The number of cyber crime cases registered in India has risen by 350 per cent in the three-year period from 2011 to 2014.The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has also reported a surge in the number of incidents handled by it, with close to 50,000 security incidents in 2015,” noted the study titled ‘Protecting interconnected systems in the cyber era,’ conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) jointly with PwC.
In the past, attacks have been mostly initiated from countries such as the U.S., Turkey, China, Brazil, Pakistan, Algeria, Turkey, Europe, and the UAE, according to the study titled ‘Protecting Interconnected Systems in the Cyber Era.
“Cyber attacks around the world are occurring at a greater frequency and intensity. Not only individuals but also businesses and governments are being targeted. The profile and motivation of cyber attackers are fast changing”, highlighted the joint study.
In the U.S. alone, there has been an increase of nearly 50 per cent in reported cyber incidents against its critical infrastructure from 2012 to 2015. “Attackers can gain control of vital systems such as nuclear plants, railways, transportation or hospitals that can subsequently lead to dire consequences,” it said.
With regard to security incidents in critical infrastructure, organized efforts are required to reduce the potential cascading impact and response time. Incident response for critical infrastructures requires a partnership between public and private organizations to perform analysis, issue early warnings and coordinate response efforts.
Accordingly, they should build a forward-looking cyber security program that is based on the right balance of technologies, processes and people skills—all supplemented with an ample measure of innovation. With these components in place, organizations are likely to be better prepared for the future of cyber security.
Things are getting a bit out of hand!