PSUs should ensure cyber security: IT Minister Ravi Sha

Cyber Swachhta Kendra to deal with cyber attacks
New Delhi : IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday exhorted state-owned firms to be ‘vigilant,’ while securing digital infrastructure even as he emphasised that cyber attacks should not be a deterrent to building information superhighways in India.

“We have got Cyber Swachhta Kendra. If you have any problem, you can approach them immediately. The cyber co- ordination centre is going to be set up very soon,” Prasad said listing out the measures taken by the government to secure the IT systems against cyber attacks. Cyber Swachhta Kendra or the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre, is part of the Digital India initiative and focuses on detection, cleaning and securing systems from botnet infections.

Likening the information superhighway to a national highway, Prasad said that while accidents may occur on roads at times, it only means that users have to be more cautious. “On the national highways there are accidents, you have to drive carefully, wear seat belts, not drink and drive, but how can you say that there should be no national highways because accidents occur. The same is with information highway,” he said.

His comments come against the backdrop of a global malware attack that has disrupted functioning at some central banks and many large corporations in Europe. In India, the attack has impacted the functioning of one of the terminals of India’s largest container port JNPT.