With the provision for a centralised repository for detecting, reporting and analysing malware in India, and for devising countermeasures, the process of Cyber Security Policy 2020 is in its last leap.
The policy aims to develop “safe, secure, trusted, resilient and vibrant” cyberspace for India’s “economic progress,” as per the information received from the source. “Reliance on the internet has increased and threats have emerged,” the official further said. “Anti-virus programmes pick up data from systems, which are subsequently deposited in servers abroad,” said an official.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd said in the month of October that it had identified malware in one of its computers in September but its systems were unaffected.
WhatsApp in October sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group, accusing it of helping clients break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users including in India through a malware. The sources said that the new policy will be circulated among ministries before it is placed before the Union cabinet for its clearance.
“It is a good idea to have an indigenous malware analysis system and threat repository in India. This will reduce the dependency on free sites mostly run by foreign entities for intelligence collection. An Indian malware vault would give a first hand and timely intelligence and warnings to the Indian stakeholders,” said Jiten Jain of the Voyager Infosec System.
