• Companies must aggressively focus on cyber audits

NEW DELHI, 03 July 2020: Lt Gen (Dr) Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Govt of India today reiterated that India has all the capabilities to handle cyber security issues and the workforce manning them have an edge over other countries.

Addressing 'Cyber Crime Management During COVID-19: How to Protect Organizations & Businesses,' webinar organised by FICCI, Lt Gen Pant said, "Our systems are well in place and more importantly, the people who are handling the cyber security in our country, have an edge along with the software which is key in this."

Emphasizing on the need to promote Make in India, he urged entrepreneurs to come forward and develop substitutes so that dependency on other (international) software is reduced. "Our focus area today is on Atmanirbhar Bharat, anything indigenous is a priority for us. We are promoting indigenization and all those who have capabilities for substitutes should come forward," said Lt Gen Pant.

Highlighting the urgency of cyber audits in various companies, Lt Gen Pant said that companies have to play an important role in ensuring that cyber security audits are not just mere a tick-box activity. "All companies are expected to have a cyber audit done. The audit is done by an empanelled auditor and we have many auditors empanelled in India as on today. A lot of companies focus on minimum audits but more needs to be done. I urge all enterprises to get their cyber audits done, it's for your own good," he added.

Lt Gen Pant further stressed upon increasing awareness regarding cyber security. "The human being is the weakest link in the cyber security chain so whatever you do, human beings become very important. Training, good cyber hygiene and good social engineering practices are essential," he added.

Lt Gen Pant also said that 'PPT' (People, Policies & Procedures, and Technology) is very important and still stands valid in current times. "Only one set of standards will not make the difference. It has to be done collectively by the enterprises, human beings along with laid down policies," he said.

Mr Rahul Chaudhry, Chairman, FICCI Homeland Security Committee said that cyber security and cyber responsibilities are ultimately a hygiene issue at the individual level. "It is an individual's social responsibility to make himself cyber aware in this digital world. We need to educate everyone about cyber hygiene, at the school level and even at the workplace. This should become a national program, which we need to launch, and FICCI would be in touch with the government to move it forward," he added.

Mr Vidur Gupta, Partner, EY and Mr Sanjay Kaushik, Managing Director, Netrika also shared their perspective on the cybercrime management and security.