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�� Maj Gen PK Mallick, VSM (Retd)

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi

03 September, 2024

Cyber Warfare-Evolution and Present Status

Why Cyber?

We are facing a future where security challenges will be less predictable; situations will evolve and change swiftly; and, technological changes will make responses more difficult to keep pace with. The threats may be known, but the enemy may be invisible. Domination of cyber space will become increasingly important.. ….. When we speak of Digital India, we would also like to see a Digital Armed Force �-- PM's address to the Combined Commander’s Conference, October, 2014

CYBER WAR GAME

EVOLUTION OF CYBER WAR

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• Estonia Apr – May 2007
• Attack on Syrian Nuc Plant by Israel, Sep 2007
• Georgia, Aug 2008
• Lebanon and Gaza, Dec 2008
• Stuxnet
• Recent conflicts.

ESTONIA EVENT

• 26 April-13 May 2007, coincided with decision to relocate WWII Russian monument
• Early attacks on Govt Web sites, then newspapers…some bank disruption
• Media:
• Cyberwar I, Web War I, a digital invasion, and a “cyber-riot.”
• “Cybersavvy Russian nationalists unleashed a withering volley of "distributed denial of service" attacks crushing Estonian Web sites with countless computer-generated "zombie" hits, flooding servers in Estonia with junk data, and, as the International Herald Tribune explained, overwhelming "the routers and switches ... that direct traffic on the network.“

• Actually:
• Effects were moderate
• Over 2500 attacking machines were recorded in 96 countries. Couldn’t distinguish between willing and a bot participants; made prosecution or other punitive actions difficult. Filters were effective.
• Web sites were defaced or briefly taken off-line, there were brief outages of network routers, and some sites suffered sustained Denial of Service attacks.
• Combined efforts of the Government of Estonia and their commercial partners were sufficient to mitigate effects of the attacks.
• Most Estonians were not affected by the attacks, and likely would not have been aware of the attacks
• Finally, the intensity of attacks did not rise to a level sufficient to pose a serious threat to Estonia's internet operations.

ESTONIA EVENT DRILL-DOWN

��ESTONIA��

• Estonia has blamed Russia for the attack.
• 17 percent of the computers that attacked Estonia were in the United States.
• Did the Estonians have the right to attack the U.S. in response, and what responsibility did the U.S. bear?

-- Robert Giesler, Pentagon's former Director of Information Operations

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GEORGIA

STUXNET

Stuxnet Videos

CYBER WARFARE - HYPE OR REALITY ?

“Those who know enough about Digital Security are either in the employment of the government and not able to speak about it much… Or they are in the employment of Computer Security Vendors that have a vested interest…”

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Use of Social Media

• Connectivity
• Education
• Help
• Information and Updates
• Promotion
• Noble Cause
• Awareness
• Help Government Agencies fight crime
• Improves Business Reputation
• Help in building communities

Use of AI for Making Deep Fakes

Break

INDIA

Components of Cyber Warfare

• Computer Network Attack (CNA), Computer Network Defence (CND) and Computer Network Exploitation (CNE).

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• Computer Network Exploitation (CNE). CNE uses actions and operations to obtain information that would otherwise be kept classified and is resident on or transiting through an adversary's computer systems or networks. Cyber exploitations are usually covert in nature. They do not seek to disturb the normal functioning of a computer system or network. The best cyber exploitation is one that a user never notices. It is non-destructive.

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• Fundamental difference between a cyber attack and cyber exploitation is the payload's nature to be executed. A cyberattack payload is destructive, whereas a cyber exploitation payload acquires information non-destructively.

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• Intent has to change.

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Defensive Cyber Operation

INDIAN NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY POLICY, 2013

Ministry of Communication and Information Technology �Department of Electronics and Information Technology�Notification on National Cyber Security Policy-2013 (NCSP-2013)

Dated: 02 July, 2013

STRATEGIES FOR NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY POLICY-2013 (1/2)

• Creating a secure cyber ecosystem.
• Creating an assurance framework.
• Encouraging Open Standards.
• Strengthening the Regulatory framework.
• Creating mechanisms for security threat early warning, vulnerability management and response to security threats.
• Securing E-Governance services.
• Protection and resilience of Critical Information Infrastructure.

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Ministry of Communication and Information Technology �Department of Electronics and Information Technology�Notification on National Cyber Security Policy-2013 (NCSP-2013)

Dated: 02 July, 2013

Strategies for National Cyber Security Policy-2013 (2/2)

• Protection and resilience of Critical Information Infrastructure.
• Promotion of Research & Development in cyber security.
• Reducing supply chain risks.
• Human Resource Development.
• Creating Cyber Security Awareness.
• Developing effective Public Private Partnerships.
• Information sharing and cooperation.
• Prioritized approach for implementation.

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Essential Focus : Cyber Security Structures in India

More in the nature of Policing & Assisting own Agencies

Full Responsibility

Bureaucratic Outlook

Little Responsibility

Essential Focus : Cyber Security Structures in India

More in the nature of Policing & Assisting own Agencies

Focus on Participative, Synergetic and Proactive Structures

CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY DOCUMENTS LACKED KEY ELEMENTS

• Milestones and performance measures

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• Cost and resources

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• Roles and responsibilities

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• Linkage with other key strategy documents

NCIIPC

CERTIN

Global Cybersecurity Index : 2020

How a Remote Town in Romania Has Become Cybercrime Central

Râmnicu Vâlcea has only about 120,000 residents, but among law enforcement experts around the world, it has a nickname : Hackerville. The town is full of online crooks who cruise the streets in expensive European cars.

www.wired.com/2011/01/ff_hackerville_romania/all/

• VIDEO CYBER CAPABILITY

Use of Fake News in INDIA

WHO IS WINNING ?

CONCLUSION

• So What?
• Who is spreading the narrative?
• What is his interest?
• See the other side of the hill.

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THANK YOU

Q & A