Topic: Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
7) India’s claims to being a legitimate power in cyberspace have come under doubt following two recent revelations – the breach at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and the recent WhatsApp spyware attack. Do you think these instances point out to a weakening of India’s cyber sovereignty? Critically analyse.(250 words)
Why this question:
The recent incidents of cyber security infringement cast serious doubts on the Indian state’s claims to being a legitimate power in cyberspace, both due to the vulnerability of its critical information infrastructure and blatant disregard for the fundamental rights of its citizens online. Thus the question.
Key demand of the question:
One has to critically analyse the context of India’s weakening cyber sovereignty, what has gone wrong and what needs to be done to tackle the situation.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what cyber sovereignty is.
Body:
Explain first the two recent incidents – The malware attack at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and the recent spyware attack by Pegasus on WhatsApp.
Discuss the glaring issues highlighted by these cases.
Explain in what way the apparent absence of robust cybersecurity capability is a serious cause for concern.
Suggest solutions and way forward.
Conclusion:
Conclude that If the Indian state plans to leverage offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, which are of course it’s right as a sovereign power, it needs to get serious about cybersecurity.
