Under the direction of the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, the Indian Defence Cyber Agency has initiated a cyber security exercise called "Cyber Suraksha." June 16 marked the start of the exercise, which will last through June 27. A multi-phased program called "Cyber Suraksha" aims to improve cyber resilience nationally.
Over 100 participants from different national-level agencies and defence stakeholders are brought together. In a dynamic, gamified setting, the exercise is intended to mimic actual cyberthreats and assess participants' capacity to react to them. It aims to strengthen security practices and hone participants' analytical and defensive abilities by fusing structured training with real-life issues.
The exercise included a Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) conclave, which was designed to bridge the gap between technical execution and leadership roles. The conclave will comprise conversations delivered by notable speakers in the cyber security sphere, followed by an immersive Table-Top Exercise targeted at improving senior leadership's strategic readiness.
'Cyber Suraksha' highlights the Defence Cyber Agency's proactive approach to maintaining cyber vigilance and cultivating a security-first culture across all levels of the national defence infrastructure. The agency also intends to make such exercises a regular occurrence in order to maintain a high level of preparedness and foster coordinated defence in an ever-changing cyber landscape.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in March that "cyber, space, and information warfare" are proving to be as effective as traditional military operations, emphasising that the armed forces "must operate jointly and stay future-ready" in light of the evolving multi-domain environment and technological advances.
The website of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a defence public sector company that manufactures tanks and armoured vehicles, was taken down for a comprehensive audit two days prior to India's May 7 launch of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The site was allegedly defaced by a Pakistani hacker group known as "Pakistan Cyber Force," which posted pictures of a tank and a Pakistani flag.