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Until August this year, India encountered almost seven lakh cyber attacks as informed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to the Parliament. Increased malware and ransomware has modelled a greater threat to the cybersecurity, sovereignty and integrity of the country. A report by Subex indicates a surge of 86% cyberattack cases between April and March 2020.

Undoubtedly, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become the fastest adopted technology in the industry. Internet of Things connects various sources and thus instigates sharing and generating of exponential data. From oil and energy sector to the automotive industry, the Internet of Things is making operations durable and accurate. With its sustainable mechanism, the technology is also fuelling the countrys ambitious project of integrating the 5G network. Apart from being used as a technology, IoT has also become a commodity. For example, the smart thermostat and the smart cable network, which embellishes smart homes, leverage IoT as a commodity.

However, despite all the pros that the technology indicates, connecting different sources without any upgraded security grants easier access to cyber attackers and hackers. The existing COVID-19 outbreak has already exposed the urgency to have an upgraded cybersecurity infrastructure. Since these cyber attacks are not confined to only healthcare infrastructure but also pervades other industry such as defence, it demands a comprehensive strategy to protect systems while leveraging the existing technology.

Unfortunately, the lack of a regulatory framework for any technology becomes a major barrier to thwart cyber attacks, ransomware and malware. Without any regulation, technologies like artificial intelligence and IoT often become exploitative. Lack of knowledge by the IoT vendors and users also advances the security challenges with IoT. Henceforth, to thwart cyber attacks it becomes imperative to formulate a regulatory framework which monitors the IoT usage and the incidents of cyber attacks. For this, India can observe the steps taken to maintain IoT standards from its allies. For example, European body ETSI has released certain guidelines for the adoption and utilization of IoT. ItsETSI EN 303 645, a standard for cybersecurity in the Internet of Things, establishes a security baseline for internet-connected consumer products and provides a basis for future IoT certification schemes.

The European Cybersecurity body states that the EN is designed to prevent large-scale, prevalent attacks against smart devices that cybersecurity experts see every day. By complying with the standards, EN will restrict the ability of attackers to control devices across the globe known as botnets which launch DDoS attacks, mine cryptocurrency and spy on users in their own homes. By preventing these attacks, the EN represents a huge uplift in baseline security and privacy.

A similar regulatory framework can be deployed by the Indian cybersecurity organization so that vendors and consumers comply with the IoT standards. By installing a regulatory body, the discrepancies in the security network can be identified.

Another solution to thwart cyber attacks, ransomware and malware, is educating the consumers about upgraded security network and the possible implications of disrupted IoT network. By acquainting the consumers about the basic concept such as having a separate network for IoT devices, having strong and unique passwords of IoT devices and building a firewall will make the consumers more cautious about their IoT devices and the network security, which will in turn aid in mitigating the cyberattacks.

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How the Internet of Things Security Infrastructure in India can be improved? - Analytics Insight