With the rise in cyber terrorism in the country, the Indian Navy will soon induct an exclusive cyber cell to counter terror attacks on cyber space and to protect its computer-enabled communication networks from notorious hackers.

The Navy force recently has instituted an anti-hacking wing to guard its valuable information. The departments belonging to the Indian Defence have constantly faced several challenges while tackling cyber terror, while fire-walling its communication networks from espionage, mainly from China and Pakistan. Noting the requirement for experts in information technology, Indian Navy is raising a new crop of cyber warriors against hostile Chinese hackers and others as well.

Reports suggest that the recruiting process is already underway, and that the officials are considering men with information technology and engineering educational background for short-service commissioned officers in its cyber cadre. Women who are interested to be part of this special cyber security wing will have to wait as these positions are currently admissible to men.

The recruited cadets will be undergoing training at Naval Academy Ezhimala (NAVAC), which is located in the Kannur (Cannanore) district of Kerala, before they get posted on board warships and other establishments. They will be trained in maintaining the security of communication networks, which are used to send and receive sensitive information related to national security.

NAVAC is the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy, which conducts the basic training for all officers being commissioned into the Indian Navy under various schemes.

The commissioned officials will be handling state-of-the-art networks and niche applications, both in operational and administrative areas. Meanwhile, the officers will have to engineer and operate secure and critical networks, including manning of security operation and network operation centres.

The anti-hacking batch of the Indian Navy will be part of its executive branch.

Lately, a bug that infiltrated the Indian Navy computers at its Eastern Command headquartered at Visakhapatnam enabled Chinese hackers to break into the system. A bulk of sensitive information, which reportedly details the position of marine forces, was compromised in the attack.