Challenges Of Power Grids Cyber Security In India

Cyber security issues in India are in limelight these days. Cyber security players across the country are struggling to deal with cyber security problems of India. In fact many good and far reaching cyber security initiatives in India have already been launched by private techno legal players like Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB).

For instance the exclusive techno legal cyber security research centre in India and national cyber security database of India (NCSDI) are managed by PTLB. These cyber security initiatives intend to strengthen the cyber security capabilities of India.

According to Praveen Dalal, managing partner of Perry4Law and CEO of PTLB, Sophisticated Malware like Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, etc have already proved that Critical Infrastructures around the World like Power Grids, Nuclear Facilities, Satellites, Defense Networks, Governmental Informatics Infrastructures, etc are vulnerable to diverse range of Cyber Attacks. The truth is that Cyber Attacks are affecting Indian Critical Infrastructure and we are not even aware of the same.

It is clear that power sector of India is also not safe from cyber attacks and power grids cyber security in India must be strengthened. The cyber security challenges for the smart grids in India must be properly understood and adequately tackled. A special care of cyber security of automated power grids of India must be taken.

Further, cyber security problems, issues and challenges management in India must be part and parcel of national cyber security policy of India. At the same time critical infrastructure protection in India must also be ensured. Critical infrastructure includes power grids, satellites, defence installations, atomic plants, etc. Most of these critical infrastructures are managed by supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.

SCADA may be the new cyber attack priority for cyber criminals and rouge nations. We must ensure sufficient cyber protection of SCADA systems in India in general and critical infrastructure in particular.

The sooner these issues are redressed by Indian government the better it would be for the cyber security of power grids of India.

Cyber Security Problems In India

Cyber security issues in India have raised many novel problems before various cyber security stakeholders of India. However, of all these stakeholders the responsibility and problems of India government are most onerous and troublesome.

Cyber security initiatives in India are still maturing and cyber security issues and problems in India are still unredressed. Techno legal experts of India have been warning about lack of cyber security in India for long. However, despite these wake up calls Indian government has been slow in reacting to cyber security requirements of India.

According to Praveen Dalal, managing partner of Perry4Law and CEO of Perry4Law’s Techno Legal Base (PTLB), Sophisticated Malware like Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, etc have already proved that Critical Infrastructures around the World like Power Grids, Nuclear Facilities, Satellites, Defense Networks, Governmental Informatics Infrastructures, etc are vulnerable to diverse range of Cyber Attacks. The truth is that Cyber Attacks are affecting Indian Critical Infrastructure and we are not even aware of the same.

In these circumstances critical infrastructure protection in India is urgently needed. The cyber security in India has many challenges and problems that must be tackled on an urgent basis. There is an urgent need to involve techno legal cyber security institutions like PTLB to strengthen Indian cyber security.

In fact, PTLB has been managing cyber security problems, issues and challenges management in India in a techno legal manner. The exclusive techno legal cyber security research centre in India and national cyber security database of India (NCSDI) are managed by PTLB. Let us hope that Indian government would collaborate with PTLB to make cyber security in India more effective.

Cyber Security Problems, Issues and Challenges Management In India

In this guest column, Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB) has discussed the Indian Cyber Security Problems, Issues and Challenges Management. The article is a very comprehensive literature on cyber security problems and challenges of India. The article has been reproduced with approval from PTLB so that all the cyber security stakeholders of India may be benefited form the same.  

Cyber security initiatives of India have started gaining momentum. However, cyber security initiatives in India in India are still deficient on many aspects. After all, managing India’s cyber security problems, issues and challenges is not an easy task. In these circumstances establishment of the national cyber security database of India (NCSDI) assumes great cyber security significance. The cyber security research and development centre of India (CSRDCI) is also a timely initiative.

Undoubtedly, there are many cyber security issues of India that have still been left unattended. The cyber security issues and challenges in India require urgent attention of Indian government as we have already delayed this process.

India is facing cyber threats from cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, cyber espionage, etc and we must develop both offensive and defensive cyber security capabilities in India. India is also facing continuous and serious cyber threats that have been endangering the critical infrastructures of India. In these circumstances, there is an urgent need to strengthen critical infrastructure protection in India. We cannot achieve this task without ensuring cyber security skills development in India.

Concerns regarding insufficient cyber security in India have been raised for long but the Indian government remained indifferent to cyber security of India for long. However, some committed and dedicated private players have been playing a pro active role in strengthening the cyber security of India.

We at Perry4Law, PTLB and Perry4Law Techno Legal ICT Training Centre (PTLITC) have launched exclusive techno legal Cyber Forensics Research Centre Of India, Cyber Security Research Centre Of India And Cyber Crimes Investigation Centre Of India To Strengthen Indian Cyber Security And Cyber Forensics Capabilities.

Another major lacuna in the cyber security field is absence of implementable cyber security policy of India. Till various cyber security declarations and promises are actually implemented, they are of no use. As on date we have no implementable national cyber security policy of India.

Even basic level techno legal frameworks are missing in India. For instance, we have no dedicated cyber security laws in India. We also do not have dedicated encryption laws and regulations in India. Even Legal Framework For Mandatory E-Governance In India And Legal Framework For Cloud Computing In India are missing. The Mandatory E-Delivery Of Services In India is also missing.

India has to cover a long road in order to make its cyber security effective. It is high time to move beyond declarations and promises as they would not serve any purpose in the present times.