Cyber Review

Cyber Review

Date: December 03, 2022
By

Medical and health systems world-wide are regularly targeted by ransomware attacks and India has been a major victim for long. During the month, AIIMS, India’s premier health institution, has been subjected to ransomware attack. Its digital hospital services could be restored only after 6 days of efforts by security agencies. While initiatives have been taken at the policy level to meet such challenges, capability building for hosting resilient networks and practical global cooperation among law enforcing agencies of nations are becoming increasingly important. 

The Indian government remains focussed on the faster rollout of 5G services through telecom reforms and relaxation of regulatory norms, while Indian telecom operators and device makers are working together for better compatibilities. Concerns over the likely interference of 5G services in the C-Band frequency range (4-8 GHZ) with aircraft altimeters are also being addressed by regulatory authorities.

The Indian government released the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 (DPDP) for public consultation and comments by December 17.  The draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 that seeks to do away with the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950, remains under review after public consultations.

As militaries world-wide develop cyber warfare capabilities, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called on the international community to develop a ‘digital emblem’ under international humanitarian law, like the recognisable red-on-white emblems used in physical conflict zones, to protect ICRC’s medical and humanitarian infrastructure from digital harm.

The US authorities announced new restrictions on the import or sale of communications and surveillance equipment from China because this poses an “unacceptable risk” to the country's national security. The US also has urged its allies to join its measures imposing chip technology export curbs against China.

Japan formally joined NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) as a contributing participant.  India and Australia convened their fifth bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue, which saw discussions on a range of issues, including cyber threat assessment, next-generation telecommunications capacity building, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.