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security: hacking
The latest Chinese hacking scare finds Indias vital organs baffled and unready
Arindam Mukherjee , Debarshi Dasgupta , Lola Nayar
Who Was Attacked & Why
India's transport lifeline/Media: Railway network, Times of India
Diplomatic missions with important information: Embassy of India, US, Indian High Commission, UK
Companies/organisations with interests in China and those vocal against the country: FICCI, DLF India, Tata Group, Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal Co. Ltd.
Defence and strategic organisations: IDSA, NSCS, MES, Project Shakti, Defence magazines Force and India Strategic, National Maritime Foundation
Hosts all ministries & carries bulk of official correspondence: National Informatics Centre (NIC)
***
Other Potential Targets
Stock exchanges BSE & NSE Attacks on the stock exchanges can cripple India's financial backbone
Heavy industry BHEL, L&T Stalwart firms who compete with the Chinese globally
Petroleum & Exploration IOC, ONGC PSU jewels, who compete with the Chinese for global projects
***
How prepared is india?
Though most firms and departments claim they have systems and firewalls in place, it's just not enough, as hackers are always ahead of the curve. Also, there is no single authority in India accountable for such incidents.
Is it just the Chinese?
Hacking can happen from any country if systems are not well protected. Yes, India does it too.
***
Its been a little over a year since the Indian army discovered one of its gravest cyber security lapses. The attack, which had its origins in China, was never publicised and didnt figure in any internal report. But the damage was immense, say sources familiar with the breach of Indias military and security establishments.
We never keep anything sensitive on a computer that is connected to the internet, an officer with the Army Cyber Security Establishment told Outlook. But this one was different. The Chinese hackers developed Trojan virus software that downloaded on to a pen drive. Heres how it worked: an officer connected the pen drive to a computer connected to the Net, infecting the pen drive. He then used the infected pen drive on a computer not connected to the Net. The malicious software immediately downloaded itself onto the hard drive, collected a lot of sensitive files and waited for the pen drive to be reconnected.
When the drive would be connected to a computer with internet connectivity, the officer explained, it would immediately begin transmitting all the sensitive files back to a secure server. This continued for months and several unconnected computers at the army headquarters were infected before the cyber security cell got alerted. By then we did not have a clue about how much we had lost. And it was some pretty sensitive stuff, said the officer.
We are deeply engaged in Indo-China ties...with a virus in our system, they can corrupt our relations.Amit Mitra, Secretary-general, FICCI
Unfortunately, history repeated itself in early April this year, when it was revealed that some of Indias most prominent government and private organisations computers were hacked into and confidential data stolen. According to a report by two Canadian cyber research institutes, this list includes the National Security Council Secretariat, the National Informatics Centre, defence think-tank IDSA, the railway network, and private sector companies like the Tata group and DLF.
The timing of the reports releaseon the heels of India and China engaging officiallyraised eyebrows. But this is not the first time India has been cyber-attackedand its not the first time that the finger has pointed to Chinese hackers. That raises disturbing questions for an India that is digitising swathes of data, including peoples comprehensive identity information. Why are important institutions being repeatedly hacked and by whom? Who is vulnerable and what can they do about it? Most crucially, what is the Indian establishment thinking now?
A credible challenge to China today comes from India, so they are probably looking at the weaknesses in the system as the attacks are not just on defence and military but across sectors. In the event of a war, this information would be crucial, says Srikanth Kondapalli, China expert with JNU. Of course, hacking knows no boundaries: it could be the Russians, the Pakistanis or even the Americans tomorrow. Its no secret that all big countries indulge in cyber warfare. Thats the simple, scary reality.
The attack was indubitably tactical. The victims were spread across sectorsdefence, corporate, railways, media and petroleum. Says Amit Mitra, secretary general of industry body FICCI, which also features in the victims list: We are deeply engaged in Indo-China relations as an independent initiative but we have been vocal on the trade imbalance...with a virus in our system, they can corrupt our relations with that country. Mitra agrees that while India talks about its strengths in software development, it is extremely weak in stalling cyber attacks.
An initiative to set up a network to defend the nations critical infrastructure is still gathering dust. The governments reaction to the report is, at best, passive. Says home secretary G.K. Pillai: It (Chinese hacking) is nothing new. General hacking has been going on for sometime now. We need to put in place cyber security systems and ensure rigorous implementation. While ministries and departments as well as companies may have a few officials to look after cyber threats, there is no single body or authority to set the rules, monitor, and prosecute and penalise for such crimes.
The government, it seems, is working on an omnibus policy that would not only cover such issues but also provide a prescription for the public and private sector. Says Pillai: Once the cyber security policy comes into force, all the ministries and PSUs will have to abide by it. There will be independent cyber auditors checking out systems to ensure compliance. The first draft of the proposed policy has been discussed. This should be done by next month.
The militarys experience hasnt been encouraging. The Army Cyber Security Establishment cell conducts defensive as well as offensive operations. The DRDO also chips in with the Systems Analysis Group (SAG), but most experts agree too little is being done. We have very few people who can do this, and we are completely blind on China. Most of our offensive cyber operations are aimed at networks in Pakistan. But we dont have anything against the Chinese yet. That is a major loophole for us, an officer closely associated with the cell told Outlook.
