India is top on a list of countries with data breaches that jeopardise individuals’ privacy. Why do computer hackers only target Indians? Moneycontrol investigates the issue.
The recent cyberattack on Iranian gas stations around the country demonstrated the vulnerability of our IT infrastructure. The hack rendered state-issued electronic cards worthless, resulting in lengthy lines at gas stations. It’s terrifying to think that all it takes to obtain access is a modification in a single line of code. Regrettably, India is among the countries with a history of cyber attacks.
According to the Indian government’s Computer Emergency Response Team, over 600,000 cyber attacks were recorded in India in the first half of this year, including one on Air India’s computer systems in which hackers gained access to the personal and financial information of 4.5 million customers worldwide.
In the first half, hackers targeted software solution provider Mobikwik Systems Pvt. Ltd, telecom service Airtel Ltd, and the Indian subsidiaries of Domino’s Pizza Inc.The total amount for January to June compares to 1.1 million cyber attacks registered for the entire year last year, a nearly threefold increase from 400,000 in 2019. This equates to over 3,000 cases reported per day in 2020
Hackers targeted online grocery company Bigbasket, home delivery service Dunzo, and educational technology startups Unacademy and WhiteHat Jr. last year, among others.
The vulnerability of computer systems utilised by both corporate entities and people was exposed as Indians moved to working from home on their personal computers due to constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic that spread last year.
Why do these attacks happen:-
Preventing attacks is much easier in an office environment, where data is monitored and internet access is restricted by a company’s information technology (IT) regulations. When that safety net is eliminated, many systems become insecure, which is what hackers exploit.
The rapid adoption of work-from-home policies pushed organisations out of their comfort zone and into a less secure setting that couldn’t be as closely managed as their office facilities.
You are only as powerful as your weakest link, and this is especially true in the case of cyber security. The majority of assaults aren’t complicated; they focus on revealing and exploiting flaws that you may not even be aware of.
When dealing with a workforce operating in an unregulated environment, flaws such as weak passwords or poor network configurations are accentuated. Another significant difficulty is the presence of insiders.
The most common type of assault is phishing. They use on psychological deception, luring unsuspecting would-be victims with unbelievable claims like extremely low loan interest rates. All it takes is one infected link for the hackers to gain access to your computer system.
When an employee with high-level access is the victim of a cyber attack, the consequences can be disastrous.
Absence of legislation:-
Because technology is continuously growing, a country’s policy must stay up and evolve as well.
The Information Technology Act of India was enacted in 2000 and underwent its first substantial amendments in 2008. When it comes to keeping up with technology, such speed is insufficient.
We still lack a clear data protection bill that safeguards citizens’ online data. The Personal Data Protection Bill, first proposed in 2019, is still in the works.
How do we stop these attacks:-
By now, it should be very evident that we need to invest in better security infrastructure. What works in a controlled environment, such as an office, becomes vulnerable to attacks when removed from it.
We require more capable IT leaders to come up and take responsibility. Better practises and guidelines should be implemented to protect our systems from potential attacks.
There is no foolproof way to avoid data breaches. Nonetheless, we must not become complacent as a result of this. We must be prepared for any eventuality.
It’s also past time for lawmakers to take things more seriously and learn about the technologies they’re enacting legislation for. The fact that our IT Act has changed so little since its inception should serve as a cautionary note.
A larger budget should be set aside for IT security personnel. The more money you invest on high-quality computer security design, the safer you will be.According to a recent Business Standard report, roughly 73% of Indian organisations foresee a data breach within the next year. Thirty-four percent have already encountered at least seven data breaches, with 20% having experienced more than seven.Indian IT must go back to the drawing board and devise complete solutions that function across multiple devices and key technological platforms. It does not ensure that you will not be attacked by hackers, but you will be able to sleep better knowing that you did all possible.
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