India has achieved a significant milestone in cybersecurity by securing Tier 1 status in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Scoring an impressive 98.49 out of 100, India has risen to global leadership in cybersecurity, reflecting its ongoing commitment to strengthening cyber defense and resilience.

However, despite this achievement, recent reports show that India faced a high volume of cyberattacks during the first half of 2024. Key sectors, including education, defense, and research, were heavily targeted. Government branches, the technology sector, healthcare, banking, manufacturing, and consumer services were also affected, resulting in 388 data breaches, 107 data leaks, 39 ransomware incidents, and 59 unauthorized data access events.

In light of these challenges, Trellix CyberSabha, powered by ObserveNow, was held on October 24, 2024, at Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi. Themed “Building Stronger Cybersecurity Posture with Advanced Threat Intelligence for the Government Sector,” this roundtable brought together leaders from various government enterprises to explore threat intelligence in government organizations and the complexities of compliance, framework adoption, and robust infrastructure building.

“In an age where cyber threats evolve with unprecedented complexity, the imperative for Leaders in the public and private sectors to collaborate and create a robust plan of action to deal with any kind of threats in the cyber space ” remarked Taniya Tikoo, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief of  ObserveNow, as she opened the session. She underscored the critical need for resilience and collaboration to prevent system collapse during high-stakes cyber incidents.

 

Dr. Charru Malhotra, Professor of e-Governance and ICT and Coordinator at the Centre of e-Governance, Indian Institute of Public Administration, skillfully moderated the session, emphasizing that cyber threats have evolved with AI as both a defense and attack tool. “Cyber threats have changed; we have AI on our side, but adversaries have it too. It’s AI vs. AI,” she noted, illustrating the dual role of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity.

 

Manoj Tandon, Director of Project O&M at RailTel Corporation of India, stressed the importance of transparency in reporting cyber incidents. He remarked, “When cyberattacks happen, there’s often reluctance to share information publicly due to shame, which limits knowledge sharing. This transparency is essential to evolve and anticipate future threats.” Tandon also highlighted the urgent need for skilled cybersecurity professionals, underscoring the shortage of engineers in the field.

Sandeep Sood, CISO at Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), emphasized the human element in cybersecurity, stating, “Everyone uses encryption and tools, but hackers exploit human weaknesses. Cyber training, phishing simulations, and capacity building are crucial, as technology is accessible to all.” His remarks underscored that while technical defenses are essential, human vulnerability remains a critical weak link.

Subhash Chand, CISO of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, discussed ransomware defense strategies, highlighting the importance of system segmentation and hybrid solutions. He explained, “Organizations have unique mandates, and paying ransomware rarely restores data. Segmentation, bifurcation, and hybrid solutions are critical.”

Vinit Goenka, Secretary at the Centre for Knowledge Sovereignty (CKS), shed light on the varied motivations behind cyberattacks, explaining, “Cyberattacks aren’t solely for extortion; philosophical motives, competitive agendas, and lone actors contribute as well. This issue goes beyond CISOs and requires board-level attention.” He called for expanded involvement in cybersecurity at the highest organizational levels.

Anwaya Bilas Sengupta, CM and Alternate CISO at Grid Controller of India Ltd, emphasized the importance of collaborative network risk analysis and implementing multi-level firewalls to strengthen defenses. He echoed the need for cooperation across sectors to keep pace with evolving threats.

Akshaya Kumar Patel, General Manager – IT and CISO at NTPC Ltd, advocated for layered security measures, recommending segmenting systems into zones and assigning accountability to prevent total system collapse during an attack. He underscored the importance of maintaining accountability throughout incident response.

 

Manish Sinha, Director of Solutions Engineering for South Asia at Trellix, highlighted the role of generative AI in strengthening threat intelligence, suggesting, “Generative AI can help address automated threats, enhancing collaboration in threat intelligence.” His comments emphasized the need for AI-driven solutions to counter increasingly automated cyber threats.

Lily Prasad, Chief Technology Officer at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, focused on resource and tool integration in cybersecurity, stating, “If resources and data management are integrated, security can be maintained to a greater extent. However, tools alone won’t solve everything.” She warned against over-relying on tools, which hackers can exploit.

 

Nagendra Pratap Singh, General Manager SIS at Indian Oil Corporation Limited, highlighted the need for policy alignment and responsible decision-making in cybersecurity frameworks, noting, “For government and private sectors, policies differ. When people expect measures outside policy, we open loopholes for potential threats.” He stressed that accountability in policy implementation is crucial for robust security.

 

Susheel Kumar, Chief General Manager and CISO at GAIL (India) Limited, emphasized that as critical infrastructure, GAIL faces unique cybersecurity challenges. “If attacked, the Government of India is not just concerned about financial loss but with broader impacts, as GAIL supplies gas across sectors. Regulations must be adhered to protect such critical infrastructures,” he cautioned.

 

Virander Singh, AGM and CISO of Indraprastha Gas Limited, underscored the need for preparation at all levels and called for real-time threat intelligence and predictive analysis. “Prevention requires readiness on all fronts; real-time intelligence and predictive capabilities are vital,” he stated.

 

Sandeep Khanna, Director of Information Systems and CISO at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), highlighted the importance of regular cyber drills for improving incident response. “Cyber drills are essential to prepare for both minor and major incidents,” he explained, emphasizing proactive response measures.

 

 

Rajan Arora, CISO at the Government eMarketplace (GeM), discussed the organization’s journey to the cloud, stressing that defensive technologies should match the attackers’ sophistication. He commented, “Our aim is to make technology investments that are as robust as those used by attackers.”

 

Jaspreet Bindra, AGM – IT at Engineers India Limited, emphasized prioritizing security operations and leveraging AI for log review. He noted, “We need tools and automation to continually monitor and analyze logs for potential threats, a task that AI can make efficient.”

 

 

Dipesh Jain, Deputy General Manager of IT, Infrastructure, and Cyber Security at Power Finance Corporation, shared insights on lessons from ransomware attacks, emphasizing the importance of regular access reviews. “Learning from past ransomware incidents, access review of servers and key accounts is critical to prevent vulnerabilities,” he pointed out.

 

Ganesh Iyer, Managing Director for India and SAARC at Trellix, closed the discussion by highlighting the need for flexible strategies. He stated, “One solution doesn’t fit all. There are two types of organizations—those who know they’ve been attacked and those who don’t know yet. The goal is to constantly assess the security posture so that, as threats evolve, you’re ready to respond effectively.”

This gathering underscored that India’s cybersecurity progress requires a multi-layered approach involving knowledge sharing, human vigilance, AI integration, and consistent evaluation of strategies. As the country advances in its cybersecurity journey, maintaining a proactive, collaborative, and adaptive approach will be key to sustaining resilience amid evolving cyber threats.