National cyber security coordinator

Subject: IR

Context:

Government has set up an expert committee under the National Cyber Security Coordinator to study the revelations in China Watching, an investigation by The Indian Express, that a Shenzen-based company, is monitoring over 10,000 Indian individuals and entities.

Concept:

• In 2013, the cabinet had approved the National Cyber Security Policy.
• In that, there were a number of new institutions that were proposed.
• For example, there is an institution called the NCIIPC — National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre — for the CII [critical information infrastructure]; then, for threat analysis, there was the NCCC — National Cyber Coordination Centre; for cybercrime, there was the I4C — Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the MHA; and as a coordinator of all these aspects, there was an appointment created called the National Cyber Security Coordinator 
• National Security Council is chaired by the Prime Minister and it comprises four major ministries— External Affairs, Finance, Defence and Home. That’s the highest decision-making body for taking decisions on national security. And the secretary general of this council is the National Security Advisor.
• To provide a secretariat for the Security Council, there is the National Security Council Secretariat. It has various verticals: there is a vertical that handles internal threats, vertical that handles strategic threats, etc.
• National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) coordinates with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.
• National Cyber Security Coordinator mandate
  • to advise this Council in overseeing and compliance of all the cyber security aspects including implementation of action plans in cyber security by the nodal agencies, evaluation and analysis of incidents, then forming incident response monitoring teams.
  • There’s an aspect of international forums and providing consultation and guidance to state governments.
  • And also engage with the private industry for formulation of policies.