Cybersecurity has become a significant concern, particularly within the healthcare sector. Experts have cautioned that common medical devices like oximeters, hearing aids, glucometers, and pacemakers could fall prey to ransomware, emphasizing the need for urgent central government intervention. This follows recent high-profile ransomware attacks on India’s top-tier hospitals, leading to lost control of vast amounts of health data and medical records.
Underlying Concerns
The healthcare industry is riddled with several cybersecurity concerns. One impeding issue is data breaches primarily fueled by the increasing use of medical technology devices and inadequate cyber protection. These devices are typically connected to the internet and mobile networks, making them susceptible to attacks. Another concern is India’s vulnerable population. With the country being among the world’s top 20 markets for medical devices, rapid economic growth, rising middle-class incomes, and increased market penetration of medical devices have left the population susceptible to cyber threats. Furthermore, the Indian healthcare system lacks a centralized data collection mechanism, making it hard to quantify the cost of data corruption.
Addressing Cyber Threats
Addressing these potential cyber threats requires several strategic actions. Firstly, the government should consult with cybersecurity experts to identify potential risk factors. Secondly, of utmost importance is employee training, allowing individuals to recognize and avoid phishing emails commonly used in ransomware attacks. Regular software updates, access control, encryption, and network segmentation can also help mitigate these threats.
Common Types of Cyber Threats
Several types of cyber threats exist, including ransomware, which hijacks computer data and demands payment for its restoration, and Trojan Horses, which use seemingly legitimate programs to open a gateway for hackers to infiltrate systems. Other common threats include clickjacking, denial of service (DOS) attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, cryptojacking, zero-day vulnerabilities, and bluebugging.
Government Initiatives on Cyber Security
In response to these growing threats, several government initiatives have been put in place. These include the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Cyber Surakshit Bharat, the Cyber Swachhta Kendra, and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC).
UPSC Civil Services Examination Questions on Cyber Insurance
In the UPSC Civil Services Examination, some questions related to cyber insurance for individuals have come up. For example, one question asked about the benefits generally covered under cyber insurance in addition to the payment for lost funds. Another question asked whether it is legally mandatory for certain entities to report on cybersecurity incidents.”
Elements of Cybersecurity and India’s Strategy
Cybersecurity entails several elements, and evaluating India’s success in developing a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy requires a keen understanding of these. It is crucial to recognize the importance of security in cyberspace, considering today’s increasing interconnectivity and reliance on digital technologies. Due to existing challenges, India still has some strides to make towards achieving a robust cybersecurity strategy, but it is on the right path.
This discourse is based on The Hindu’s article that brings into focus cyber threats on medical devices, detailing the underlying concerns, potential solutions, and prevalent types of cyber threats, before outlining the government’s response and including some UPSC examination questions on the issue.
