Experts call for better tools, training and cyber defence systems

Guwahati, Nov 20 (PTI) Cybersecurity experts on Thursday stressed the need for India to scale up investments in tools, training and defence systems as technology has become a decisive weapon in modern warfare, with battles now being fought on computers and networks.

Speaking at the second conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence organised by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), United Service Institution of India’s Brigadier Vivek Verma (Retd) said the national target of creating 5 lakh cybersecurity professionals in five years was insufficient.

He called for integrating cybersecurity into school curricula, military academies, and for the creation of a dedicated cyber services cadre.

"China invests USD 1.8 billion annually in military AI, while the US utilises Project Maven. India, on the other hand, invests only USD 50 million per year, creating asymmetry," he said.

NIELIT Director General M M Tripathi said in an "AI versus AI world", India needs skilled manpower to tackle cyber forensic and security issues.

"Skilled workforce is a national security asset. There is no alternative to collaboration. We need to take high-end skilling programmes to students and utilise existing labs and ecosystems optimally," Tripathi said, stressing the need for Indian certification systems in cybersecurity.

The two-day event, 'Cyber Secure Bharat: Fortifying India’s Digital Future', has been organised by NIELIT Assam and Nagaland under the Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), in association with Assam Police and Gauhati University.

The event is also supported by Assam government's IT Department and the United Service Institution of India.

NIELIT signed three MoUs at the event with Pragjyotishpur University, Girijananda Choudhury University and K K Handique State Open University (KKHSOU) for starting skilling courses in IT, electronics and bioinformatics. PTI DG DG MNB