India moves to strengthen cybersecurity in wake of China-linked intrusions

The new strategy aims to secure digitally connected government systems, as well as ‘supercritical’ nuclear, power and aviation infrastructure

It comes amid allegations that Chinese intrusions last year may have affected stock exchange operations and electricity supplies in Mumbai

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Passersby watch the stock market index on a display screen in Mumbai. Authorities are investigating a series of recent suspected cyber intrusions which could have led to a power outage in the city, crippled systems at banks and caused a glitch at a key stock exchange. Photo: AP

Published: 11:39am, 9 Mar 2021Updated: 11:38am, 9 Mar 2021

India is mulling a new national strategy to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity amid allegations that Chinese intrusions may have affected operations at a key stock exchange and supply of electricity in the country’s commercial capital.

The plan will coordinate responses across ministries including Home Affairs, Information Technology, Defence and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre in case of an attack and set audit procedures, former Lieutenant General Rajesh Pant, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator said in an interview. It will be approved by the cabinet committee on security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Authorities are investigating a series of recent suspected cyber intrusions which could have led to a power outage in Mumbai, crippled systems at banks and caused a glitch at the country’s premier National Stock Exchange, he said. A report is expected in about a fortnight.

“We also want to know what happened,” said Pant, who served in the Indian army and now coordinates India’s cyber intelligence and reports to the Prime Minister’s Office. He said the breaches were likely malware and could not be classified as attacks without a proper investigation.

India will have to work at breakneck speed to put in place stringent security for critical infrastructure

Sandeep Shukla, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

At least one connection opened by Chinese state-sponsored hackers into the network system of an Indian port was still active, as authorities blocked attempts to penetrate the South Asian nation’s electrical sector, the US-based research firm Recorded Future said last week. The attempts by the Red Echo group have been occurring since at least the middle of last year, around the time a bloody skirmish between Indian and Chinese soldiers started in the remote Himalayan region, the firm said.