CYBER LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN INDIA-MILITARY CHALLENGES

The recent attacks on Indian institutions, including the military establishment, call for comprehensive cyber policies which back the many dimensions of national security. In a new scathing report on coordinated cyberattacks on India, researchers have uncovered a new espionage campaign targeting Indian government agencies. What is needed?

- MANISH KUMAR JHA

IN 2023, INDIA RECEIVED 2,138 WEEKLY CYBERATTACKS PER organisation. Even within the Asia Pacific region, India is the second most targeted nation, trailing only behind Taiwan’s 3,050 incidents. There was a 15 per cent surge since 2022 which was again the second highest, following Korea’s 21 per cent increase since 2022.

Cyberspace is today recognised as the fifth domain of warfare, equally critical to military operations as land, sea, air, and space.

The defence industry is responsible for developing and maintaining critical military systems, infrastructure, and communication networks. Any breach in such systems can pose devastating consequences for national security. In the world of the military, it is all about security breaches through espionage, sabotage, or theft of sensitive military information. With the advancement in artificial intelligence, IoT, and autonomous systems, the attack surface for cyber threats also expanding in its scope and scale.

According to a recent report, released by The IBM Security Data Breach Report of 2022, the average data breach costs in India have reached a record high of `17.5 crores, or around $2.2 million for the fiscal year of 2022. The cyberattacks have increased with a massive surge of 6.6 per cent from 2021, and the cost is turning a staggering 25 per cent increase from the average cost of `14 crores in 2020.