Union Government Decided Setting up 5-Year Project for Cyber Security of Critical Sectors

The union government decided to set up five-year project for restoring the overall cyber security structure of critical sectors of India. This was decided in light of increasing number of cyber attacks as well as security threats that the Internet offers. In 2011, India suffered 13000 cyber incidents.

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is responsible for the project. It is the nodal agency which is responsible for coordinating the cyber security operations related to critical infrastructures in India. NCIIPC prepared its 5-year plan for refurbishing as well as integrating the structure of cyber security in all critical structures like defence, telecommunication, transportation, power and water.

NCIIPC will be notified for plans in order to set up sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) which will be associated to it. Sensors will be installed on critical systems for giving real-time information to the command as well as control centre regarding cyber attack of any kind for formulating quick response.

While NCIIPC would be responsible for checking the very critical sectors which have higher threat along with higher dependence on computer and information technology (CIT), CERT-IN on the other hand would undertake other sectors. Sectors falling under NCIIPC are energy (natural gas, coal, oil and power), finance and banking, transportation (civil aviation and railways), space, law enforcement, security, telecom and defence.

NCIIPC functions under guidance of National Technical Research Organization (NTRO). NCIIPC had organised first national conference of Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) associated with the critical sectors of government in the third week of December 2012. This was an action for creating awareness as well as setting up security systems in critical agencies of the government.

NCIIPC director also announced that there were plans for starting the Cyber Security Operation Centre, 24*7 control room for getting information as well as response along with National Institute of Critical Information Infrastructure Protection that would provide training to CISOs. Daily cyber alerts would also be issued.

The new structure would make sure that NCIIPC gets exact information as and when the cyber attack takes place on any network. This would allow them to analyse different kinds of attacks as well as offer immediate response.
National security advisor Shivshankar Menon also stressed that there should be participation of private sectors as well.