Services work on cyber defence and attack strategies

The Indian armed forces operate among the largest and functionally most diverse communication and data networks involving voice, text and video transmission, surveillance, monitoring, signal analysis, remote control equipment control, direction-finding and jamming though landlines, radio links, microwaves and satellites.

Given the plethora of classified and extremely sensitive information that flows across such networks, these are priority targets for infiltration and disruption by nation-states as well as non-state operators, both in peace time and war.

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The Ministry of Defence has claimed that though attempts of cyber hacking is an ongoing activity, there has been no report of cyber attacks inflicting significant damage. There have been cases of websites being defaced.

The proliferation of cellular smartphones, with social media platforms and other web-based applications, among the rank and file, civilian cadres and support staff and auxiliary workers in defence establishments, along with their family members, makes them susceptible to activities such as phishing, spoofing and honey trapping. Fake or doctored documents, misleading messages and deceptive videos are now common on the social media.

Advisories have been issued identifying certain websites and apps as malicious and also cautioning against posting service-related information on social media sites.

As the services strive for network-centric operations, seamlessly interlinking formations and battlefield platforms for command, control, coordination, communications, intelligence and assist decision-making at all hierarchal levels, a Defence Cyber Agency has been set up to control and coordinate the joint cyber operations. The tri-service agency will have both offensive and defensive capability.

All the three services have also established Cyber Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Safeguards have been instituted in the form of cyber audits, physical checks and policy guidelines to ensure a robust cyber posture. A cyber warfare doctrine and security strategy are also expected to be released this year. TNS