THE INVISIBLE ENEMY

India urgently needs to ensure that its critical infrastructure—from power grids to defence networks—is not vulnerable to coordinated digital attacks

- BY NIRMAL JOVIAL

On February 24, 2022, hours before Russia's ground offensive in Ukraine began, a major cyber attack crippled American satellite firm Viasat. Ukrainian forces relying on Viasat lost critical communications as 'AcidRain' malware disabled thousands of modems—an early act of hybrid warfare.

As tensions rise along the India-Pakistan border, experts warn that India must prepare not just for conventional conflict but cyber warfare targeting critical infrastructure. “We should not assume that the threat is limited to border areas. We must be prepared for strategic cyber strikes on Mumbai and other major urban centres with the intention of paralysing India,” said K.S. Manoj, director (cyber physical systems security) at the cyber defence firm Intelegrid ECC.

According to the Chennai-based Strava Cyber Labs, a “multi-stage attack” is already underway, with state-backed actors exploiting known vulnerabilities and deploying remote access trojans (RATs) for persistent access and data theft.