Cyber warfare: India's real battle in the virtual world

When two special task forces of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, comprising several hundred personnel, chased the elusive bandit Veerappan across Sathyamangalam forests for more than a decade, they had very little by way of sophisticated gadgets to guide them -- perhaps just night vision goggles that were higher in scale than those used by any other force then in the country.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment was not so embedded as it is today. Choppers, instead of micro drones, were used to scour the deep jungles, but the loud noise of the whirring blades gave the game away. It took decades for police of two states and the task forces to finally hunt down Veerappan in October 2004.

"Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds every few years. Today, terrorist groups are carrying out online indoctrination without the identity of the main person behind it being revealed," said K Vijay Kumar, senior security adviser in the ministry of home affairs, who led the Veerappan operation.

"Micro drones would have helped us gain more access to Veerappan's dens and nab him more quickly. The concept of terrorist attacks has taken a new meaning today and it is a constant race between governments and terror groups to keep ahead in cyberspace," said Vijay Kumar.

Amidst a surge in cyberterrorism and use of technology in attacks, India is under pressure to counter transnational and domestic terrorist groups by investing more in key institutions and manpower to monitor cyberspace.

In the 2611 Mumbai terror attacks six years ago, heavily armed terrorists carried GPS equipment, Blackberrys, several mobile phones and SIM cards, CDs with high resolution satellite images of target locations and satellite phones. Now, with terrorists using information gateways to recruit cadres and perpetrate terror, it is a whole new ball game. Security experts advise that the country should prioritize to keep pace with cybersavvy terrorists.

"Cyberforensics is being constantly upgraded to keep pace with the different technologies used by adversaries,"said Cert-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) director general Gulshan Rai. Sources, however, say that lack of funds and resources have created gaps.

For instance, there is lack of high tech equipment for higher image resolution of CCTV footage. While Cert-in, a nodal agency under the Union ministry of communications and information technology that deals with cybersecurity, has been trying to keep up with global advances in technology, cyberforensics has been dismal in the states.

India's effort to counter radicalization and violent extremism are mostly directed by state and local authorities, said a 2013 overview on terrorism by US Department of State's bureau of counter terrorism. Tackling terror, however, meant inter-country exchange of expertise and inputs.

The overview talks about a Sensitive Security Information-sharing agreement in December, 2013 between the US Transportation Security Administration and the Indian Bureau of Civil Aviation Security 'to enhance cooperation on aviation security, increase collaboration on security-related technologies, increase reciprocal visits for airport security assessments, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices for security at airport points of entry.'

"When it comes to infrastructure at a national level, it is protected. But, there are several weaknesses," said former IG K P C Gandhi, who heads a private forensic facility, Truth Labs.

"The attacks by our enemies are not persistent. That is why we are all safe," said Gandhi, advocating for more skilled people and new automated analytics technology.

India's dependence on China for all kinds of electronic goods, including communication systems, has been an issue of growing concern for security agencies.Various panels, including the most recent Naresh Chandra committee on defence reforms, have elaborately reviewed cybersecurity. But the recommendations are yet to be implemented. Said G Parthasarathy, former ambassador, now associated with the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, "Cybersecurity is crucial not just in meeting the challenges of espionage but it is crucial in every sphere of our lives, be it economy or communications."

While cybersecurity was crucial in ensuring the country's security, experts lay their faith on human intelligence as well."We placed animal tracking chips in the bag that contained the ransom handed over to Veerappan. But he was careful to take just the money and throw away the bag. We also tried attaching micro antennas to a shirt we passed on to him. But he discarded it. Finally, it was human intelligence inputs that helped us nab him," said Vijay Kumar.