Cyber Security refers to protecting cyber space including critical information infrastructure from attack, damage, misuse and economic espionage. Cyber security is a broad-spectrum phrase and relates to preventing any form of unauthorized and malafide access to a personal computer, a laptop, a smartphone or a major network like the national banking system or the railway network or a national information technology asset that also has military implications.
- Cybersecurity focuses on protecting and defending computer systems, networks, and our digital lives from disruption.
- Cybersecurity attacks are executed using malware, viruses, trojans, botnets, and social engineering.
- Cyber is no more limited to security only, it is now linked with socio economics as well, which includes politics, industry, health, education and critical infrastructure.
- This is why cyber security and safety has become an imperative issue.
Need for Cyber security:
- With the vision of a trillion-dollar digital component, accounting for one-fifth of the $5-trillion national economy, the importance of cyberspace in India would only keep growing as Indians have taken to mobile broadband like fish to water, driven by affordable tariffs, low-cost smartphones and a spurt in availability of audio-visual content in Indian languages.
- Financial services, payments, health services, etc are all connected to digital mediums; and due to Covid-19, this is expected to increase.
- There has been a rapid increase in the use of the online environment where millions of users have access to internet resources and are providing contents on a daily basis. (For example, www.insightsonindia.com )
- To ensure critical infrastructure system do not collapse under any situation.
- To ensure Business continuity.
- For the success of government initiatives like Digital India, Make in India and Smart Cities.
- To balance Individual’s rights, liberty and privacy.
Growing Importance:
- Cyber security spends in India are rising rapidly because of the massive digitisation movement.
- The ransomware attacks in the past have added to the urgency of these spends.
- Cyber-space remains a key area for innovation.
- The government’s push for Digital India have pushed demand for cyber security talent.
