To deal with the round-the-clock cyber threat, India's Home Ministry is to set up a dedicated wing of 'cyber commandos' drawn from state and union territory police forces as well as central police organisations, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
The home minister has written a letter requesting the police forces of states and union territories to identify 10 proficient 'cyber commandos'.
“…a Special Wing of suitably trained Cyber Commandos should be established to counter threats to cybersecurity, to defend Information Technology Network, conduct investigation in the cyberspace and to take care of cyber security requirements of the Police and Government organisations on an ongoing basis,” the letter reads.
“The proposed cyber commando wing would be an integral part of the police organisation. It would be manned by suitably trained and equipped serving members of the police personnel drawn from the States/UTs and Central Police Organizations/CAPFs. Their efforts can be supplemented by hired professionals, if deemed necessary," the letter explained.
"Cyber Commandos would be selected from serving personnel of all ranks on the basis of their existing knowledge and aptitude in the field of IT security and digital forensics and would undergo a specially designed residential training programme," the MHA letter added.
The need to set up the Cyber Commando Cell comes as cyber threats continue to grow in the digital age. India's government institutions experienced 82 cyberattacks in 2022, eight times more than in 2021, and the experts expect further increase.
Recently, the Indian space agency chief said they facing more than 100 cyber-attacks daily.
Several news reports have stated that a comprehensive plan is currently being developed to implement these measures in each district, thereby effectively combatting the escalating cyber threat that our country is facing.