Cyber warfare is amorphous: Experts

Chandigarh, December 14

Experts described cyber warfare as amorphous which adds new dimension to espionage during a session on ‘Spymasters and Cyber Intelligence in War and Peace’ at the Military Lit Fest.

Senior journalist Ritu Sarin said: “You never know whether it is war or peace in the cyber world… India is among the top nations which faced cyber attacks, most of them related to espionage. Recently, ISRO and Kundankulam nuclear power reactor were targeted, though the government neither confirmed nor denied it.”

She added: “Thousands of cyber attacks took place during the Commonwealth games in Delhi.”

Jayadeva Ranade, former Additional Secretary in Cabinet Secretariat, said: “Cyber has added a new dimension to espionage. It has made espionage a 24-hour game. People in the defence forces know that communications are vulnerable.”

He added: “Once in the US, a power station shutdown. It took two years for them to find out that it originated from a Chinese unit. In Delhi also, once there was a massive power failure and it was tracked to China. If facilities are attacked in war time, it is more dangerous.”

Lt Gen Sanjive Langer (retd), former Armed Forces Tribunal judge, gave a presentation on cyberattacks. “I retired in 2013. Till then, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) faced the maximum cyberattacks,” he said.

On being asked if government agencies should reveal the cyber attacks, KC Verma, former RAW Director, replied: “If I am unable to track the attacker, I may end up revealing my cyber capabilities.”

Ranade said: “If it is revealed we are under attack, an enemy could take advantage.” — TNS