Cyberattacks will be used to stall the country’s progress: NCCC Chief

Jaipur: – Chief of National Cyber Coordination Council (NCCC) warned in specifically that the world suffered losses to the tune of $6 trillion, in the last year, due to cyberattacks. If any other country wants to stall the Indian progress, it has the option of launching cyberattacks. Claims had recently surfaced that a Chinese cyberattack caused power failure last year in Mumbai. In contrast, the intensity and frequency of cyberattacks has increased in the current year. Against this background, preparations have started to draft the cybersecurity policy of the country. Therefore, the statement of the NCCC Chief becomes significant.

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Rajesh Pant, Chief of NCCC, underlined the importance of cybersecurity. Pant was speaking on the subject of Information Warfare during the symposium Militaria Jaipur 2021. Pant claimed at this time, ‘The cyber sector can be targeted to stall the progress of a country. In 2020, the world had to suffer losses to the tune of $6 trillion owing to cyberattacks. Automation and digitisation started in all sectors after the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. This increased the importance of cybersecurity further.’

The country’s industrial sector has received the necessary impetus and new start-ups are coming up. Saying that the threat of cyberattacks has increased further because of this, Pant clarified that this is a very serious manner. Simultaneously, with the disputes intensifying between Western countries and China, the internet is also divided into two parts. Pant said that this makes it more difficult to trace the origin of the cyberattacks. Saying that India will have to make more comprehensive efforts on this front, the NCCC Chief indicated that the process has already started.

Nine agencies handle the three defence forces and cybersecurity. One of them is NCCC. Pant said that the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is responsible for the security of critically sensitive information; the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, keeping track of threats in the cyber sector, also features in the list.

Meanwhile, reports are being received that the intensity of cyberattacks against India has increased this year. Therefore, demands for the formulation of cybersecurity policies became stronger and as per reports, the preparations have already started. Referring to the cyberattacks on the Mumbai electric supply and the stock market, Pant had said a few days ago that there is a need for a national strategy for the cyber sector.