‘Cyber attack is a big security concern’

New Delhi: Cyber attack is one of the important security challenges that the country is facing today or the world is facing and these attacks can pose wide-ranging threats to power grids, impact and cripple financial institutions, that can result in leakage of sensitive information said home secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday.

 While speaking at a conference on homeland security Mr Gauba claimed that to deal with the increasing threat of countering cyber attacks, the security agencies need to be ahead of the attackers by further enhancing their capabilities and technology.

Home secretary said both individual organisations as well as the Government need to constantly improve their capabilities to respond for which there was need for constant threat assessment.

Mr Gauba stressed on the need for speed and agility and to stay ahead of the attackers while further adding that government does not have adequate in-house capabilities or expertise or inherent strength so there was need for partnership with industry, private sector and the academic world. He also highlighted the sharp increase in n cyber espionage by corporates, by hostile governments to steal trade secrets and information to gain economic advantage or military advantage.

The home secretary said various government agencies conduct regular security and vulnerability assessment. In the last few years, he added, awareness and capability of the government agencies has increased sharply along with that of the many states.

The government agencies have to further increase their capability. The government has to fulfil the mandate of national security and secure individual security. All concerned agencies must work together to prevent such attacks, investigate them and prosecute the attackers,’’ Mr Gauba added.