More than a thousand government websites, including those managed by
the security agencies and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), have been
hacked in the last three years and the first half of this year.
Various interception and security measures in place have failed to prevent hacking and stealing of data, including some sensitive ones.
The number of such cyber attacks has seen a gradual increase over the years.Retired defence personnel and cyber security experts at the State-level feel there is a need to address the flaws in the systems of the softwares that most government agencies work with, as it can provide the most-needed security at the basic level.
Given that all the operating softwares (OSs) are developed by private companies, mostly outside of India, the concerns are more, some of them feel.
In the backdrop of several perceived threats like these and actual incidents of cyber attacks, a collective decision was taken by Union ministries and the MoD in 2010 to develop an indigenous OS. The OS was supposed to make all the three forces––the army, navy and the air force––and other key wings of the government secure.
Three years after that, Bangalore hosts a complex where work on the said project is being done, but little progress has been made. Senior officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been given the responsibility of developing the OS said it will take them another three years to complete the project.
This, despite some of the best brains from institutes like the IISc and IIT having been roped in and another centre working simultaneously in Delhi.
Information gathered from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team reveals that at total of 1,030 websites belonging to ministries or departments were hacked during 2010-2013 (up to March).
The number of hackings has gradually increased over the years. While there have been 48 such attacks in the first three months of 2013, the number of hackings during 2010, 2011 and 2012 stands at 303, 308 and 371, respectively.
Various interception and security measures in place have failed to prevent hacking and stealing of data, including some sensitive ones.
The number of such cyber attacks has seen a gradual increase over the years.Retired defence personnel and cyber security experts at the State-level feel there is a need to address the flaws in the systems of the softwares that most government agencies work with, as it can provide the most-needed security at the basic level.
Given that all the operating softwares (OSs) are developed by private companies, mostly outside of India, the concerns are more, some of them feel.
In the backdrop of several perceived threats like these and actual incidents of cyber attacks, a collective decision was taken by Union ministries and the MoD in 2010 to develop an indigenous OS. The OS was supposed to make all the three forces––the army, navy and the air force––and other key wings of the government secure.
Three years after that, Bangalore hosts a complex where work on the said project is being done, but little progress has been made. Senior officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been given the responsibility of developing the OS said it will take them another three years to complete the project.
This, despite some of the best brains from institutes like the IISc and IIT having been roped in and another centre working simultaneously in Delhi.
Information gathered from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team reveals that at total of 1,030 websites belonging to ministries or departments were hacked during 2010-2013 (up to March).
The number of hackings has gradually increased over the years. While there have been 48 such attacks in the first three months of 2013, the number of hackings during 2010, 2011 and 2012 stands at 303, 308 and 371, respectively.
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