Indian defence minister A K Antony has revealed that India would soon establish a cyber command to manage the cyber threats being faced by the country. At a time when the cyber security infrastructure of India is weak and cyber security policy of India is still to be implemented, this assurance comes very handy.

The armed forces are in the process of finalising a proposal for a cyber command. The minister also admitted that India has delayed on the front of cyber security but now it would cover this gap as soon as possible.

This assurance could possibly mean that India would now ensure both offensive and defensive cyber security capabilities. Similarly, the critical infrastructure protection in India may also be in focus. Issues like cyber warfare, cyber terrorism, cyber espionage, etc may also be taken care of.

There were reports of terrorist organisations targeting the computer networks of establishments and offices in the country recently, prompting the government to strengthen cyber security. Recently the computer systems of DRDO were breached and sensitive files were leaked.

The Indian defence forces are in a phase of development. It is developing in terms of equipment and manpower as India would procure more equipment and further develop infrastructure. In the past, the infrastructure was not given much importance. Things have changed now. India is now also focusing on the technical enhancement of the forces.

The cyber command has also become necessary as countries across the world have started utilising cyber attacks and malware against others. As per a recent report, U.S. is the biggest buyer of malware in the world. Similarly, global cyber espionage networks are being actively used to spy on other countries. The command and control servers of malware FinFisher were also found in 36 countries, including India.

Indian cyberspace is passing through a phase of transformation and it is absolutely required to take care of Indian cyber security in these circumstances. The statement of defence minister has signaled the beginning of cyber security in Indian defence forces.