The problems with either countering a malevolent Chinese software, or launching a counter-attack on a Chinese network, say army cyber cell sources, lie in the fact that they are written in Mandarin. We dont know the language, so tracking, breaking or countering their codes are almost impossible. Worse, trained staff gets posted outor leave for lucrative jobs. Trained manpower is the biggest challengeand thats ironical for a country that prides itself on its software prowess.
Government sources also claim that there are 80 empanelled organisations to audit government and private websites and online systems annually. A large number of ethical hackers are also deployed by companies and departments to protect critical infrastructure in banking, telecom, transport and power networks that are fast developing as prime targets. Clearly, all this hasnt helped.
Worryingly, apart from the obvious strategic targets, several of Indias crucial businesses remain vulnerable in a competitive and global world. Companies in heavy industries and in petroleum and oil exploration like Indian Oil Corporation and ONGC as well as manufacturing majors like BHEL and L&T could well be targets. Some, like ONGC, have already seen attempts to hack into their systems. B.K. Nayak, ED Security, ONGC, says: We have had one or two incidents of hacking into our website during the last two years, including once from Pakistan, and even informed the police about it.
The newly inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi international airports network in Hyderabad, for instance, encounters at least 10 attacks a day. Of these, many originate in China. We blacklist many of these ISPs, but everyday we discover several new Chinese ISPs who attempt to access the airports network, says Varun Srivastava of APPIN Technologies, a company that trains ethical hackers.
So, are Indian companies doing enough? While they say that systems are in place, in most cases, the defence is elementary. Nobody can say that this cannot be hacked. We are constantly protecting ourselves, but if a hacker were to get in, theres little we can do, says a top official at public sector heavy engineering firm BHEL. Adds IOC director, finance, S.V. Narasimhan: We are doing a lot of things to improve security.... Everything is robust till it is breached.
On the face of it, the big IT players are confident. TCS has sufficiently invested in people, process and technology.... The perimeter is secure...we closely monitor inbound traffic and have created our own internal database of rogue IP addresses which are blacklisted, says a spokesperson. But is that enough? Says Srivastava: There is always some way or the other that isolated networks end up being compromised, like when somebody connects a laptop to the secured network. We must take perimeter security much more seriously. Experts feel the only way to protect against hackers is to outthink them. But for that somebody has to be doing some hard thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Arindam Mukherjee with Debarshi Dasgupta and Lola Nayar
www.outlookindia.com | Trojans Think In Mandarin
Trojans Think In Mandarin
The latest Chinese hacking scare finds Indias vital organs baffled and unready
Arindam Mukherjee , Debarshi Dasgupta , Lola Nayar
Who Was Attacked & Why
India's transport lifeline/Media: Railway network, Times of India
Diplomatic missions with important information: Embassy of India, US, Indian High Commission, UK
Companies/organisations with interests in China and those vocal against the country: FICCI, DLF India, Tata Group, Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal Co. Ltd.
Defence and strategic organisations: IDSA, NSCS, MES, Project Shakti, Defence magazines Force and India Strategic, National Maritime Foundation
Hosts all ministries & carries bulk of official correspondence: National Informatics Centre (NIC)
***
Other Potential Targets
Stock exchanges BSE & NSE Attacks on the stock exchanges can cripple India's financial backbone
Heavy industry BHEL, L&T Stalwart firms who compete with the Chinese globally
Petroleum & Exploration IOC, ONGC PSU jewels, who compete with the Chinese for global projects
***
How prepared is india?
Though most firms and departments claim they have systems and firewalls in place, it's just not enough, as hackers are always ahead of the curve. Also, there is no single authority in India accountable for such incidents.
Is it just the Chinese?
Hacking can happen from any country if systems are not well protected. Yes, India does it too.
***
Its been a little over a year since the Indian army discovered one of its gravest cyber security lapses. The attack, which had its origins in China, was never publicised and didnt figure in any internal report. But the damage was immense, say sources familiar with the breach of Indias military and security establishments.
We never keep anything sensitive on a computer that is connected to the internet, an officer with the Army Cyber Security Establishment told Outlook. But this one was different. The Chinese hackers developed Trojan virus software that downloaded on to a pen drive. Heres how it worked: an officer connected the pen drive to a computer connected to the Net, infecting the pen drive. He then used the infected pen drive on a computer not connected to the Net. The malicious software immediately downloaded itself onto the hard drive, collected a lot of sensitive files and waited for the pen drive to be reconnected.
When the drive would be connected to a computer with internet connectivity, the officer explained, it would immediately begin transmitting all the sensitive files back to a secure server. This continued for months and several unconnected computers at the army headquarters were infected before the cyber security cell got alerted. By then we did not have a clue about how much we had lost. And it was some pretty sensitive stuff, said the officer.
We are deeply engaged in Indo-China ties...with a virus in our system, they can corrupt our relations.Amit Mitra, Secretary-general, FICCI
Unfortunately, history repeated itself in early April this year, when it was revealed that some of Indias most prominent government and private organisations computers were hacked into and confidential data stolen. According to a report by two Canadian cyber research institutes, this list includes the National Security Council Secretariat, the National Informatics Centre, defence think-tank IDSA, the railway network, and private sector companies like the Tata group and DLF.
