India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is preparing for a digital revolution that includes strategies to improve cybersecurity for a digital India; however, as the divide between users and nonusers of the internet narrows, the risk for cyber-attacks increases, according to Prem Behl, Chairman of Exhibitions India Group. As a result, defending India’s critical infrastructure, financial institutions and data security from hackers is critical as the nation advances into the digital age.
In addressing potential solutions to the issues of paramount concern in India’s financial institutions, Behl applauded a joint venture between The Floor and Cyber Security Group, based in Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. "It’s time for India to get smart about cybersecurity, and tapping into one of the world’s largest pools of talent and know-how in cybersecurity, will secure the banking and government infrastructure systems against cyber-attacks."
With the number of breaches against banks and financial services continuing to rise around the globe, "it makes a lot of sense to invest in solutions that use best in class technologies that are up-to-date with the expanding cyber-threat landscape. With the right solutions, these entities can reduce costs, avoid bad publicity and better protect against online threats,” Behl wrote in a 4 July post.
As India evolves into the digital world, it remains vulnerable to cyber-attacks, not only within its financial institutions but also in its critical infrastructure and data security. At the 2018 Cyber Security and Data Protection India Summit on 22 June, Maj. Gen. Sandeep Sharma, VSM, National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) agreed that every sector is being impacted by India’s digital revolution. “As the data breaches increase in scale and frequency, business today must prepare to ensure an effective, swift and well-orchestrated response,” he said, according to The Asian Age.
Despite the ambitions of the Prime Minister, there seems to be a striking divide between the digital transformation of critical government databases and the digital revolution of India’s citizens. According to a 2018 survey from the Pew Research Centre, reported internet use across 39 countries is lowest in India and Tanzania. Only 25% of adults in India report owning a smartphone or using the internet regularly. The 2017 global survey results show that those numbers are higher (35%) among 18-36 year olds.