CERT-In: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team | UPSC Notes

A Closer Look at CERT-In (The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team)

Since its inception in January 2004, CERT-In has been playing a pivotal role in maintaining cybersecurity in India.

• The agency operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It frequently provides advisories to organizations and users to help them safeguard their data, information, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) infrastructure.
• CERT-In actively seeks information from service providers, intermediaries, data centres and body corporates to coordinate response activities and emergency measures concerning cybersecurity incidents.
• It offers round-the-clock security service and serves as the central reporting point for cybersecurity incidents.
• The agency is constantly on the lookout for potential cyber threats and is responsible for managing any cyber incidents reported to it. This strengthens the security defences of the Indian Internet domain.
• CERT-In is spearheading the implementation of the Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) across Central Government Ministries/Departments/states and critical organisations operating in Indian cyberspace. The CCMP is a strategic document created to address cyber-related incidents.

The Various Roles and Functions of CERT-In

As per the IT Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In has been assigned to perform the following functions in the area of cybersecurity :

• Collect, analyze and disseminate information on cyber incidents.
• Predict and alert about potential cybersecurity incidents.
• Implement emergency measures to handle cybersecurity incidents.
• Coordinate cyber incident response activities.
• Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes, and whitepapers on best practices for information security, as well as procedures for prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents.
• Perform any other functions related to cybersecurity as may be required.

CERT-In's Recent Directives (April 2022)

In April 2022, CERT-In released new directives related to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response, and reporting of cyber incidents, with the aim of ensuring a safer and more trustworthy internet.

• To aid in incident response measures, CERT-In issued directions regarding information security practices, procedures, prevention, response, and reporting of cyber incidents under the provisions of sub-section (6) of section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 .
• The directives cover a wide range of aspects, including –
  • Synchronisation of ICT system clocks.
  • Mandatory reporting of cyber incidents to CERT-In within a six-hour window.
  • Maintenance of ICT system logs for a period of 180 days.
  • Registration details of subscribers/customers by Data centres, Virtual Private Server (VPS) providers, VPN Service providers, Cloud service providers.
  • Adherence to KYC norms and practices by virtual asset service providers, virtual asset exchange providers, and custodian wallet providers.

These directives are expected to significantly enhance the country's overall cybersecurity posture and promote a safe and trusted internet environment.