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Why India Should Secure Its Cyberspace Infrastructure

by CISOCONNECT Bureau

Recently, National Informatics Centre faced a cyberattack in which several computers of the agency were targeted. Read on to know more about it…

Recently, National Informatics Centre (NIC) faced a cyberattack in which several computers of the agency were targeted. According to various news reports hackers have stolen some information from several computers at the National Informatics Centre. The NIC sets up, maintains and serves data on Indian citizens, security establishments, and large VIP personalities that includes data from the Prime Minister to the National Security Advisor.

Pending Investigation
The incident of espionage that has surfaced in the past has now been revealed. The Special Cell Team of Delhi Police has registered the case in early September. According to various media sources, the cyber attack was carried out from a Bengaluru firm.

According to sources the attack began with the receipt of an e-mail to NIC employees. When a link provided in that e-mail was clicked, data stored on that machine became compromised and computer systems were affected.

About 100 computers were reported to have been targeted in the cyber attack. Some belonged to NIC and some were associated with the IT ministry. Following the case, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has filed a case under the IT Act on the complaint received from NIC.

This case is still under investigation, but sources said the match came from an American company in Bengaluru which is known from the IP address. Further investigations are ongoing, the sources added.

Chinese Angle
The row over alleged snooping and surveillance by Chinese firms comes amid a serious military stand-off between the two countries along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in Ladakh.

Just a few days ago, a report claimed that some Chinese companies were keeping an eye on about 10,000 Indians. The data of several dignitaries including President, Prime Minister, senior officials, union ministers, Chief Ministers, leaders, sportspersons, actors is being monitored. It is alleged that some Chinese organizations are recording every stir of all the key persons.

The issue of the revelations was raised in parliament, after which a complaint was lodged with the Chinese Embassy on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs. Sources have said the government has constituted an expert committee (under the National Cyber Security Coordinator) to study these allegations. The committee is to submit a report inside 30 days.

Overseas Key Information Database
In a letter to Congress leader KC Venugopal, who had raised this issue, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the claims referred to the Overseas Key Information Database (OKID), which covers around 2.4 million individuals worldwide.

The issue has also been raised by the Foreign Ministry with Sun Weidong, the Chinese Ambassador to India. The Chinese government has said Zhenhua is a privately-owned company with no links to Beijing.

Zhenhua itself has said OKID data was collected from open sources and is no different from similar databases maintained by Western companies. They have denied accessing private information from confidential sources, Mr Jaishankar said in his letter.

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