Cyber Security Basics and India’s Framework

Cyber security has become a core part of internal security, not a niche technical topic. This article covers the basics, and India’s own institutional response.

MCQ Questions

Indian Polity · Cyber Security

29.44 Lakh

Cyber incidents handled by CERT-In, 2025

A ~30% increase projected for 2026

1,530

Security alerts issued by CERT-In, 2025

PIB

390

Vulnerability notes issued, 2025

PIB

231

Certified cybersecurity audit organisations empanelled

CERT-In, 2025

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Must Know

• Cyber security covers protecting computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or disruption.
• Cyber threats are classified into various levels, ranging from individual-level fraud up to threats against national critical infrastructure.
• India has built an organisational and legal framework for cyber security, including dedicated agencies and specific cyber laws.
• Critical Information Infrastructure includes systems like power grids, banking networks, and telecommunications. It receives special protection, since disruption there has outsized national impact.

Good to Know

• India has faced several notable cyber security incidents over the past decade. These span data breaches, network intrusions, and disruption attempts against key systems.
• The UIDAI runs India’s Aadhaar identity system, and carries its own significant cyber security responsibility. This reflects the scale and sensitivity of the biometric data it holds.
• Balancing human rights and counter-insurgency operations is a real challenge in cyber security policy. Surveillance capabilities meant to stop threats can also risk overreach against ordinary citizens.
• Public-private partnership plays an important role in cyber security. Much of the relevant infrastructure and expertise sits with private companies, not the government alone.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. What genuine challenge does comparing India’s cyber security legal regime with international frameworks reveal?

Cyber threats routinely cross national borders, but laws and enforcement powers largely stop at them

Cyber threats never cross national borders, so comparison is unnecessary

International cyber security frameworks are identical to India’s in every respect

Cyber security laws have no relevance to cross-border threats

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Great to Know

• Comparing India’s cyber security legal regime with international frameworks reveals a genuine challenge. Cyber threats routinely cross national borders, but laws and enforcement powers largely stop at them.
• The human-rights-versus-counter-insurgency tension in cyber security has no clean resolution. Stronger surveillance tools can prevent real attacks, but the same tools can be misused if oversight is weak.
• Cyber threats and defensive technology both keep evolving quickly. Effective cyber security depends as much on specialized training and intelligence operations as on any fixed set of technical safeguards.

Current Affairs

• CERT-In handled over 29.44 lakh cyber incidents in 2025, issuing 1,530 security alerts and 390 vulnerability notes — with a roughly 30% increase projected for 2026. (Source: PIB)
• CERT-In empanelled 231 certified cybersecurity audit organisations in 2025 to strengthen vulnerability-assessment capacity across critical systems. (Source: The420.in)