Government has approved establishment of Defence Cyber Agency, under the aegis of Ministry of Defence. This agency is now fully functional. To mitigate cyber threats, all the three Services have established their respective Cyber Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Furthermore, the Government of India is formulating the National cyber security strategy, which is in the final stages of approval.
There have been repeated attempts by various cyber threat actors to target our various sectors. However, measures are being taken to detect and deter these threats.
Adequate safeguards have been instituted in the form of Cyber Audits, Physical Checks and Policy Guidelines to ensure a robust cyber posture of armed forces.
A ‘Formation’ is an organisation entity in the Indian Army like a Brigade, Division, Corps
and Command. There is no organisation like an ‘Agency’. The raising of a Defence Cyber
Agency is perhaps the lowest in the rung, not well understood, has limited resources and
would not be in a position to convey ‘Deterrence’ as stated in the recommended Cyber
Doctrine for the Indian Armed Forces.
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Accordingly, the task force felt that while a Defence Cyber Agency is a long awaited and a
welcome measure, it must provide the base for an Indian Cyber Command which must be
created within the next three years to effectively respond to likely and emerging threats.
Since one is not certain of the government’s likely decision, the report has expressions
like ‘Formation/DCyA’. Formation conveys the organisational level of cyber power,
(cyber brigade/division/corps/command) is a familiar entity, and hence, well understood.
Recommendations made in the report are equally valid to both, the Formation and Defence
Cyber Agency.
Further, the terms convey the long-term applicability and validity of the report as the DCyA
transforms to a Cyber Command.
Formation of Defence Cyber Agency (DCyA) be taken as an intermediate step towards the formation of a full-fledged Cyber Formation or Cyber Command over the next three years, while concurrently developing capabilities for full spectrum Information Warfare with cyber power as one of its major constituents.
Build capabilities of cyber power for our armed forces on Seven Pillars as illustrated
below:
- Policy and strategy for development and employment of cyber power Indian Armed Forces doctrine for application of cyber power and information operations Organisation for cyber deterrence, synergy, staffing and adaptation of cyber force
- Human resource, training and certification
- Technology, R&D, standards and integrity of data
- Integration and development of concepts for application of cyber power for effective cyber deterrence
- International engagement and legal framework
