According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Railways, the government has implemented comprehensive technical and legal measures to tackle the growing challenge of cyber-attacks. In addition to these efforts, awareness programs are being conducted to equip citizens to handle such threats.
The minister emphasised that India has a robust cybersecurity policy, which is being carefully implemented. As a result, the country’s ranking in the global cybersecurity index has improved significantly, moving from the 30-40 range to the top 10.
On the legal front, he highlighted that parliament has passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and strengthened existing IT laws. Additionally, the new Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita Act includes provisions for stricter punishments for cybercriminals.
On the technical front, Vaishnaw highlighted that the Union Home Ministry has established the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to tackle cybercrimes in a more coordinated and effective manner, which has yielded positive results. He further noted that India successfully prevented major cyberattacks during the G20 Summit and the Ram Temple inauguration.
In a written submission to the House, the minister reported that the total number of cybersecurity incidents rose to 2,041,360 in 2024, compared to 1,592,917 in 2023 and 1,391,457 in 2022, based on data from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
To strengthen cybersecurity measures, the government has institutionalised a nationwide integrated and coordinated system to counter cyber threats. This includes the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to ensure seamless coordination among different agencies.
Under the provisions of section 70B of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000, the CERT-In is designated as the National agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents. National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) implemented by CERT-In serves as the control room to scan the cyberspace in the country and detect cybersecurity threats. It facilitates coordination among different agencies by sharing with them the metadata from cyberspace for taking actions to mitigate cybersecurity threats.
Additionally, Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK), a citizen-centric initiative by CERT-In, serves as the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre. It helps detect malicious programs and provides free tools for their removal while also offering cybersecurity tips and best practices for individuals and organisations.
Furthermore, under Section 70A of the IT Act 2000, the government has established the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to safeguard the country’s critical information infrastructure.
Under Section 70B of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as the national agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents. CERT-In also manages the National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC), which serves as a control room to monitor cyberspace, detect cybersecurity threats, and coordinate with relevant agencies by sharing metadata to mitigate risks.
