Security firm Check Point, in its recent report, highlighted the emerging threats to India’s cybersecurity landscape. The findings, along with the alarming Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data breach, which is currently under investigation, underscore the growing threats to critical infrastructure, raising urgent concerns about the nation’s digital security.
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Check Point’s analysis paints a grim picture of the escalating cyber threats targeting India, along with other countries like the United States (US), France and Italy.
It states that India has witnessed a notable uptick in cyber activities, spurred in part by the Israel-Hamas conflict. These attacks, carried out mostly through DDoS operations and website defacement, have targeted a wide range of entities, from national infrastructure to individual political figures’ digital assets. It highlights how pro-Palestinian cyber activists have expanded their scope beyond Israel, targeting nations perceived as Israeli allies.
A group called ‘cyber error system’ that often focuses its activities on Asia, especially India, has kept its attention on the area, using the prolonged battle as an excuse for their further attacks.
THE ICMR DATA BREACH
Amid this tumultuous cyber landscape, the ICMR faced possibly one of the largest data breaches in the nation’s history. The breach, which allegedly sourced personal details of over 81.5 crore Indians, sent shockwaves through the nation. It was first noticed by Resecurity, an American cybersecurity and intelligence agency.
According to experts, this incident shows the need for robust cybersecurity measures, not only to safeguard critical infrastructure, but also sensitive personal information. The leak included fragments of Aadhaar data, revealing the extent of the intrusion.
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Even though the government has already ordered an in-depth investigation, which will be led by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), this is not the first time India’s critical infrastructure has been targeted by threat actors.
A year ago, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) fell victim to a ransomware attack, forcing a shutdown of its IT systems and bringing to light vulnerability of even the most prestigious institutions, as critical data, including patient records and financial information, was encrypted.
WHAT CERT-IN SAYS
The CERT-In has also reported an alarming trend. In 2021, it handled 1,402,809 incidents, while in 2022, the number was 1,391,457. These incidents included website intrusions, malware propagation, phishing, DDoS attacks, ransomware, data breaches, and more. Even though there is a drop in cases compared to 2021, the scale of these threats show the urgency of bolstering India’s digital defences.
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The nodal agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology also reported that ransomware incidents have surged in 2022, with a 51% increase compared to the previous year. A variety of sectors, including IT, manufacturing, finance, education, and transport, felt the impact.
Such escalating cyber threats and a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape demand a proactive, collaborative approach to safeguard the nation’s future. As the digital battlefield expands, the need for robust measures and greater awareness has never been more pressing.