MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

As cyber attacks increase by the hour, international insurers find it difficult to provide cover. There is a growing consensus among European mega-insurers to declare cyber attack as “uninsurable”. What happens then?

- Sujit Bhar 

INDIA has grown used to cyber fraud and malicious cyber attacks. Considering the lax security environment around web-based payment systems, bank transactions and interpersonal web-based deals, the situation is hardly surprising, but when a leading organisation such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) portal is attacked, paralysing its servers, red flags come up ac ross every cyber channel.

When cyber crime is limited to petty theft—such as hoodwinking unsuspecting customers into relaying specific OTPs for payments—there is sense in creating a police force to keep watch. India has a cyber cell in each city police station. However, when a major attack, such as the one on AIIMS, happens, it is clear that more needs to be done on the administrative front by all government agencies assigned to protect individual privacy and property. A case of extortion and cyber terrorism was registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Ope rations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police on November 25 in the AIIMS case, and the outcome remains unclear. Rumours say there have been Chinese hackers involved, but no significant data security announcements have been made thereafter.