Lok Sabha Question No. 5316 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-28
Subject: Cyber Attack
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  5316

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 28.03.2018

## CYBER  ATTACK

## 5316.     SHRI  DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

Will the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued an alert about spread of a new malicious software being circulated through spam messages that can potentially lock computers and demand ransom for restoring access to users;
- (b) if so, the total amount of damages that have been reported through this malware ;  and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to prevent cyber attacks in future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI K. J. ALPHONS)

(a) and  (b):  The  Indian  Computer  Emergency  Response  Team  (CERT-In)  is  regularly  publishing  Alerts  and Advisories about the malware threats. CERT-In issued an alert regarding spread of variants of ransomware called 'Locky' through spam mail messages. Locky ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects a computer and  restricts users' access to affected files by encrypting them  until a ransom  is paid to unlock  it. Countermeasures to prevent the infection were suggested in the said alert published on websites of CERT-In and Cyber Swachhta Kendra. No damage has been reported to CERT-In.

- (c): Government has taken following measures to prevent cyber attacks and enhance cyber security in the country:
- (i) The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect systems and mobile devices.
- (ii) Security tips are published for users to secure their Desktops and mobile/smart phones.
- (iii) Government has launched the Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre). The centre is providing detection of malicious programs and free tools to remove the same.
- (iv) Government has formulated Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation  by  all  Ministries/  Departments  of  Central  Government,  State  Governments  and  their organizations and critical sectors.
- (v) Cyber security exercises are being conducted regularly to enable assessment of cyber security posture and preparedness  of  organizations  in  Government  and  critical  sectors.  25  such  exercises  have  so  far  been conducted  by  CERT-In  wherein  organisations  from  different  sectors  such  as  Finance,  Defence,  Power, Telecom, Transport, Energy, Space, IT/ITeS etc participated.
- (vi) Government has issued general guidelines for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) regarding their key roles and responsibilities for securing applications / infrastructure and compliance.
- (vii) Government has empanelled  67  security  auditing  organisations  to  support  and  audit  implementation  of Information Security Best Practices.
- (viii) CERT-In conducts regular training programmes for network / system administrators and Chief Information Security  Officers  (CISOs)  of  Government  and  critical  sector  organisations  regarding  securing  the  IT infrastructure and mitigating cyber attacks. 22 training programs covering 610 participants were conducted during the year 2017.
- (ix) Government  has  set  up  National  Cyber  Coordination  Centre  (NCCC)  to  generate  necessary  situational awareness  of  existing  and  potential  cyber  security  threats  and  enable  timely  information  sharing  for proactive,  preventive  and  protective  actions  by  individual  entities.  Phase-I  of  NCCC  has  already  been made operational.

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