The introduction of Sections 70A and 70B in IT Act, 2000 had brought in some corrective measures in India's cyber security establishments. Few years down the line, do you think that these measures have been implemented in letter and spirit? Discuss critically.
Section 70A of the IT Act 2000 mentions about National Nodal Agency with respect to Critical Information Infrastructure Protection.
Section 70B of the IT Act 2000 mentions about the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team which shall serve as the national agency for cyber security.
In the light of the above two provisions, India has made significant efforts for maintaining cyber security.
National Cyber Security Policy was formulated in 2013 by Department of Electronics and Information Technology. It aims at protecting the public and private infrastructure from cyber attacks.
Further, recognising the strategic dimensions of cyberspace, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had created the position of the National Cyber Security Coordinator in 2014.
However, there is a drawback. There is no national security architecture in place in India today which can assess the nature of cyber threats and respond to them effectively.
Therefore, to effectively manage cyber threats, firstly, India must put in place a permanent and semi-permanent staff which is technically proficient in cyber operations, both defensive and offensive.
We have in place a National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA). But it should be placed with a functional “nucleus” or secretariat.
Secondly, there must be a co-ordination of agency’s policy functions and operations.