In the wake of the recent spate of hackings of the digital information systems in various government entities, the government of India has launched Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Center through CERT-in.
Computer Emergency Response Team has developed this new desktop and mobile security solution for a secure cyberspace in the country. This center will prevent attacks from malware and will also help people rid their devices of malicious software.
Commenting on the launch, Union IT and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said,
India today joined the distinguished club of countries that have malware cleaning systems for the use of its citizens. As of now, we have 13 banks and internet service providers (ISPs) using this service. With the expanding digital footprint in the country, I see a surge in start-ups in the area of cyber security by the end of the year.
Apart from working with ISPs and industries, the center will also spread awareness among citizens regarding botnet and malware infections, along with measures to be taken by the users to enhance the security of their devices.
Mr. Prasad further added that the government will set up 10 more (Standardization Testing and Quality Certification) STQC testing facilities. Further, he added that the testing fee for any start-up that comes up with digital technology will be slashed by 50 percent.
CERT will work with ISPs to identify IP addresses affected by virus or malware. After the identification, the affected user will be sent an alert informing them of the presence of the malicious software on their device. Users choosing to clean their devices will then be redirected to the agency website. The team is also working with anti-virus software companies to get technical help in disinfecting devices.
The solution suite includes USB Pratirodh, M-Kavach and AppSamvid. USB Pratirodh is a desktop security solution that secures removable media drives on a system. M-Kavach offers security solutions for Android devices while AppSamvid protects your system by allowing installation of genuine applications through whitelisting.
The Cyber Swachhta Kendra is a part of Indian government’s Digital India Initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Recently, hackers who go by the name Legion have hacked Twitter and email accounts of well-known personalities such as Rahul Gandhi, Vijay Mallya, and journalists Barkha Dutt and Ravish Kumar. In October last year, around 3.2 million debit cards were also affected by a hacking attack targeting ATMs in India.
