'Indian cyberspace seeing incidents at higher rate than global average'

The Indian cyberspace has seen nearly double the number of cyber incidents as compared to the global average, National Cybersecurity Coordinator MU Nair said on Sunday.

Addressing a session on Aligning Technologies to Future Conflicts' at the Synergia Conclave 2023, Nair said ransomware attack payments of nearly $ 1.54 billion have been made on an average over the past 10 months, which has doubled since 2022.

These payments are just the tip of an iceberg since several of these incidents go unreported, he said. Nair said the Indian cyberspace has seen cyber incidents at an average of 2127 times during the past six months, which is much more than the global average of 1108.

Nair said it's time for countries to rally together to contain and limit disruptive practices on cyberspace.

There are a large number of initiatives in this direction under the UN and regional forums where nations are looking for solutions to cyberspace which is not confined to national boundaries, he said.

Nair said several international initiatives are addressing the evolving challenges of cybersecurity. One notable effort is the UN Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) on advancing responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, appointed by the United Nations General Assembly, he said.

In 2021, the UN GGE adopted a report that contributes significantly to the development of international cybersecurity, he said.

Key recommendations from the UN GGE include the development of international norms and principles, promotion of international cooperation, and strengthening of national cybersecurity capabilities.

Additionally, an ad hoc committee is collaborating on a comprehensive international convention to counter the use of ICTs for criminal purposes, he added.