CYBER SECURITY
CYBER SECURITY
In today's world, cyber security is very important due to some
security threats and cyber-attacks. For data protection, many
companies develop software. This software protects data.
Cybersecurity is important because it not only keeps information
safe but also helps keep our system safe from virus attacks. After
the U.S.A. and China, India has the highest number of internet
users, this shows the growth and importance of cyber security in
India.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed our world and the way businesses
operate dramatically. It has also brought about a diametrical change
in the way education is delivered and accessed. Education workers,
students, and teachers around the world drastically altered the way
they taught, learnt and worked. While this led to a massive increase
in access to education for many and a wider student pool, it also
created a ripe and wider attack surface for cybercriminals.
IMPACT
Cybersecurity attacks on educational institutions are not just an
operational or financial issue. They compromise student data and
harm the overall integrity and reputation of institutions that have
been built painstakingly over the years. Systems are brought down to
their knees, information is lost, and anxiety and stress levels of
staff and students skyrocket. Universities spend millions trying to
recover from cyberattacks, and the recovery itself could take months
as they try to first find the compromise before attempting to fix
it. Cybersecurity consultancies are often brought in to advise
universities on how to defend against these cyberattacks, but with
the constant evolution of these attacks, there has been no respite
for universities and schools.
WHAT IS CYBER SECURITY?
Cybersecurity is an application that protects technologies,
processes, and controls from cyberattacks on systems, networks,
programs, devices, and data. It aims to reduce the risk of
cyber-attacks and protect against unauthorized exploitation of
systems, networks and technologies.
WHO NEEDS CYBER SECURITY?
This is the wrong question, everyone connected to the internet needs
cyber security. This is because most cyber attacks are automated and
are aimed at exploiting common vulnerabilities rather than specific
websites or organizations.
SOLUTION
While there's no denying that the threat of cyber-attacks is
imminent and almost every business and institution is likely to get
attacked at some point in their existence, here are a few steps
people can take to ensure greater protection from cyber threats and
more resilience in case of an incident. • Cybersecurity training:
All people should be given relevant cyber awareness training. They
need to be helped in understanding that they play an important role
in organisational cybersecurity and often they, can be the ones
preventing a phishing attempt or a ransomware attack from having any
significant impact on the organisation.
• Make sure all systems are updated regularly. Operating systems,
browsers, and applications should always be up-to-date as each
update fixes vulnerabilities and protects against new threats. This
is a simple good practice that can make a world of difference when
it comes to cyber safety of educational institutions entries etc. •
Be Prepared.
While creating awareness and instilling the importance of good
security habits is imperative, unfortunately, this may not be
enough. Your internet activity could still come under attack and
it's important to be prepared for that eventuality. Make sure you
have a good incident response plan or ransomware
response chain list that your team can refer to in case of an
incident. When a crisis hits, it becomes difficult to think straight
so visual workflows and pre-vetted response plans can help to cut
the chaos and take the right steps.
STRENGTHENING INDIA'S CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE
To Protect The Overall Cyberinfrastructure Of India, organizations
have online workshops and vulnerability assessments to inform
citizens and secure cyber infrastructure. For example, India's
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology developed an
information security, awareness website. The website provides over
1,000 workshops tailored to inform government, academic, and general
internet users about software security, popular attacks, and
computer terminology.
1. Protect cyber hygiene:
As noted in the India-U.S. Information Security Summit, 2004,
governments can encourage cyber hygiene and cyber ethics among their
citizens from an early age which allows each state to maintain a
uniform and secure cyber structure. Further, bilateral cooperation
to protect citizens should not rest solely with U.S. and Indian
federal governments. Efforts should be made for subnational
governments to share best practices and ideas, too.
2. U.S-India cyber recovery plan:
The United States President's budget for 2020India’sIndia announced
that it would allow mobile carriers to carry out 5G trials. While 5G
will offer huge benefits, it has more potential entry points for
attackers due to the less centralized nature of its architecture.
Therefore, India and the United States should create a U.S-India
toolbox on 5G similar to the EU Toolbox on 5G. The toolbox sets out
measures to strengthen security requirements for 5G networks,
applies relevant restrictions for suppliers considered high-risk,
and ensures the diversification of vendors. There is a convergence
of threats, so collaboration in securing this emerging
infrastructure should have direct benefits for both nations.
There is no such thing as the cult of the defensive, just as there
is no such thing cult of the offensive. Offensive and defensive
actions are more a function of the nature and scope of the
objectives pursued by a belligerent or set of belligerents. The more
ambitious a state's objectives, the more offensive the action.
Offence and defence must be in some balance.
SOLUTION
The responsibility for the protection of cyber information in
universities falls on the shoulders of the senior management and
board members. However, it's the staff and students who use the
institutional systems and networks every day. This creates a bit of
a divide when it comes to ensuring complete cyber resilience. In the
time of pandemic with the rise in cybercrimes, with the growing rate
of internet users, there is a demand for a user-friendly law that
protects the internet users and makes the users reliable to use the
internet. After going through all the types of cybercrimes and
judicial pronouncements one can easily make out that there is poor
implementation and deliberate ignorance of the provision for the
infringement of the rights of the internet users. If the rights of
the user are violated in cyberspace there is no fixed provision that
can be applied directly, but a mix of various provisions and laws to
bring it under one umbrella. There is a vital need for amendment of
the consumer protection act and the information technology Act to
bring the infringement of the rights of the internet user under the
ambit of cybercrimes.
Name-Pallavi Pandey