Cyber threat to government websites: A look at the data

By Ravi Seth

The shutdown of nearly 10 government websites for a good part of Friday led to an immediate fear of mass cyberattack though it later turned out to be a storage system crash. Hacking is the Damocles’ sword that hangs over the cyberworld. ET Magazine takes a look at the scourge:

* On January 1, 2017, NSG website was partially defaced and abusive message was posted by unknown hackers


* Out of 8,348 persons arrested under different sections of cybercrime, 315 were convicted in 2014-15

* 50 cyberattacks on 19 financial organisations reported between November 2016 and June 2017

To-Do List
What the government says it is doing to prevent cyberattacks and secure websites

* Cyber security audit of new govt websites and applications before hosting and regular audits post hosting; 67 security auditing organisations roped in for these checks

* CERT-In keeps tabs on website hacking, issues alerts/advisories on latest cyber threats and countermeasures

* Cyber Crisis Management Plan formulated for countering cyberattacks and cyber terrorism in all Central/state ministries/departments and critical sectors

* 25 cyber security exercises conducted by CERT-In so far in organisations in finance, defence, power, telecom, transport, energy, space, IT/ITeS sectors to check preparedness

* CERT-In conducts training programmes for network/ system administrators. 22 training programmes, covering 610 participants, were conducted last year

* National Cyber Coordination Centre set up to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats. Phase-I of NCCC has been made operational

* National Informatics Centre (NIC), which provides IT/e-governance-related services to departments, protects cyber resources from possible compromises through a layered security approach in the form of practices, procedures and technologies