India is set to launch a cybersecurity agency this June in response to the significant rise in digital transactions taking place across the nation.
Known as the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC), the India security agency will join a range of other sector-specific computer emergency response teams (CERTs), reported The Economic Times. The topic was covered in a speech by Ravi Shankar Prasad, union minister for Electronics and IT.
The NCCC will monitor and handle cyberattacks on Indian internet space in real time, forming a key element of the country’s continuing efforts to build a strong security ecosystem for the digital age. This news should also be of interest to IT decision-makers across the globe who are keen to take advantage of India’s strong digital skills base.
Creating a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy
Prasad said India is well on its way to becoming a $1 trillion digital economy. A strong cybersecurity foundation will help ensure this fast level of economic growth continues.
The NCCC forms just one part of a comprehensive approach, with Prasad detailing how his ministry has already helped create a digital payments division and a financial CERT. The Economic Times said that CERTs are also being established for industries such as power and communications.
Prasad added that states across India will be supported in their attempts to establish individual CERTs. Additional measures announced include 10 standardization testing and quality certification facilities, which will provide further resources in the battle against cybercrime.
Developing an India Security Agency
The government approved millions of dollars to help support the establishment of the NCCC, according to another article from The Economic Times. Prasad said the Indian security agency will not only tackle cybersecurity crime, but will also provide a boost to the emerging cybersecurity industry in India and help close the existing skills gap.
There were 1 million cybersecurity job openings globally last year, according to Cybersecurity Ventures’ “Cybersecurity Jobs Report.” That figure is anticipated to rise further and reach 1.5 million openings by 2019. Early reports suggested the NCCC will initially employ 55 individuals, noted ET Telecom. Buying tools to help run the India security agency is already underway, and that recruitment of staff for the NCCC will begin imminently.
Supporting Global IT Decision-Makers
The introduction of the NCCC and associated CERTs should provide solace to IT managers around the world who are looking to tap into the country’s digital resources. India was rated the top outsourcing destination for 2016 out of 55 countries around the globe, according to a study by A.T. Kearney.
Cheap real estate and labor, as well as a highly developed educational infrastructure, help keep India at the forefront of global business leaders’ mind. However, executives who want to take advantage of India’s resource base will also want to be assured that data remains safe and secure. The NCCC provides a new in-country resource base from which to tackle these cybersecurity concerns.
Indian-based IT firms are also spending more money on training, with reports suggesting the investments help meet the ever-growing global demand for digital services. The combination of private sector and government backing should help to keep India near the top of global outsourcing destination charts.