The timing of the reports releaseon the heels of India and China engaging officiallyraised eyebrows. But this is not the first time India has been cyber-attackedand its not the first time that the finger has pointed to Chinese hackers. That raises disturbing questions for an India that is digitising swathes of data, including peoples comprehensive identity information. Why are important institutions being repeatedly hacked and by whom? Who is vulnerable and what can they do about it? Most crucially, what is the Indian establishment thinking now?
A credible challenge to China today comes from India, so they are probably looking at the weaknesses in the system as the attacks are not just on defence and military but across sectors. In the event of a war, this information would be crucial, says Srikanth Kondapalli, China expert with JNU. Of course, hacking knows no boundaries: it could be the Russians, the Pakistanis or even the Americans tomorrow. Its no secret that all big countries indulge in cyber warfare. Thats the simple, scary reality.
The attack was indubitably tactical. The victims were spread across sectorsdefence, corporate, railways, media and petroleum. Says Amit Mitra, secretary general of industry body FICCI, which also features in the victims list: We are deeply engaged in Indo-China relations as an independent initiative but we have been vocal on the trade imbalance...with a virus in our system, they can corrupt our relations with that country. Mitra agrees that while India talks about its strengths in software development, it is extremely weak in stalling cyber attacks.
An initiative to set up a network to defend the nations critical infrastructure is still gathering dust. The governments reaction to the report is, at best, passive. Says home secretary G.K. Pillai: It (Chinese hacking) is nothing new. General hacking has been going on for sometime now. We need to put in place cyber security systems and ensure rigorous implementation. While ministries and departments as well as companies may have a few officials to look after cyber threats, there is no single body or authority to set the rules, monitor, and prosecute and penalise for such crimes.
The government, it seems, is working on an omnibus policy that would not only cover such issues but also provide a prescription for the public and private sector. Says Pillai: Once the cyber security policy comes into force, all the ministries and PSUs will have to abide by it. There will be independent cyber auditors checking out systems to ensure compliance. The first draft of the proposed policy has been discussed. This should be done by next month.
The militarys experience hasnt been encouraging. The Army Cyber Security Establishment cell conducts defensive as well as offensive operations. The DRDO also chips in with the Systems Analysis Group (SAG), but most experts agree too little is being done. We have very few people who can do this, and we are completely blind on China. Most of our offensive cyber operations are aimed at networks in Pakistan. But we dont have anything against the Chinese yet. That is a major loophole for us, an officer closely associated with the cell told Outlook.
The problems with either countering a malevolent Chinese software, or launching a counter-attack on a Chinese network, say army cyber cell sources, lie in the fact that they are written in Mandarin. We dont know the language, so tracking, breaking or countering their codes are almost impossible. Worse, trained staff gets posted outor leave for lucrative jobs. Trained manpower is the biggest challengeand thats ironical for a country that prides itself on its software prowess.
Government sources also claim that there are 80 empanelled organisations to audit government and private websites and online systems annually. A large number of ethical hackers are also deployed by companies and departments to protect critical infrastructure in banking, telecom, transport and power networks that are fast developing as prime targets. Clearly, all this hasnt helped.
Worryingly, apart from the obvious strategic targets, several of Indias crucial businesses remain vulnerable in a competitive and global world. Companies in heavy industries and in petroleum and oil exploration like Indian Oil Corporation and ONGC as well as manufacturing majors like BHEL and L&T could well be targets. Some, like ONGC, have already seen attempts to hack into their systems. B.K. Nayak, ED Security, ONGC, says: We have had one or two incidents of hacking into our website during the last two years, including once from Pakistan, and even informed the police about it.
The newly inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi international airports network in Hyderabad, for instance, encounters at least 10 attacks a day. Of these, many originate in China. We blacklist many of these ISPs, but everyday we discover several new Chinese ISPs who attempt to access the airports network, says Varun Srivastava of APPIN Technologies, a company that trains ethical hackers.
So, are Indian companies doing enough? While they say that systems are in place, in most cases, the defence is elementary. Nobody can say that this cannot be hacked. We are constantly protecting ourselves, but if a hacker were to get in, theres little we can do, says a top official at public sector heavy engineering firm BHEL. Adds IOC director, finance, S.V. Narasimhan: We are doing a lot of things to improve security.... Everything is robust till it is breached.
On the face of it, the big IT players are confident. TCS has sufficiently invested in people, process and technology.... The perimeter is secure...we closely monitor inbound traffic and have created our own internal database of rogue IP addresses which are blacklisted, says a spokesperson. But is that enough? Says Srivastava: There is always some way or the other that isolated networks end up being compromised, like when somebody connects a laptop to the secured network. We must take perimeter security much more seriously. Experts feel the only way to protect against hackers is to outthink them. But for that somebody has to be doing some hard thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Arindam Mukherjee with Debarshi Dasgupta and Lola Nayar
www.outlookindia.com | Trojans Think In Mandarin
