims to further the integration efforts currently being pursued by the Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and Navy.
Significance of the Doctrine
- Military Understanding:
- Emphasizes the importance of comprehending military aspects of cyberspace operations.
- Conceptual Guidance:
- Provides guidance to commanders, staff, and practitioners on planning and executing cyberspace operations.
- Awareness:
- Enhances the awareness of Indian war fighters at all levels about the significance and conduct of cyberspace operations.
Understanding Cyber Warfare
Definition:
- Cyber warfare involves actions in cyberspace (a dynamic and virtual space connecting various computer systems) conducted by state or non-state actors. These actions:
- Pose a significant threat to a nation’s security.
- Are responses to perceived threats against national security.
Characteristics:
- Unlike traditional warfare domains (land, sea, air), cyberspace is a global common with shared sovereignty.
- Hostile actions in cyberspace can affect a nation’s economy, cohesion, political decision-making, and defensive capabilities.
Types of Cyber Warfare:
- Cyber Terrorism: Premeditated disruptive activities against computers/networks to harm or further social, ideological, religious, political, or similar objectives.
- Cyber Fraud: Attacks aimed at monetary or related gains.
- Cyber Spying: Attacks aimed at gathering information.
- Cyber Stalking/Bullying: Attacks designed to intimidate and frighten individuals rather than businesses or governments.
Vulnerability of India to Cyber Attacks and its Cyber Security Challenges
Vulnerability:
- Cybersecurity threats in India arise from various sources, affecting individuals, businesses, national infrastructure, and government.
- In 2023, India faced 2,138 weekly cyber attacks per organization, marking a 15% increase from 2022, making it the second most targeted nation in the Asia Pacific region after Taiwan.
Challenges:
- Insufficient human resources, infrastructure, R&D, and budgetary allocations to address cyber threats.
- Threats from servers hosted outside India.
- Challenges posed by imported electronics/IT products.
- Emerging technologies like Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), etc.
- Balancing cybersecurity with the right to privacy.
Cyber Security Measures Taken by the Indian Government
Key Initiatives:
- Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In): Acts as the central agency for incident response, vulnerability handling, and security management in India’s cyberspace.
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat: Launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with the National Electronic Governance Division (NeGD) to raise awareness about the latest cybercrimes and cybersecurity challenges in India.
- Cyber Swachhta Kendra: Provides free tools for malware analysis and helps improve the security of systems and devices.
- National Cybersecurity Policy 2013: Offers a framework for creating a secure cyber ecosystem and aims to protect critical information and infrastructure.
- National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC): Established to protect the country’s critical information infrastructure.
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): A Central Government scheme to handle issues related to cybercrime comprehensively and in a coordinated manner.
-Source: Times of India, PIB
