Discuss the evolution of drone warfare and its impact on India’s internal security landscape. Analyse India’s existing counter-drone capabilities. Suggest improvements for future readiness.

Topic: Internal Security Q6. Discuss the evolution of drone warfare and its impact on India’s internal security landscape. Analyse India’s existing counter-drone capabilities. Suggest improvements for future readiness. (15 M) Difficulty Level: Medium Reference: InsightsIAS Why the question: Emerging drone threats have become a critical dimension of internal security due to recent incidents, policy focus, …

Cyber sabotage targeting critical infrastructure is emerging as a grave internal threat. Analyse the risks to India’s energy grids and communication networks. Discuss institutional safeguards needed.

Topic: Internal Security Q5. Cyber sabotage targeting critical infrastructure is emerging as a grave internal threat. Analyse the risks to India’s energy grids and communication networks. Discuss institutional safeguards needed. (10 M) Difficulty Level: Medium Reference: InsightsIAS Why the question Increasing incidents of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure like power grids and communication networks, highlighting internal …

Digital Arrest

 Syllabus: Cybersecurity  Source:  New Indian Express  Context: The rise of cybercrimes has given birth to new scams, such as “digital arrest,” where cybercriminals impersonate government officials to extort money. These scams have impacted many well-educated and affluent individuals, prompting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to issue warnings and take preventive actions. What is Digital …

COMPUTER SECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM – POWER (CSIRT–POWER)

Source: PIB Context: The Union Minister inaugurated the COMPUTER SECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM – POWER (CSIRT-Power) facility, aimed at protecting India’s power infrastructure from increasing cyber threats. The facility is a proactive response to the growing risk of cyberattacks on the power sector, which is a critical part of national infrastructure. CSIRT-Power, equipped with advanced …

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack

Source: IE  Context: Elon Musk’s live audio interview with former US President Donald Trump on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) faced technical glitches, reportedly due to a “massive DDoS attack.” A DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack occurs when multiple sources overwhelm a server with excessive traffic, making it difficult for legitimate users to access …

Ransomware attack

 Source: TH   Context: C-Edge Technologies Ltd., a technology service provider for cooperative and regional rural banks in India, was likely hit by a ransomware attack. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced this and temporarily suspended all retail payments in the affected banks. The attack primarily impacts UPI operations and Aadhaar-enabled payment systems …

Caller ID spoofing

Context: Caller ID spoofing allows a phone call to appear as if it originates from a falsified number, often used by fraudsters, telemarketers, and others to hide their identity. It’s legal in many places, leading to the rise of commercial spoofing services since 2004.   About Spoofing: Spoofing is used for social engineering attacks, bypassing …

Snowblind malware

Source: IE Context: Snowblind is a new Android malware that targets banking credentials by exploiting a built-in Android security feature called ‘seccomp’ (secure computing), part of the Linux kernel and Android OS. Discovered by security firm Promon, Snowblind repacks apps to evade detection of accessibility features, allowing it to extract sensitive information and gain remote …

Chameleon Trojan

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: IE   Context: A new version of the ‘Chameleon Trojan’ malware has been discovered by security researchers, capable of disabling biometric authentication methods such as fingerprint and face unlock to steal a phone’s PIN. The malware attaches itself to legitimate Android apps like Google Chrome to evade detection, running …

Operation Chakra-2

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: Hindustan Times   Context: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out a widespread crackdown on cyber criminals in India in an operation known as ‘Operation Chakra-2.’ This operation involved searches at 76 locations across the country and was prompted by the registration of five separate cases of cyber-enabled …

Consumers, businesses and governments are finding new ways to use cryptocurrency, but a recent string of cyber-attacks has highlighted security risks and shortcomings associated with crypto. Analyse.

Topic: basics of cyber security; 6. Consumers, businesses and governments are finding new ways to use cryptocurrency, but a recent string of cyber-attacks has highlighted security risks and shortcomings associated with crypto. Analyse. (250 words) Difficulty level: Moderate Reference: Indian Express Why the question: Cryptojacking’ attacks on computer systems have gone up by 30% to …

What is a ‘Vishing’ attack? How do they compromise and complicate cybersecurity in the country? How can they be tackled?

Topic: basics of cyber security; 6. What is a ‘Vishing’ attack? How do they compromise and complicate cybersecurity in the country? How can they be tackled?  (250 words) Difficulty level: Moderate Reference: The Hindu Why the question: Vishing is a cyber crime that uses the phone to steal personal confidential information from victims. Often referred …