GoI launches Cyber Swachhta Kendra to bolster cybersecurity

Amidst an unprecedented digital drive sweeping the country, the Government of India has launched Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre called the Cyber Swachhta Kendra which will help individuals and organisations in the analysis of malware and botnets that affect networks and systems.

“India today joined the distinguished club of countries that have malware-cleaning systems for the use of its citizens. As of now, we have 13 banks and internet service providers using this facility. With the expanding digital footprint in the country, I see a surge in start-ups in the area of cybersecurity by the end of the year,” said Union IT and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at the launch.

A botnet is a collection of compromised computers infected with malware that allows an attacker to control them. Whenever an infection is detected, the Centre will send alerts on the infected IP addresses to the Internet Service Providers, who in turn will inform the end-user about the malware and botnet infections on their system. The Centre will also work in close collaboration with the Banks to detect malware infections in their banking network and enable remedial actions.

The Electronics and IT Minister also said that the country’s apex cyberspace intelligence agency, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), shall become operational by June this year while sector specific computer emergency response teams (CERT) for industries such as power, communications, etc., will also be created in the near future.

“The government will set up ten more STQC (Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification) testing Facilities. Testing fee for any start-up that comes up with digital technology in the quest for cybersecurity will be reduced by 50 percent. We will also empower designated forensic labs to work as the certified authority to establish a cyber crime,” Prasad noted.

The move comes at a time when over 50,000 cybersecurity incidents like phishing, website intrusions and defacements, virus and denial of service attacks were observed in the country during 2016, according to IANS.