NSCS gets cyber wing

A separate cyber wing has been carved out in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), as cyber attacks on government installations have gone up by many folds. The Department of Telecom has identified 20,000 hits this year.

At a function held on Monday to release a joint working group (JWG) report on “Engagement with private sector on cyber security,” Deputy National Security Adviser Latha Reddy said: “We have a small wing. We have a joint secretary dealing exclusively with cyber and technical issues, but we do have plans to expand this substantially.”  

The cyber wing will coordinate and see that all sections of the government come together to ensure a robust cyber security architecture which clearly defines roles and responsibilities and develops accountability for security agencies.

Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar, who also shared the dais along with other stakeholders from the NSCS, Ministry of External Affairs, Ficci and CII, said cyber attacks have gone up to 20,000 from 13,500 accounted for last year. He said Rs 300 crore would be required to set up the cyber security infrastructure envisaged in the report released by NSA Shivshankar Menon.

After making public recommendations of the report, Menon expressed hope that like the IT sector, India will be able to set up a “standard for the rest of the world” in cyber security as well.

Menon also referred to the misuse of social media to create unrest in the country. “We cannot promise 100 per cent solution. We will learn as we grow. There is nothing written on how to handle it,” the NSA admitted.

The JWG has recommended a road map for public private partnership on cyber security which includes setting up of an institutional framework, capacity building in the area of cyber security, development of cyber security standards and assurance mechanisms, augmentation of testing and certification facilities for IT products.

The report identifies four pilot projects, setting up a testing lab, conducting a test audit, study of a sample critical information infrastructure and establishment of a multi-disciplinary centre of excellence. However, no time frame has been fixed.