'Cyber security must before mass rollout of key projects'

Experts say government should put tight cyber security in place before rolling out Digital India and Jan Dhan Yojana

With the government rolling out two major projects on financial inclusion and digitisation, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Digital India, an unprecedented spike in online transactions is sure to follow, say experts. Therefore, the government should put in place a tight security plan to ward off external and internal threats before the mass roll-out of the projects begins, experts add.

As part of the Jan Dhan Yojana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also launched a mobile banking facility on basic mobile phones, under which one can transfer funds and check the available balance using any handset. This will be enabled through the SMS platform. The Digital India plan also envisions mass digitalisation of the country as it aims for mandatory delivery of all government services online. This will be achieved through a combination of bank accounts, mobile number and an unique digital identity.

India's current information technology (IT) penetration is in low single digits but the speed with which the roll-out of both these project is being planned means massive computerisation over the next few years. As more people get exposed to technology when they avail government services online, conduct financial transactions through mobiles, or simply surf the internet using Wi-Fi at colleges, the risks will also go up manifold.

"Currently, only 70 per cent of the attacks in the country are reported. This is despite the penetration being so low," said an industry expert. The person who did not wish to be identified also said it has been the government's target to create a workforce of 500,000 security professionals in the country for the last few years; however, the number has not even touched 50,000. The security plan will needs to cover all aspects of Digital India as well as the financial inclusion plan including the devices, which will be used both by the government and the individuals.

According to a report by security firm TrendMicro, released on August 25, India is among the three most-affected nations by online banking malware. Out of the total banking malware detected in the April-June quarter, seven per cent was found in India. Also, over 2.5 million malware were detected in any given month in the country.

R S Sharma, secretary to the department of electronics and IT, said the government is cognizant of the security concerns and plans to set up the National Cyber Coordination Centre, which "will not monitor content but traffic" and try to protect the country's technology infrastructure from all ends. "It is expected to be operational in a year's time," Sharma added.

The intent behind the centre, which was proposed as part of the National Cyber Policy, is to watch the traffic flowing through the internet pipes of the country.