Subject: Internal Security

Answer:

The rising tide of cyber threats has made cybersecurity a critical national security priority, with India reporting over 204,844 cybersecurity incidents in 2023, marking a 6.4% increase from the previous year, highlighting the urgent need for robust cyber defense mechanisms.

Elements of Cyber Security

Network Security:

• Protection of network infrastructure through firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs).
• Implementation of Zero Trust Architecture to verify every user and device accessing the network.

Application Security:

• Securing software applications through vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
• Regular security updates and patches to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Information Security:

• Protection of sensitive data through encryption and access control mechanisms.
• Implementation of data classification and data loss prevention (DLP) systems.

Operational Security:

• Establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cybersecurity incident response.
• Regular security audits and employee training programs.

Assessment of India's National Cyber Security Strategy

Strengths:

• Allocation of ₹1,900 crore in Union Budget 2025 for cybersecurity initiatives.
• Enhanced funding for CERT-In (₹255 crore) and National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (₹900 crore).
• Reduction in malware incidents across 8.4 million endpoints in 2024.

Challenges:

• Limited coordination between various stakeholders and agencies.
• Inadequate cybersecurity workforce and skill gap.
• Growing sophistication of cyber threats and attacks.

Implementation Gaps:

• Need for stronger public-private partnership frameworks.
• Requirement for more robust incident reporting mechanisms.
• Limited cybersecurity awareness among citizens and organizations.

The comprehensive implementation of India's National Cyber Security Strategy has shown mixed results, with improved defensive capabilities reflected in the reduction of cybersecurity incidents from 10,500 in 2023 to 7,770 in 2024, but persistent challenges in coordination and resource allocation require continued focus on strengthening the nation's cyber resilience through initiatives like Digital India and National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).