Amid Chinese Cyber Threat, How’s India’s Cyber Resilience Looking?

In 2009, a cyber espionage operation was reported to have targeted the Tibetan government in exile as well as multiple Indian embassies. Further research revealed this targeting to be a part of a vast espionage operation known as Shadow Network. It targeted Indian military establishments, news publications, and even the National Security Council Secretariat.

India has built an inter-ministerial ecosystem of cyber institutions since the dawn of the new millenium. While some function under and report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), others fall under different ministries.

“The current legal framework dealing with cyber-security is not centralized. Different agencies are responsible for various aspects of cyber-security. These can broadly be classified into agencies focusing on civilian cybersecurity, and those focusing on the military cybersecurity,” writes Nidhi Singh, in a blog for National Law University’s Centre for Communication Governance.

Under PMO

1. National Security Council

Established in 1998 by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the National Security Council serves as a coordinating body for cybersecurity and internet governance.

“The National Security Council, usually chaired by the National Security Adviser (NSA), and plays a key role in shaping India’s cyber policy ecosystem. The NSA also chairs the National Information Board, which is meant to be the apex body for cross-ministry coordination on cybersecurity policymaking,” state Pranesh Prakash and Arindrajit Basu, in an analysis in The Hindu.