The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) recently successfully designed and conducted the cybersecurity exercise “Synergy” for 13 countries. The initiative is part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group, which is being led by India under the leadership of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
The theme of the exercise was ‘Building Network Resiliency to counter Ransomware Attacks’. The exercise scenario was derived from real-life cyber incidents, in which a domestic level (limited impact) ransomware incident escalates to a global cyber security crisis. According to a press release, the specific objective of the exercise was to assess, share, and improve strategies and practices among member-states to build network resiliency against ransomware and cyber extortion attacks.
The exercise ‘Synergy’ was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform. Each state participated as a National Crisis Management Team, which was made up of different government agencies including National CERTs/CSIRTs, law enforcement agencies (LEA), communication and IT/ICT ministries, and security agencies. The exercise was successful in meeting its objectives and provided insights for better coordination and cooperation among CRI member states to build network resiliency and counter ransomware attacks.
CERT-In was launched in 2004 by the Department of Information Technology and is currently run under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). CERT-In responds to cybersecurity incidents, reports on network vulnerabilities, and fosters effective IT security practices throughout the country. Under the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In is in charge of overseeing the administration of the Act.
Established in 2015, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore seeks to keep the country’s cyberspace safe and secure to power a digital economy and protect its digital way of life. It maintains oversight of national cybersecurity functions and works with sector leads to protect Singapore’s critical information infrastructure. CSA also engages with various stakeholders to heighten cyber security awareness, build a vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem supported by a robust workforce, pursue international partnerships, and drive regional cybersecurity capacity-building programmes.
Recently, CSA announced it launched the Cybersecurity Industry Call for Innovation 2022 (CyberCall 2022). Cybersecurity companies are invited to participate in CyberCall to develop innovative solutions to address specific cybersecurity challenges. This year’s CyberCall is looking for solutions in artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity, cloud security, operational technology (OT)/ internet of things (IoT) security, and privacy-enhancing technologies.
Cybersecurity plays an increasingly important role as the world becomes more reliant on technology. Cybersecurity forms the backbone of a strong digital society, providing a trusted environment necessary to grow digital transformation and the confidence needed to advance digital adoption. Concurrently, strong cyber capability protects the economy from losses due to cybercrimes and builds the foundational capability to grow the emerging digital technology sector.
Reports show that the global cybersecurity market size was valued at US$ 197.36 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach US$ 478.68 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.5% from 2021 to 2030.
