National Cyber Security Policy: Purpose & Elements|UPSC Notes

The National Cyber Security Policy is a document prepared by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology to protect the public and private sectors from cyber attacks. The policy has emphasized preserving sensitive information, including information related to the person who uses the internet and financial-related details on the country’s sovereign data. According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Government of India, the specific objectives of the policy are: a safe cyberspace, adequate trust, and confidence in IT systems, and intensified use of IT throughout various economic sectors.

What is Cyber Security?

Cybersecurity refers to the process of safeguarding computers, servers, mobile devices, electronics, systems, networks, and data from all malicious attacks. This includes the processes of securing digital systems, networks, and applications against cyber threats. Modern organizations have increased users, devices, and applications along with an increased flow of data. Hence, cyber security continues to have great importance.

National Cyber Security Policy 2013

In 2013, the Government of India introduced the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP), which outlined a few strategies to be adopted while dealing with cyber threats. The policy is mainly oriented towards providing a secure and resilient cyberspace for citizens, businesses, and the government. Its approach to monitoring, protection, and improvement of cyber defenses includes an amalgamation of institutional structures, processes, technology, and cooperation. Information infrastructure protection, vulnerability reduction, building of capacity to prevent and respond to cyber threats, and minimization of the impact of cyber incidents.

Why a National Cyber Security Strategy for India?

During the last few decades, India has exponentially increased its reliance on digital technology in all spheres of communication as well as banking and other daily chores. The increasing threat posed by social media and digital payments, although offset by a 51% rise in ransomware incidents during 2022, tells a story. Cyber crimes against individuals and institutions are on the upsurge, with increasingly sophisticated operations hacking locally and internationally as well as targeted phishing attacks. The above-mentioned challenges in response required in the region of rising geopolitical tensions in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific necessitated an absolute requirement of a dynamic national cyber security policy strategy.

Objectives of National Cyber Security Policy

The National Cyber Security Policy is designed to :

• Cyber-security to ensure a secure cyber environment for IT adoption in all sectors of the economy.
• Information protection while being processed, stored, or transmitted provides data privacy for citizens as well as reduced cybercrime losses.
• Improvement in law enforcement capabilities for the effective prevention, effective investigation, and appropriate prosecution of cyber crimes.
• Advancement of ICT products’ integrity through security testing and validation infrastructure.
• Incentives through financial rewards for business adoption of standard security practice.
• Enculturate cyber security and privacy through effective communication and responsible user behavior.
• Promote national security through indigenous security technology and conformity to global security standards.

Elements of the National Cyber Security Policy

The policy encompasses the following:

• Strengthening the regulatory framework with a mandate for regular security audits.
• Research and development in cyber security leading to tailor-made indigenous solutions.
  Public Key Infrastructure for securing the e-governance services and engaging security experts
  Promoting open standards for enhancement of interoperability and facilitation of public-private partnerships
  Putting up an assurance framework that can categorize and secure the critical information infrastructure
  

National Cyber Security Policy 2013 Concerns

The India cyber security response framework has been fragmented and reactive. Coordination issues persist within the trust-based ecosystem between the government sector and the private sector. There is also an emergence of both defensive and aggressive capabilities that present threats from international actors like China and Pakistan, which call for a proactive and unified approach.

Cyber Security Policy in India’s Digital Landscape

Recent cyber attacks on India have targeted sensitive personal, commercial, and critical infrastructure data; hence, strong cyber security measures have become a requirement of the hour. In this context, India has initiated developing the National Cyber Security Policy that will integrate domestic and international cyber security efforts, which can provide a better framework to work upon and enforce.

Conclusion

Therefore, as a rapidly digitizing India, there is a greater need for a more updated and even more elaborate National Cyber Security Policy. Such a policy would provide a cohesive framework for enhancing cyber security throughout the country, in terms of the present vulnerability and probable future challenges.

National Cyber Security Policy UPSC Notes

1. This policy treats both the public and private sectors in terms of their security from cyber attacks and involves personal information and financial data. 2. Primarily, protection for safe cyberspace, confidence in IT systems, and increased use of IT in various economic sectors. 3. This is protection against malicious attacks affecting computers, networks, and data. It has become very important due to an increase in data across borders and the integration of technology. 4. The policy, enacted in 2013, aims at building a secure and resilient cyberspace by monitoring, securing, and strengthening cyber defenses for citizens, businesses, and the government. 5. With increasing digital dependency in India, coupled with emerging cyber threats—sophisticated phishing, ransomware—the need for an active national cyber security policy and strategy has taken precedence. 6. They are to provide for a secure IT environment, protection of information privacy, effective law enforcement on cybercrime, advancement in the security of ICT products, and business enterprise adoption through incentives on security practices. 7. Policy elements include regulatory frameworks, research and development, securing of e-governance services, and public-private partnerships. 8. Fragmented responses, coordination issues between the government and private sector responses, and international threats from global actors like China and Pakistan are some of the concerns the policy faces.

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