India’s cyber capabilities
GS PAPER III: Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
Context: India’s cyber capabilities focused on Pakistan rather than China.
As per the report of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), an influential think tank that has done a qualitative assessment of cyber power in 15 countries.
- Despite the geo-strategic instability of its region and a keen awareness of the cyber threat it faces, India has made only “modest progress” in developing its policy and doctrine for cyberspace security.
- India’s offensive cyber capability is “Pakistan-focused” and “regionally effective”, and not tuned towards China.
- India has been put in the third tier meant for countries that have strengths or potential strengths in some of these categories but “significant weaknesses” in others. Also in this category are: Japan, Iran, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and North Korea.
- A country’s cyber capabilities have been assessed in seven categories: strategy and doctrine; governance, command and control; core cyber-intelligence capability; cyber empowerment and dependence; cyber security and resilience; global leadership in cyberspace affairs and offensive cyber capability.
- The US is the only country in the first tier, for its world-leading strengths across “all” categories.
- In the second tier, with world-leading strengths in “some” categories are: Australia, Canada, China, France, Israel, Russia and the United Kingdom.
- According to the report “The military confrontation with China in the disputed Ladakh border area in June 2020, followed by a sharp increase in Chinese activity against Indian networks, has heightened Indian concerns about cyber security, not least in systems supplied by China.”
- India has some cyber-intelligence and offensive cyber capabilities but they are regionally focused, principally on Pakistan.
- It is currently aiming to compensate for its weaknesses by building new capability with the help of key international partners – including the US, the UK and France – and by looking to concerted international action to develop norms of restraint.”
- India has a good regional cyber-intelligence reach but relies on partners, including the United States, for wider insight.
- Strengths of the Indian digital economy include a vibrant start-up culture and a very large talent pool.
- The private sector has moved more quickly than the government in promoting national cyber security.
- The country is active and visible in cyber diplomacy but has not been among the leaders on global norms, preferring instead to make productive practical arrangements with key states.
- India is a third-tier cyber power whose best chance of progressing to the second tier is by harnessing its great digital-industrial potential and adopting a whole-of-society approach to improving its cyber security.
- The report also assessed China’s cyber power as clearly inferior to that of the US, and substantially below the combined cyber power of the US network of alliances.
- Political will and proper organization of its intelligence agencies are one of the “leapfrog opportunities for governments to be more effective in cyberpower.
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