The last few months have seen several data breaches highlighting the need for an updated National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS). IFF wrote to the newly appointed National Cyber Security Coordinator urging them to release a draft of the updated NCSS.
While the call for public consultations for the NCSS was released in 2020, a public draft is yet to be released. In its absence, we are still reliant on the 2013 National Cyber Security Policy which has left our digital infrastructure vulnerable. Over 50% Indians are now active internet users, and with the increased emphasis on digitalisation this number is only bound to grow. The rise in internet users has coincided with a surge in data breaches. In the past 12 months, we have seen data breaches targeting prominent platforms such as the CoWIN portal, AIIMS, Zivame, & RentoMojo.
A key problem here is the lack of transparency– the failure of most companies to acknowledge or inform the affected users about the breach. To address this, IFF launched PlugTheBreach, which aims to track publicly reported data breaches by providing a database of breaches affecting Indians to increase transparency and public awareness.