“…I dream of Digital India where cyber security becomes an integral part of national security…”
“The entire world is concerned about cyber security and Indian IT professionals could do a lot for cyber-safety of digital assets across the world,”… “…cyber security has become a major concern. BRICS countriesshould take the lead in preserving Cyber Space, as a global common good….”
– Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
Cyberspace, a domain created not by nature but by human beings, has emerged to provide tremendous benefits. However,technical innovation throws up new online dangers. A little knowledge about internet can give you sleepless nights. Cyber risks are now firmly at the top of the international agenda as high-profile breaches raise fears that hack attacks and other security failures could endanger the global economy. We have seen a huge rise in cyber crimes in past few years. As per PWC Cyber Security Incidents rose 48% to 42.8 million globally i.e. 1,17,339 attacks per day. In addition,it is also estimated that Cyber Crime will cost $2 trillion by 2019- Forbes.
What is Cyber Security?
Cyberspace is such a term, which is not yet completely defined and also has no geographical limitation. It is a term associated with theapplication of the Internet worldwide. Cyber security, also referred to as information technology security, focuses on protecting computers, networks, programs and data from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction
Cyber Security & Social Media
With the increased usage of social media, our life has divided into two parts. One is the real life that we live and other is the virtual life that we have on the internet. It is observed that there is a huge behavior difference of people in real life as compared to virtual life. In real life, we have 10-15 friends. However, in virtual life, our friends on facebook easily cross 1000. People keep on adding people in their profile without even knowing them which can prove to be harmful as cases of theft, kidnapping, and even murder have been reported where criminals were virtual friends
Cyber Security & Games
With the release of a very famous game Pokemon Go, itbecame popular among people in no time despite the application not being officially available in IndiaWhile people indulge in the joy of chasing Pokemon, authorities have restricted the hunt citing security concerns. Many government agencies and companies have banned its members/employees from playing the wildly popular game while on duty, stating that the use of GPS and phone cameras on smartphones enables the viewing of restricted areas which can be a threat to national security.
It is found that the app provider could intentionally spread Pokemon around restricted areas to encourage hunters to enter the areas.Once players get in with GPS and a camera on their cell phones, they could record activities in restricted areas and post them online, where people, including possibly foreign intelligence, could steal confidential data.
While it has yet to be officially launched in India, the fever has hit the country, as many people have downloaded the game through backdoor channels.
Present Industry Scenario
We live in an increasingly networked world, from personal banking to government infrastructure. Protecting those networks is no longer optional. It is found that in many organizations personal user information, credit card information, email accounts etc. have been compromised. In some companies, cyber criminals are involved in financial fraud and stole money from accounts, carried out industrial espionage and in some cases even took over company systems and demanded ransom money to unlock them (RANSOMWARE).
Future of Cyber Security
It’s not surprising that governments and businesses around the world are searching for better cyber defense strategies. Every organization is in need of cyber security professionals to protect their information, network, websites etc. from attacks of hackers. As per reports, India is facing a shortage of approx. 5 Lakh Cyber Security professionals and with the advancement of technology the demand of Cyber Security professionals will increase. With Digital India campaign, from banking to rail-air ticket reservation, Income tax filing, digital lockers, E-documentation etc. we are totally dependent on technology. So securing these we need more Cyber Security professionals.
Cyber War
We have witnessed World War I and World War II. However now the war will not be fought with weapons/missiles. Rather war will be fought online, where computer technology will be used to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of communication systems by another state or organization.
Conclusion
There is clearly still much work to be done, and the people behind the attacks have a significant head start. Cyber security is one of the most urgent issues of the day. Computer networks have always been the target of criminals, and it is likely that the danger of cyber security breaches will only increase in the future as these networks expand, but there are sensible precautions that organizations can take to minimize losses from those who seek to do harm.
With the right level of preparation and specialist external assistance, it is possible to control damages and recover from a cyber-breach and its consequences.
About the Author
Kshitij Adhlakha is an Entrepreneur, Author & cyber expert. He is acting Director of A & R Info Security solutions Pvt. Ltd and has founded Secugenius (Ranked as one of the top 5 Cyber Security Companies of India by siliconindia) and has 6+ years’ work experience of handling projects in Information Security
He is a solution and result oriented professional and is aspecialist with notable success in planning, directing and supporting execution of abroad range of corporate IT initiatives in Strategic IT outsourcing, Information Security etc.
He and his team has trained over 2.2 Million students and professionals and are working with different law enforcement agencies and helping different state Cyber Cells in solving Cyber Crime Cases.
He has authored a book SECURITY BREACHED” Security Beyond Hacking” and has also written books for seculabs .He has also published research papers on “Email hacking” & “Steganography” at thenational level and has also written articles for many national newspapers .
